What Are the Major Tournaments in Soccer?

Soccer, also known as football or association football, is one of the popular sports all over the world. Millions of fans and followers from all over the world eagerly await the spectacle of this grand sport with a colossal aura.

Soccer is a sport played as a team in which 11 players of two teams compete against each other. It is popular among people of all ages and genders. In the sport of soccer, players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona, Pele, and Ronaldo have become celebrated names with a huge fan following.

Several soccer tournaments are held around the world every year, which increases viewers’ excitement and enthusiasm about this sport. In this article, we've compiled a list of the top six soccer tournaments of all time. Continue reading to learn about the major soccer tournaments around the world, as well as some interesting facts about them.

World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is one of the most illustrious soccer tournaments in the world. The competition has been organized every four years since its start in 1930. The world Cup is organized by the Fédération International de Football Association (FIFA) and is attended by teams from all over the world. The tournament, which is contested by men's national football teams, determines the sport's world champion. The best World Cup teams include Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Uruguay, and France. France is the current World Cup champion in soccer. So far, the World Cup has been held in seven different countries.

Interesting Facts

·       The World Cup is the most viewed sport in the world.

·       Due to the Second World War, the tournament was not held in 1942 and 1946.  

·       Brazil has played every single World Cup.

·       Pelé is the only player in the World Cup history to win three gold medals.

·       Germany has the most goals.

·       Mexico will jointly host the 2026 World Cup, making it the first country to host games in three World Cups.

·       With 16 goals, Germany’s Miroslav Klose is the all-time leading scorer.

UEFA European Championship

The UEFA European Championship, which began in 1960, is one of the most prestigious national soccer tournaments in the world. The competition, which is organized by the European Football Association (UEFA), features a total of 24 national teams competing for the coveted title. Senior men's national teams from UEFA members compete in the Championship. The tournament, which takes place every four years, determines Europe's continental champions. Germany, Spain, Italy, and France are among the most well-known European Championship teams, having scored the most goals.

Interesting Facts

·       Euros is another name for the UEFA European Championship.

·       Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the European Championship scheduled for 2020 was postponed until 2021.

·       Spain is the only team to have won two titles in a row.

·       Germany leads the competition in both goals scored and goals conceded.

·       The UEFA European Championship trophy is known as the 'Henri Delaunay Trophy', named after UEFA's first general secretary, Henri Delaunay.

Copa América

The Copa América is the world's oldest and most popular continental football competition, having first been held in 1916. It is the top men's football tournament in South America, with national teams from all over the continent competing. The tournament, which is organized by CONMEBOL, determines the South American champions. Argentina and Uruguay, followed by Brazil, are the most successful teams in the tournament's history.

Interesting Facts

·       Until 1975, Copa América was known as the South American Football Championship.

·       Argentina has hosted the competition the most times.

·       The United States is the only country not affiliated with CONMEBOL to host the event.

·       With a total of 15 goals each, Norberto Mendez of Argentina and Zizinho of Brazil are the all-time leading scorers.

·       Uruguay has played the most matches.

 

Women's World Cup

The Women's World Cup is the most prestigious and widely watched tournament for women's soccer. The Women's World Cup is held every four years and is governed by FIFA. The tournament is competed by senior women's national teams from FIFA member countries. The first Women's World Cup was held in China in 1991 and the United States won it. At the moment, the United States is the Women's World Cup champion.

Interesting Facts

·       Marta of Brazil is the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.

·       The United States has the most goals in the tournament.

·       The United States is the only country to have won the competition twice.

Asian Cup

Since its inception in 1956, the Asian Cup has been held every four years. The Asian Cup, which is hosted by the Asian Football Federation, is contested by senior men's national teams from AFC members to determine the Asian continental champion.  

Interesting Facts

·       Asian Cup is the world's second-oldest continental football competition after the Copa América.

·       Japan is the Asian Cup’s most successful team.

·       Iran is the only team to win it three times in a row.

Africa Cup of Nations

The Africa Cup of Nations is Africa's main international men's association football competition, first held in 1957. Every two years, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) hosts the tournament. Cameroon has won the competition five times and Egypt seven times.

Interesting Facts

·       Only Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia competed in the first tournament which took place in 1957.

·       Egypt has won the tournament seven times, making it the most successful nation in the cup's history.

·       Egypt is the only country to have won three titles in a row.

The Bottom Line

FIFA World Cup comes once in four years and brings along a lot of excitement. It can be overwhelming for a bettor to deal with so much of information and varying nature of odds, and teams’ performances. Take the best football tipsters and strategy advice to enjoy betting on this tournament better. Soccer is an extremely popular sport in the world, with millions of people participating in it. It is also one of the most widely watched sports on television, with billions of fans and followers tuning in to watch the world's most famous tournaments. FIFA World Cup Betting Tips requires research and number-crunching. You have to keep patriotism from fogging your analytical abilities.  Soccer is popular among the masses because of the sheer passion with which the players play the game and the thrilling goals they score. It's no surprise that soccer provides viewers with more thrills and excitement than any other sport which makes it a glamorous sport with a massive fan base that no other in this field can match!