FIFA World Cup is arguably the most coveted trophy in the world currently and every player would love to lift one in their career. The victorious squad must feel immense joy and accomplishment when they clutch this prize.
It’s not just the winning squad that celebrates when they take home this trophy. Winning the World Cup may bring a nation together, generating a positive wave of happiness and competitiveness across a country.
Since it was founded in 1930, the World Cup has been held every four years. with the exception of 1942 and 1946, when the Second World War halted it.
Major Trophies in Football
There are numerous contests and trophies in football. The most important international football tournaments are listed below.
FIFA World Cup
The largest accomplishment (competition) in international football is the World Cup. This important event is played by thirty-two teams and occurs every four years.
The FIFA World Cup association football tournament’s champions are given the World Cup, a solid gold trophy.
Two trophies have been used since the World Cup’s inception in 1930: the Jules Rimet Trophy from 1930 to 1970 and the FIFA World Cup Trophy from 1974 to the present.
At $20 million, it is one of the most costly awards in sporting history.
France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia after defeating Croatia by a score of 4 goals to 2. In 2022, Qatar is hosting the 22nd edition of the tournament.
FIFA Confederations Cup (Abolished 2019)
The confederation tournament champions, the host nation, and the world cup champions all qualify for this group of teams to compete in a FIFA Confederations Cup.
Additionally, it occurs every four years, just like the World Cup. The only nations with two FIFA Confederations Cup victories are Brazil and France.
Germany defeated Chile 1-0 to win the most recent Confederations Cup, which was played in Russia in June 2017.
Continental (non-international)
UEFA European Football Championship
This competition, sometimes known as the Euro, is the most viewed in Europe (internationally). Every four years, it takes place (two years before the next World Cup happens).
Nine groups make up the qualification for this tournament, with the top two teams from each group, the best third place, and the winners of a play-off between the remaining third place teams moving on to the subsequent major group round, and so on. The most titles, three, were won by Germany and Spain. The most recent championship was won by Italy in 2021, defeating England on penalties 4-3.
UEFA Nations League
The senior men’s national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport’s European governing body, compete in the new biennial UEFA Nations League international association football competition.
In September 2018, immediately following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the first tournament began.
League A’s four group winners will advance to the finals, which will take place in June 2019 in an undetermined European location.
Four nations will also be eligible to compete in the UEFA Euro 2020 finals, one from each League.
The 55 UEFA national teams, including Kosovo, will be split into four divisions (referred to as “Leagues”), with 12 teams in League A, 12 teams in League B, 15 teams in League C, and 16 teams in League D, in accordance with the format that was previously approved (before Kosovo became a member of UEFA).
Four groups are created in each league, with three or four teams in each group, and they compete against one another both at home and away.
AFC Asian Cup
Although Australia is permitted and has once won the tournament, this is the primary competition for Asian nations.
The Asian Football Confederation hosts the AFC Asian Cup, an international association football competition.
After Copa América, it is the second-oldest continental football championship in history. The victorious team is crowned Asia’s champion.
CAF Africa Cup of Nations
For the CAF (African) nations, this is the primary rivalry. Every two years, it features 16 teams from Africa and is held in January or February in the same year as the Summer Olympics and the UEFA European Championship Finals.
It is the greatest accomplishment of any international African squad. Senegal took up the trophy in the most recent competition, which took place in Cameroon in February 2022.
CONMEBOL Copa América
This is where the CONMEBOL faces its toughest foreign opposition. It consists of all of the CONMEBOL’s teams.
The time it will occur vary regularly because there is no set interval.
Argentina, who has won the title 15 times, defeated Brazil in 2021 with a 1-0 triumph. Argentina and Uruguay are the countries with the most victories (15 time winners). 2011 saw Uruguay’s most recent Copa America victory.
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF region’s primary competition is this one. With 8 titles, Mexico now holds the record for most victories.
The most recent champions, the United States, follows them with six titles, followed by Canada with one. Additionally, there is no set time frame for this.
OFC Nations Cup
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) members compete in an international association football tournament known as the OFC Nations Cup.
From 1996 to 2004, it was contested every two years; prior to that, Oceania Nations Cup was the name of two further events that were staged at sporadic intervals.
There was no competition in 2006, but the New Zealand national football team won the 2008 edition, which also served as a qualification tournament for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and a play-off for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Club competitions
The major club competitions are listed here.
FIFA Club World Cup
This trophy, which was previously known as the Intercontinental Cup, is the only one to include the best top clubs from all six confederational titles. Chelsea won the most recent championship in 2022.
UEFA Champions League and Europa league
The Champions League is the largest matchup between winners of European leagues. 32 teams are qualified for a round robin, after which 16 teams from each group advance to the knockout, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
AFC Champions League
The Asian Football Confederation hosts the AFC Champions League, also referred to as the Asian Champions League, which is a yearly continental club football competition.
The competition, which debuted in 2002, is a continuation of the Asian Club Championship, which had begun in 1967.
CAF Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is more prestigious than the CAF Champions League. It is also played similarly to UEFA’s, except after numerous qualifying leg rounds, eight clubs are in the group stage.
Wydad AC won the title most recently in 2022, and it was their third championship.
The competition’s champion earns a spot in the FIFA World Club Cup.
CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores
The most popular national club league outside of UEFA because it enjoys the same level of prestige. As of 2022 the current champion is Independiente from Argentina.
CONCACAF Champions League
The top football clubs in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean compete in the CONCACAF Champions League, an annual continental club football competition, which is run by CONCACAF.
The CONCACAF Champions League champion earns a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Due to Scotiabank’s sponsorship of the event, it has been officially named as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League beginning February 2015.
OFC Champions League
The top men’s club football league in Oceania is the OFC Champions League, usually referred to as the O-League.
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), Oceania’s football governing body, is in charge of organizing it. It has been running in the present format since 2007, taking after the Oceania Club Championship.
Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia are the only Pacific countries to have won the OFC Champions League, with 12 titles going to New Zealand-based teams.
