International and Club Competition

Overview

Soccer is somewhat unique among sports for having extremely successful and popular leagues both internationally and at a club level. It often can be confusing for non-soccer fans. At the club level, soccer operates just as most United States sports leagues, with clubs associated with cities that play in domestic competitions. At this level, players are traded and acquired regardless of their country of origin. Players represent their home country on the international level in a variety of competitions as well. Below is an explanation of the different competitions across club and international levels.

International

World Cup  – held once every four years, one of the largest sporting events in the world. Notable countries that have dominated this competition are Brazil, France, Argentina, Germany, and Spain.

Euros – held once ever four years (alternate to the World Cup), and is limited to just European nations.

Copa America – held the concurrently with the Euros, and limited to South American nations.

Club

Champions League – comprised of the top clubs from each domestic league in Europe. Teams that have dominated this competition are Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Manchester United.

Domestic Cups – these are the competitions held in each individual European country. Examples include the English FA Cup, German DFB Pokal, and the Spanish Copa Del Rey.

Domestic Leagues – These are the regular leagues in which domestic clubs compete. They often have no playoffs of their own, but are based on a point system which determines the winners. They also have a promotion/relegation system.