5 of the Most Popular Football Tournaments in the World

On top of being the world’s most popular sport, football also has some of the most anticipated tournaments. There are many active soccer events all year long that attract millions of fans worldwide which have continuously boosted the popularity of the sport.

As a matter of fact, the UEFA Champions League final attracts over 400 million viewers globally every season. And the number keeps on increasing each year.

However, some soccer tournaments have a bigger fan base than others. This is because of the prestige and the quality of players on display. 

Dive in and learn about the top football events around the world.

• 1. FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup tops the list as the most popular football tournament ever because it unites the whole world. It is a celebrated event in the soccer industry and takes place every four years. Interestingly, it has only taken a break once since its launch and that was because of the second world war.

The first tournament was held in 1930 and many teams from different countries participated in the event. It was held in Uruguay and the hosts also won the tournament, which was a surprise at the time. 

The Brazilian Men’s national team is the most successful in the FIFA World Cup’s history. It has won the World Cup title 5 times, followed by Germany with 4 trophies.

For the FIFA Qatar, World Cup Brazil is one of the favorites with star players Neymar and Vinicius. They even have one of the six goalkeepers to have scored in the Premier League – Allison Becker. 

• 2. UEFA European Championship

This highly anticipated tournament takes the second position and it also takes place every 4 years like the FIFA World Cup. Many European countries play in the event but all the nations first participate in different qualifiers to earn a ticket to the finals.

Germany and Spain’s Men’s national teams are the best in the tournament and have both won the title 3 times each. They are followed by Italy and France which have won the event twice.

In addition to that, many other countries on the European continent like England strive to win the title. The team has so far participated in 10 finals and their best performance was in 2020 when they managed to reach the final. Unfortunately, they lost to Italy on penalties, however, England’s several outstanding performances made them popular with football fans, and one of the favorites to win the World Cup. 

The odds are always changing but comparison sites help find safe betting sites for you to take advantage of in the UK. The platform helps players with comprehensive reviews on each bookmaker and finds the most generous welcome bonuses. In addition, if you prefer to bet on other sports like cricket and golf the site has you covered. 

• 3. Copa America

Copa America is also among the world’s biggest soccer competitions. It is contested by national teams from South America. The tournament is organized by CONMEBOL and it’s considered the oldest continental football competition still active.

Copa America was launched in 1916 and its title has been won by 8 countries so far. Uruguay and Argentina are the tournament’s most successful national teams as they have won the event 15 times. They are followed by Brazil with 9 titles. Peru, Paraguay, and Chile take the third position with 2 titles each.

• 4. UEFA Champions League

It is Europe’s premier soccer competition with clubs from only UEFA member nations. The UEFA Champions is even bigger than the Superbowl in regards to how many fans tune in to watch. 

It has many top teams like Juventus, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Barcelona that have attracted millions of fans worldwide. The tournament was launched in 1955 known as the European Cup but it was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992.

• 5. African Cup of Nations

AFCON is the most popular football tournament on the African Continent. It was launched in 1957 and only 24 teams qualify for the finals after succeeding in the qualifiers. 

Egypt is the most successful country in the event because it has won the title 7 times. Furthermore, the current champion of the tournament is Senegal. It was its first time winning the prize after defeating Egypt in the 2021 finals.