subject: Most Known International Soccer Competitions [print this page] Soccer is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the world. There are many great international soccer competitions. Countries pride themselves on how well they perform in these tournaments. Here's a look at some of the most popular ones.
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest of all International competitions. Held every four years, the World Cup includes 32 nations that meet in group stages to determine the 16 that advance to the knockout round. The First World Cup was held in 1930. Spain won the most recent event, winning the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil. Competition begins long before that though, as nations battle through a series of qualifying against teams in their own international federations. As a World Cup preview, the host nations host the Confederations Cup the previous year, which pits the reigning champions from all federations as well as the defending World Cup champion and the host nation.
Another popular international soccer competition is the Euro Championships. Held every four years, the last Euro tournament was won by Spain in 2008. Like the World Cup, European powers will battle to qualify for one of 16 spots in the final tournament. Euro 2012 will be held in Poland and Ukraine. Euro is a great showcase of European powers battling each other.
Other international federations have their own soccer championships similar to Euro. The Asian Cup is held every four years, most recently in 2007 in which Iraq won. The Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years, also featuring 16 nations. Egypt has won the past three tournaments, creating a dynasty in African soccer.
The Gold Cup features nations in the CONCACAF league. Held every two years, Mexico and United States have won all but one Gold Cup tournament. The Copa Americana is the major tournament for South American nations. This battle features 12 teams, with 2 spots coming from other FIFA leagues to join 10 South American nations. Not surprisingly, Brazil has reigned supreme in recent tournaments.
On a professional level, the biggest international competition is the UEFA Champions League. This pits the best of professional teams from all the European leagues in England, Spain, Germany, and other countries. 32 teams meet in the group stage, with 16 advancing to the knockout rounds. Teams qualify by finishing atop their leagues or by winning playoff rounds to fill other spots. The final is held at a neutral site. Inter Milan, an Italian power, is the reigning champion.
