​When watching the World Cup, you can often tell countries apart by their three-letter codes. It’s straightforward for many: USA stands for the United States, FRA for France, GER for Germany, and NOR for Norway. Some compound-name nations also translate well for English speakers, like Cape Verde becoming CPV or New Zealand as NZL. Others are less obvious.
For example, the USMNT’s Round of 32 opponent was Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the three-letter code is BIH, not BOS or BAH. The reason is that these codes are international and not always based on English. Many countries use their native languages, French, or Latin to align with the ISO alpha-3 guidelines. Here are some country abbreviations that might not be obvious when watching the World Cup.
Why is Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH? In Bosnian, the country is Bosna i Hercegovina, where the “i” means “and.” Why is South Africa RSA? It stands for “Republic of South Africa.” Why is Saudi Arabia KSA? It marks the “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Why is Morocco MAR? It’s MAR rather than MOR because in French the country is Maroc. Why is Switzerland SUI? Switzerland uses SUI because in French the name is Suisse. Why is Ivory Coast CIV? CIV comes from the French name, Côte d’Ivoire. Why is DR Congo COD? There are two Congos: the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo. The Republic of the Congo is COG, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo—also known as Congo-Kinshasa or République Démocratique du Congo—uses COD to follow ISO alpha-3 guidelines and differentiate from its neighbor, COG. Why is Curaçao CUW? The official two-letter code is CW, so CUW was chosen to adhere to ISO rules; the W avoids confusion with Cuba (CUB) and currency abbreviations. Why is Spain ESP and the Netherlands NED? Spain is España in Spanish and Espagne in French, while the Netherlands are called Nederland in Dutch, hence NED. Why is Austria AUT? Why is Australia AUS? Austria is AUT to avoid confusion with Australia, which has AUS because it resembles its English name. In German, Austria is Österreich, and in French, Autriche, both influencing the abbreviation choices.
Isa Almeida is a trending reporter for The Oklahoman. If you have a story idea for Isa, you can reach her at ialmeida@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @ialmeidasports. Support Isa’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription at subscribe.oklahoman.com. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why is Spain ESP