Football tournaments

Here is an overview of the most important football tournaments, divided into national team tournaments and club tournaments.

International

FIFA World Cup

World Cup trophyThe most prestigious football tournament in the world that has been held every four years since 1930 (with exception for a break during WWII).

The history of FIFA World Cup
Teams with most titles and finals
Top goalscorers

UEFA European Championship

European Championship trophyThe most prestigious national team football tournament in Europe that has been held every four years since 1960 and has been expanded from 4 to 24 teams.
The history of European Championship
Teams with most titles and finals

Copa América

Copa América is a South American football championship that has been organized since 1916, which makes it the oldest national team competition in the world. It includes all ten countries of the Conmebol, and since the 1990s teams from North/Central America and Asia have been invited to fill up the 12-team tournament. Since its first edition in 1916, and until 1975, Copa América was known as “South American Football Championship".
The history of Copa América
Winners and runners-up

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup is a continental football championship that has been organized since 1956 and includes all teams of the Asian confederation.
The history and results

African Cup of Nations

African Nations Championship is a continental football championship that has been arranged since 1957 and includes all African national teams.
The history and results

Confederations Cup

Confederations Cup is played every fourth year, the one that precedes a World Cup.
— The tournament is including eight teams, the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships together with the reigning World Cup champion and the host nation of the upcoming World Cup.
— The tournament has been held since 1992.
— The 1992 and 1995 editions were called the King Fahd Cup, before FIFA took over the tournament.
The history and results

Summer Olympics

Summer Olympics is held every fourth year with football as one of the included sports.
— Football has been a part of the program since 1900.
Was considered the premier football competition in the world before the introduction of FIFA World Cup.
The history and results

European club tournaments

UEFA Champions League

Champions League trophyThe most prestigious tournament for European football clubs. Has existed since season 1992-1993 (since season 1955-1956 if its predecessor European Cup is counted).
— Include winners of national competitions.
— The format is a combination of group phases and knock-out tournament.
— Champions League was preceded by the European Cup.
Winners, history and statistics

UEFA Europa League

A European club tournament that has existed since season 2009-2010 (since season 1971-1972 if its predecessor UEFA Cup is counted).
— The format is a combination of knock-out tournament and a group phase.
— The UEFA Europa League was preceded by the UEFA Cup.
Winners, history and statistics

European Cup

The competition, also known as European Champion Clubs' Cup, existed from season 1955-1956 to season 1991-1992. Rebranded to UEFA Champions League in 1992.
— Included winners of national domestic leagues.
— The format was knock-out tournament with two-legged home and away ties.
— European Cup was inspired by South American Championship of Champions, the Challenge Cup and the Mitropa Cup.
— It took over the status that had belonged to Challenge Cup and the Mitropa Cup.
Winners, history and statistics

UEFA Cup

Existed from season 1971–72 to season 2008-2009. Rebranded to UEFA Europa League in 2008.
— Included clubs finishing in leading positions behind the champions in their leagues and winners of national cup competitions plus qualifications from UEFA Intertoto Cup and clubs from UEFA's Fair Play League.
— The format was knock-out tournament with two-legged home and away ties.
— The UEFA Cup was preceded by the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Trophy from season 1954-1955 to season 1970-1971 (not organized by UEFA).
Winners, history and statistics

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

Existed from season 1960-1961 to 1998-1999. Merged with the UEFA Cup.
— Included winners of domestic cup competitions.
— The format was knock-out tournament with two-legged home and away ties.
Winners, history and statistics

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Founded in 1955 and was running until 1971.
— The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was taken over by UEFA and relaunched as UEFA Cup.
History and records

Mitropa Cup

An early tournament that existed from 1927 to 1992 and involved Central and East European clubs.
History and records

South American club tournaments

Copa Libertadores

The most prestigious tournament for South American football clubs. Has existed since 1960.
— Include winners of national league competitions.
— The format is a combination of group phases and knock-out tournament.
Winners, history and statistics

CAF Champions League

The most prestigious tournament for African football clubs. Has existed since 1964.
— Include invited clubs from African countries.
— The format is a combination of group phases and knock-out tournament.
Winners, history and statistics

Domestic club tournaments

FA Cup

FA Cup, or Football Association Challenge Cup, is a yearly competition between English football clubs first played in 1871-1872. Known as the oldest tournament in the game of football.
Winners, history and statistics

Coppa Italia

An Italian national football tournament first played in 1922.
Winners, history and statistics

Copa del Rey

The oldest Spanish competition founded in 1903. Nowadays, the winner is qualified for the UEFA Europa League and will also play against the La Liga winner in the Spanish Super Cup (The Supercopa de España).

Taça de Portugal

Portugal tournament founded in 1938. Preceded by Championship of Portugal (Campeonato de Portugal).

DFB-Pokal

The DFB-Pokal (until 1943 called Tschammer-Pokal) is a German knockout tournament.
Winners and history

Coupe de France

Coupe de France (Coupe Charles Simon) is the premiere football club tournament in France and was founded in 1917.

KNVB Cup

The KNVB Cup (KNVB Beker) is a tournament in the Netherlands and has been arranged since 1898, making it to one of the oldest football competitions.

Scottish Cup

The Scottish Cup (Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup) has been organized since 1873 and include clubs with membership of the Scottish Football Association.

Irish Cup

The Irish Cup has been organized since 1881 and include clubs in Northern Ireland.
Winners, history and statistics

International club tournaments

Intercontinental Cup

The Intercontinental Cup was a football competition contested between European and South American club champions. Existed 1960-2004.
— The competition was only contested by two teams.
— From its inauguration to 1979, over a two-legged match, and from 1980 and forward over a single match held in Japan.
— Intercontinental Cup was preceded by the Small Club World Cup.
Winners, history and statistics

Other domestic tournaments

Table 1. Domestic tournaments
Name Country Founded
Armenian Cup Armenia 1992
Belgian Cup Belgium 1911
Czech Cup (Pohár FAČR) Czech Republic 1933
Croatian Football Cup (Hrvatski nogometni kup) Croatia 1992
Danish Cup (DBU Pokalen*) Denmark 1954
Durand Cup India 1888
Greek Cup Greece 1931
Hungarian Cup (Magyar Kupa) Hungary 1909
Norwegian Football Cup† Norway 1902
Polish Cup Poland 1925
Russian Cup Russia 1992
The Swedish Cup (Svenska Cupen) Sweden 1941
Turkish Cup (Türkiye Kupası) Turkey 1962
Ukrainian Cup Ukraine 1992
Welsh Cup Wales 1877

* Previously Landspokalturneringen.
† Called Norgesmesterskapet i fotball for herrer in Norwegian.

Dissolved European club tournaments

Table 2. Dissolved European club tournaments
Name Period
Challenge Cup1 1897-1911
Balkan Cup 1960-1993
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1955-1971
Intertoto Cup2 1961-2008
Mitropa Cup3 1927-1992
The Cup Winners’ Cup 1960-1999
Iberian Cup4 1935-2005

1. Was played between clubs in the Austria-Hungary.
2. Was played during the summer break (originally named the International Football Cup).
3. Mitropa Cup is the oldest of the large tournaments for European clubs.
4. Contested by Spanish and Portuguese clubs.
The European Cup and The UEFA Cup are not included since they still live on rebranded to Champions League and Europa League, respectively.

Dissolved club tournaments in Europe

Table 3. Dissolved domestic tournaments
Name Country Period
Youdan Cup1 England 1867
Cromwell Cup1 England 1868
FA Amateur Cup England 1893-1974
Palla Dapples Italy 1903-1909
Copa de Competencia Jockey Club2 Argentina 1907-1933
Copa Ibarguren3 Argentina 1913-1958
Campeonato de Portugal4 Portugal 1922-1937
Greek League Cup5 Greece 1989-1990
Copa de la Liga6 Spain 1983-1986
Coppa delle Alpi7 Italy 1960-1986
Swiss League Cup Switzerland 1972-1982

1. Yuadan Cup and Cromwell Cup are the oldest football tournaments (by comparison, the FA Cup was established in 1871), which were held only for one edition each.
2. Included teams from the Argentine Football Association and, until 1919, Liga Rosarina de Football.
3. Copa Ibarguren was decided in one match between the winners of Primera División and, in different periods Liga Rosarina, Litoral league or Copa Presidente.
4. Precursor to Taça de Portugal (should not be confused with Campeonato de Portugal, the third-level football league in Portugal since 2013).
5. Was only held once.
6. Spanish for League Cup; was won twice by Barcelona and once by Valladolid and Real Madrid respectively.
7. Included teams from Switzerland, Italy, Germany and France.

Dissolved club tournaments around the world

Table 4. Dissolved club tournaments
Name Period
Copa de Competencia Chevallier Boutell1 1900-1919
Latin Cup2 1949-1957
Intercontinental Cup3 1960-2004
Copa Interamericana4 1968-1998
Copa Mercosur / Copa Merconorte5 1998-2001

1. Copa de Competencia Chevallier Boutel (Tie Cup Competition) was held yearly and involved Argentinean and Uruguyan clubs.
2. Clubs from the Latin European nations (France, Italy, Portugal and Spain) participated.
3. Intercontinental Cup was a match played between the European and South American champions.
4. Included clubs from American and Caribbean nations.
5. Included clubs from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay (Copa Mercosur), and Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela (Copa Merconorte).

Dissolved international tournaments

Table 5. Dissolved international tournaments
Name Period
Central European International Cup1 1927-1960
Artemio Franchi Trophy2 1985-1993

1. During a period known as Dr Gero Cup.
2. The tournament was played twice as a match between the winners of Copa América and European Championship (winners were France and Argentina)