What football competitions are there? An overview and information

Whether you play football yourself or just enjoy watching it, one thing is clear: it’s always the fight for victory that makes this sport so fascinating. The thrill of victory is what makes this sport so fascinating. It applies to the intense rivalries between teams as well. It’s also about the teams and the goal of every season: to win the title as a team.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a championship or cup, national or international – the most prestigious competitions in professional football today are held in Europe. It’s clear that professional football today is dominated by Europe. Both the European Top 5 leagues and the The Champions League, Europa League and Conference League always attract loads of spectators. When you look at the totality of these attractive competitions, it becomes clear: there is always top-class football to watch.

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This is how club football became a competition

From the very beginning, football was characterised by the spirit of competition. To a certain extent, it is part of the spirit of the game that two teams face each other on the pitch and, if possible, one of them leaves the pitch as the winner. The first fixed rules for this were laid down in England in the 19th century. The first major competition was organised there in 1888 in the form of the English Football League and thus a championship.

This model was followed by other European nations (and later worldwide) into the 20th century. In addition to the league-style championships, national cup competitions also became established. In contrast to the league system, these usually take place via elimination rounds and also give lower-ranking teams the chance to win a national title.

What football competitions are there today?

Not least because football is a real spectator magnet and a lucrative business, there are now far more competitions than just the national championships and cups. In fact, many national associations even have more than just one cup.

In addition, a 3-point system has become established almost everywhere for championships and groups in tournaments: 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a defeat. FIFA did not actually introduce this system until 1995. Before that, there was the 2-point rule, which had also existed in the German Bundesliga until then and was still favoured by many for some time. In the two-point system, the winner received two plus points in the table, draws were awarded one plus and one minus point and defeats two minus points.

The national football competitions in Europe

As mentioned, the championship within a country is the most important and biggest title each season. Of course, only the participants in the highest division have a chance of winning it, but thanks to promotion and relegation regulations, all clubs in a country could in principle win a championship title.

The country’s cup competition runs in parallel. In many countries, such as England, there is also another cup tournament with an even larger field of participants down to the lower leagues. In addition, a so-called Super Cup has been established in many cases, in which the reigning champions compete against the reigning cup winners at the start of the season.

The international competitions in professional football

The Mitropa Cup, an international club competition in professional football, was held as early as 1924. Initiated in Austria, the cup is regarded as the general forerunner of today’s European Cups for club teams. UEFA was founded as a European football association in 1954 and the European Cup of Champions was held for the first time in 1955, which in turn was the direct predecessor of the Champions League (since 1992).

Today, the Europa League and the Europa Conference League, for which clubs qualify according to their position in the national championships, still exist below the Champions League, so to speak. However, the Champions League definitely continues to offer the greatest prestige, which is also reflected in the prize money and television money, although the other competitions are attracting ever greater numbers of spectators.

Apart from these competitions, which take place throughout the season, there is also a Super Cup at international level. The UEFA Super Cup pits the reigning Champions League winners against the reigning Europa League winners to decide the first major title of the season.

The FIFA Club World Cup is also held annually. This competition takes place between the winners of the Champions League and the other respective top continental club competitions (South America, North and Central America, Africa, Oceania).

Football competitions for national teams

What turns fans of clubs in a country into rivals unites them when they look at the national team. National teams bring together a country’s best players and so there are, of course, competitions in which the respective countries can be crowned the best football nation.

First and foremost is the World Cup, organised by FIFA. Each World Cup regularly generates incredibly high revenues and viewing figures worldwide. Brazil still has the most World Cup titles (5), followed by Germany and Italy (4).

In addition to the World Cup, there are also continental championships:

• European Championship (UEFA)
• Africa Cup (CAF)
• Asian Football Championship (AFC)
• Copa América (CONMEBOL, South America)
• CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF, North and Central America)
• Oceania Football Championship (OFC)

The Europe-wide UEFA Nations League is also a relatively new competition. Since the 2018/2019 season, UEFA has replaced the previous friendly match dates and the UEFA coefficient for seeding lists at major tournaments. In this respect, the Nations League also represents a second route to qualifying for the European Championship and World Cup.

The hierarchy of the Nations League is based on a league system (League A, highest, to D, lowest) with promotion and relegation. The game mode extends over two years for one round and takes place in three phases: Round robin (groups with first and second legs), final four, play-offs (final round with the 4 group winners of league A).

What are the most important competitions in football?

It is debatable which titles are the most important and biggest in professional football. At the very least, it is difficult to say whether it is more difficult for a player to win the Champions League or a World Cup title. However, if you look at the financial aspect, the picture is relatively clear.

Nothing is as lucrative as winning the Champions League. Manchester City, winners of the 2023 title, were able to book revenue totalling €96.9 million by the time they won the competition. Even Inter Milan, the losing finalist, enjoyed €73.17 million. UEFA distributes a total of 3.5 billion euros in club competitions – and the trend is rising.

In contrast, FIFA “only” offered a total of 444 million euros for the 2022 World Cup. Of this, 42 million euros will go to the world champion, while the association of the runner-up will receive 30 million euros. By way of comparison, the European champions will ultimately receive a total of 28.25 million euros from UEFA for Euro 2024.

Frequently asked questions about the football competitions