Football tournaments
Here is an overview of the most important football tournaments, divided into national team tournaments and club tournaments.
International
FIFA World Cup
The 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
The 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
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 of African Cup of Nations
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
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
The 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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)