Soccer or football, depending on your region, is one of the most famous sports and always attracts a lot of attention. Such a sport has many sponsors and lots of money dumped into it so huge viewership should be expected.
While soccer is often associated with Europe and South America, there are a lot of tournaments which attract attention from all over the globe.
Here are some of those tournaments, in no particular order.
The World Cup
Back in 1930, the World Cup came to be and ever since, every four years, it attracted many countries, many viewers and a lot of attention. It is the most anticipated event in soccer and never fails to deliver. The winners at the top of the table are Brazil with 5 and Germany and Italy below, tied at 4 wins each.
Following the conclusion of the 2018 World Cup that took place in Russia, France, the winner, is now tied with Argentina and Uruguay with 2 wins each. There are two more winner, England and Spain with a win each.
There is a reason why this cup is the most attractive, as there are many nations contesting for the top spot, and it is a quadrennial opportunity to compete for the title.
UEFA European Championship
This event is very similar to the above mentioned World Cup, in regards that it takes place every 4 years. 2 years separate it from the World Cup, so both the players and the fans have what to look forward to. It is played in Europe and usually hosted by two countries yet the 60th anniversary happening in 2020 is to take place in 13 different countries. This is unlikely to happen again for at least 10 more years so soccer fans should tune in.
The rules are simple, best teams from 24 nations compete for their spot as Europe’s champion.
UEFA Champions League
This is an annual competition which has some of Europe’s best clubs compete for the title of Europe’s champion. The teams enter via their own national soccer league and the winners are guaranteed an entry, sometimes, the runner-ups get their own chance. A total of 32 teams competes in a round robin of 8 groups, where the top 16 head over to the knockout phase.
The current champion and club that holds the most titles is Real Madrid from Spain, with 13 titles. Behind Real are Milan from Italy with 7 wins and Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Barcelona, tied at 5 wins each. This event takes place every year and often, some clubs tend to surprise or upset the league, making for a very interesting tournament.
Besides the World Cup, two of the most prominent tournaments are the UEFA European Cup and the UEFA Champions League. It should be mentioned that there are many more tournaments like the FIFA Women’s World Cup or the Summer Olympics or the Copa America in Latin America or the CONCACAF Gold Cup which spans over North America and the Caribbeans.
In Asia, the AFC Asian Cup is the most notable. Interestingly enough, it is the second oldest continental cup following the Copa America. Countries from all of Asia complete for the title, the leading ones being Japan with 4 wins, followed by Saudi Arabia and Iran tied at 3 wins each.
There are plenty of cups for everyone to watch, every year, for a lot of soccer/football entertainment.