There are some footballing competitions that simply outweigh others: in every way but the monetary one. England’s FA Cup is regularly described as one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world owing to how old the tournament is and how it relates to every British citizen who followed the sport from a young age.
With all the teams within the top ten tiers of English football eligible to participate in the tournament, you can see just why it’s often described as ‘magical’. Whether you’re from a well-developed city or from a small town miles away from one, it’s likely a team within walking distance from your house will participate in the FA Cup.
The competition brings together a large number of fans and has also attracted interest from fans from abroad owing to the competitive nature of the cup format in recent years. But while the FA Cup only caters to English – and Welsh – clubs, there are other tournaments that bring about similar magic in the eyes of fans.
Here’s looking at five of the most prestigious football tournaments from across the world:
#5 Copa Libertadores
The Copa Libertadores is the UEFA Champions League equivalent of Latin American football. The literal translation of the name is ‘Liberators of the America Cup’ owing to the roots of its inception – the South American wars of independence.
With 47 teams from eleven South American countries – and Mexico – the Copa Libertadores is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world. The qualification process for the competition varies from country to country but in summation, Brazil and Argentina get five teams to represent their leagues in competition while the rest of the participating countries get three each.
With over 135 countries capable of following the tournament through television deals, it’s no wonder there are a host of clubs fighting tooth and nail to win it. The 2009 edition of the tournament was the first one to break the 1 billion views mark – spanned over the course of the competition.
The most successful Libertadores club is Argentina’s Independiente who have won it a total of seven times while the current champions are Atletico Nacional.
#4 Copa America
The oldest continental football tournament in the world has been constantly improving in recent years. The first Copa America was played in 1916 to commemorate Argentina’s independence and the competition has since flourished to become one of the most sought-after trophies in world football.
Contested by the CONMEBOL countries, the Copa America also invites countries from other continents to take part in the competition – to primarily make up numbers but also to popularise the event across the world.
Currently held by Chile who have won the last two tournaments on the trot, the Copa America’s biggest winners are Uruguay even though the likes of Argentina, Brazil and Colombia participate in every tournament.
The 2016 Centenario edition of the Copa America was broadcasted to over 160 countries in the world and was viewed by approximately 1.5 billion people.
#3 UEFA European Championships
The UEFA European Championships or Euros for short is one of the most-followed footballing competitions in the world. Played between 24 of Europe’s finest national football teams, the competition takes place every four years either side of a FIFA World Cup tournament.
First played in 1958, the competition has since evolved to become one of the biggest spectacles in world sports thanks to the level of competition and the kind of viewership it brings every year.
The 2016 edition of the tournament was won by Portugal and broke multiple viewership records across Europe. The final alone was seen by nearly 400 million people from across the globe while the competition also set records by becoming the ‘most seen TV programme’ in multiple European countries including Portugal and France.
The most successful teams in the competition are Germany and Spain who have each won it thrice while France come second having won it twice in their history.
#2 UEFA Champions League
Introduced only in 1992 as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup, the competition has since become a juggernaut in money making. It is the most sought after club trophy in the world and outperforms almost all of the other competitions on this list.
In terms of the money it produces from television, turnstile and merchandise, it is the most profitable football tournament in the world. It’s no wonder clubs from all over Europe fight till the death just to get into the tournament.
Real Madrid are the most successful side in the competition having won it eleven times in the past – including the most recent one in 2016. The final of the competition has often broken the record for being the most-watched annual sporting event in the world with the 2013 edition being seen by around 360 million viewers across the globe.
#1 FIFA World Cup
If the UEFA Champions League is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the World Cup is the Big Kahuna. To put things into perspective, the record for the most-watched UEFA Champions League final is 360 million viewers while the latest FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Germany was seen live by 1.013 billion people across the globe.
It’s no surprise to see the World Cup do so well given 32 countries from across the globe fight for the chance to win the title – with 211 countries from all continental competitions eligible to participate in the finals.
The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world. Hundreds of millions of people watch from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia making it the most prestigious football tournament in the world.
Brazil are the most successful side in the tournament having won it five times while Germany and Italy have both won it a total of four times each.
