We live in a time when football has transcended the concept of being limited to a sport and has become a religion and an emotion. We hear countless stories of how fans sacrifice their entire life savings to witness one match and see their idol weave magic. But have you ever wondered what facilitates this intensity or what teams are currently dominating the football scene? In this article, we will discuss the global domination of football and the most popular football leagues in the world.
Even though it is common practice to denote the English Premier League as synonymous with football, multiple such leagues tend to add to football’s glory. I have listed a few such names that ensure that the game never loses its charm and, in fact, becomes more popular with every passing season. Let’s first analyze how the credentials of popularity are determined for each football league.
Top Criteria for Popularity
You won’t be wrong to say that football is one of the most played games in the world, and every other country has some premium and small tournament dedicated to it. So how does one decide the scorecard in popularity? Well, certain parameters in place make a football league popular, some of which are as follows.
Fanbase And Global Reach
Needless to say, the first thing that tests the popularity factor of a league is its local and international support. The more fans a league pulls, the more global reach and sponsors it will pull. When you find an international team blending in with the local culture, you know that this is the team that’s going to pull more media coverage and sponsors. It is a non-negotiable and the most important factor on this scale.
Television And Digital Broadcasting Rights
A league is considered popular only when it has an international broadcaster’s attention. For instance, the English Premier League (EPL) has some of the most impressive broadcasting deals in the world, with rights holders like NBC in the U.S., Sky Sports in the UK, and Star Sports in India. If a league has international coverage or can make it to that point by its impressive gameplay and fan following, it seals its fate when it comes to the popularity scorecard.
The Presence Of World-Class Players And Clubs
The above two factors are the prerequisites to establishing a league on the football map, but the presence of elite players and clubs ensures the league maintains its foothold. Sometimes, all it takes for the sponsors and fans to support a league regardless of its stature is just one player attaching himself to it. Moreover, if a league has some of the best football clubs, its reputation will always precede it.
Competitive Nature And Entertainment Value
Lastly, at the end of the day, football is a first-class level of entertainment and its exciting and anticipatory nature is what makes it so popular. No matter how popular the league is, the real hit comes from the fact that each year they try to defend their title with the same intensity. A league that displays top-level football is bound to pull more crowds and, in turn, be the talk of the town.
The Dominance of the Most Popular Football League
So now that you are acquainted with the various factors that determine a league’s popularity scale, let us see and know more about the football big shots and understand their legacy.
1. English Premier League
Currently, a majority of fans equate the very existence of football with the English Premier League itself. It is the highest level of the English football league system and primarily consists of 20 teams or individual clubs who are also shareholders in the league. The teams are to perform within the rules of football, as defined by the Premier League, the FA, UEFA, and FIFA, as well as being subject to English and European law.
The purpose of the league is to ensure its audience witnesses some top-level football, and some of the biggest prodigies of football are associated with the EPL.
Viewership/ Audience Insights:
EPL has some impressive broadcasting credits to its portfolio, with broadcasts in 212 territories to 643 million homes, and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people. Not only that, for the 2018–19 season, the average Premier League match attendance was 38,181. It is the most-watched sports league in the world.
Top Players:
- Erling Haaland
- Bruno Fernandes
- Emiliano Martinez
- Mohammed Salah
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Virgil Van Dijk
Revenue Generated:
As per the Business Times, the EPL generated a revenue of £6.1 billion in 2022-23.
Teams:
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Bournemouth
- Brentford
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Chelsea
- Crystal Palace
- Everton
- Fulham
- Ipswich Town
- Leicester City
- Liverpool
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Newcastle United
- Nottingham Forest
- Southampton
- Tottenham Hotspur
- West Ham United
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
Season:
The EPL season typically runs from August to May.
2. La Liga
A significant name in the world of football, La Liga is another league that garners attention all over the world. Not only does it have the premier teams battling out each season for the title, but it also has some extraordinary viewership numbers that surpass its set standards each year.
This private sports organization comprises 20 clubs and SADs (public limited sports companies) that battle it out over a 38-matchday period. Not only that, it is present in 41 countries through its 13 offices and 44 delegates. As per the official data, the tournament reached the mammoth amount of 2.8 billion people globally in the 2019/2020 season.
La Liga is based on the double round-robin format during the season where each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away.
Viewership/ Audience Insights
The thing is, La Liga has some legendary football teams in the competition, including the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, which ensures a neat broadcasting number each season. It generated some impressive numbers through its broadcasting and saw a TV audience of over 76 million viewers.
Top Players:
- Kylian Mbappé
- Antoine Griezmann
- Luka Modrić
- Jude Bellingham
- Vinicius Jr.
Revenue Generated
For the 2022/2023 season, this pioneer of football saw a whopping number of €4,889.6M.
Teams:
- Athletic Bilbao
- Alaves
- Atlético Madrid
- Athletic Bilbao
- Barcelona
- Betis
- Celta Vigo
- Espanyol
- Getafe
- Girona
- Las Palmas
- Leganes
- Osasuna
- Rayo Vallecano
- Real Madrid
- Real Sociedad
- Sevilla
- Valencia
- Villarreal
- Valladolid
Season:
La Liga also runs from August to May.
3. Italian Serie A
The Serie A is the culmination of the best football teams which are at the top of the Italian football league system. It has almost a ninety-year-old legacy and in 2023, it was ranked as the world’s best national league by the IFFHS. It was majorly a sixteen to eighteen club tournament for most of the years, but it has moved to a twenty club format since 2004-05.
Furthermore, it is the same as La Liga and uses the true round-robin format where each season witnesses a total of 38 matches. But what grabs the eyeballs for the Italian Serie is its world-class teams like Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan. The league not only promises a premium football experience but also top-notch entertainment.
In fact, it is not surprising that more players have won the Ballon d’Or award while playing at a Serie A club than any league in the world other than Spain’s La Liga. (Wikipedia).
Viewership/Audience Insights
The Italian Serie A has fewer broadcasting partners all over the world as compared to its competitors. For example, it has no broadcasting partners in India but this in no way is detrimental to its viewership numbers.
In the last season, it saw a massive 6.2 million viewers for its 10th round as reported by Football Italia.
Top Players:
- Victor Osimhen
- Romelu Lukaku
- Lorenzo Pellegrini
Revenue Generated
Needless to say, a league like this generates an ungodly amount of revenue. To quote the numbers, the Italian Serie A generated €2.9 billion in revenue in 2022-23, averaging €143 million per club.
Teams:
- AC Milan
- AC Monza
- Atalanta
- Bologna
- Cagliari
- Como 1907
- Empoli
- Fiorentina
- Genoa
- Inter Milan
- Juventus
- Lazio
- Napoli
- Parma
- Roma
- Torino
- Udinese
- US Lecce
- Venezia FC
- Verona
Season:
With the season being divided into two halves, the Italian Serie A is played between August or September to May.
4. Bundesliga
The epitome of German football, the Bundesliga is another premium league that is cherished all over the world. With 18 teams, the league operates on the principle of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga. Bundesliga has a dual structure which mainly has two tiers, namely 1. Bundesliga, and, below that, the 2. Bundesliga (2nd Bundesliga), which has been the second tier of German football since 1974.
Ever since its inception, it has seen fifty-eight clubs fighting for the DFL-Supercup or the German Supercup, with Bayern Munich leading the score tally with 32 of 61 titles. The popularity of this club is prominent with the fact that it has won the Bundesliga 32 times, eight UEFA Champions Leagues, seven UEFA Europa League, four European Cup Winners’ Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cup, and three Intercontinental Cup titles and this list goes on.
Operated by the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, it is the number one association football league in the world in terms of average attendance. It saw the second-highest average attendance for its 2011–12 season with a staggering average of 45,134 fans per game.
Viewership/ Audience Insights
This German magic of football is broadcast over 200 countries and has a viewership of millions.
Top Players:
- Harry Kane
- Jamal Musiala
- Joshua Kimmich
- Thomas Müller
- Florian Wirtz
Revenue Generated
For its 2022-23 season, it generated a record revenue of €4.45 billion.
Teams:
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen
- Bayern Munich (FC Bayern München)
- Borussia Dortmund (BVB)
- Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- 1. FC Köln (Cologne)
- 1. FSV Mainz 05
- 1. FC Union Berlin
- VfB Stuttgart
- VfL Wolfsburg
- VfL Bochum
- VfL Mainz 05
- SC Freiburg
- TSG Hoffenheim
- Werder Bremen
- Wolfsburg
- RB Leipzig
- Darmstadt 98
Season:
Like its contemporaries, the Bundesliga also greets its fans from August to May.
5. French Ligue 1
The epitome of premium football from France is also known as the Ligue 1 McDonald’s. Even though it had a relatively late entry into the world of football, it has some elite teams to boast about, including some big-shot names like PSG and LOSC Lille, among many others.
Operating on the principle of promotion and relegation from and to Ligue 2, it consists of 18 clubs playing two matches against each other throughout the season. It is one of the topmost leagues in the world and is known for setting up highly strict standards to be associated with it. The motto of the Ligue 1 was simple: it was to facilitate the inception of football in France and ensure some top-level sportsmanship.
PSG is currently dominating the league, having recently secured its 12th title and consistently delivering thrilling, nail-biting entertainment and sportsmanship as always.
Viewership/ Audience Insights
Even though it is a bit tricky to pinpoint the exact viewership data one can only imagine the number with the fact that DAZN has a deal to pay €400 million per season to broadcast eight matches per match day.
Top Players
- Achraf Hakimi
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Randal Kolo Muani
Revenue Generated
As per the last season, the total revenue generated by the French Liga 1 was €2.37 billion.
Teams
- AJ Auxerre
- AC Ajaccio
- Angers SCO
- Clermont Foot 63
- FC Lorient
- Le Havre AC
- Lille OSC
- Montpellier Hérault SC
- OGC Nice
- Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon)
- Olympique de Marseille (OM)
- Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
- RC Lens
- RC Strasbourg Alsace
- Stade Brestois 29
- Stade de Reims
- Stade Rennais (Rennes)
- Toulouse FC
- ESTAC Troyes
- AS Monaco
Season
The French Ligue 1 is scheduled to run from August to May.
6. Portuguese Primieira Liga
Portugal has always been synonymous with football and the Primiera Liga or the Liga Portugal Betclic is one of its fine examples. It has 18 teams fighting for the trophy, which is supervised by Liga Portugal, and the lowest-performing team gets relegated to the Liga Portugal 2.
Even though 70 teams have participated in this tournament to date, only five have been crowned as the champion. Not only that, the past few years have seen a significant growth in the reputation of this Portuguese football masterpiece and it has occupied the sixth place in UEFA’s national league ranking, as of 2021.
The story behind the inception of the league is also quite interesting. Initially, Portugal focused mainly on the Championship of Portugal, where it was only tournament-style football to determine the winner. However, the Primeira Liga still existed back then with its round-robin format but didn’t garner the same attention it does now. But in 1938, they decided to shake things a bit and made Primieira Liga the epitome of football competition in Portugal.
Viewership/ Audience Insights
With record-breaking attendance in the last twelve years, this season saw an influx of people with an average attendance of 12,115 per game. In fact, DAZN AT offers a live streaming of the tournament globally.
Top Players
- Pedro Gonçalves
- Francisco Trincão
- Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu
- Samu Omorodion
Revenue Generated
As per a post by Liga Portugal Betclic, the last season saw a magnum €946 million in revenue.
Teams
- Arouca (Futebol Clube de Arouca)
- Boavista (Boavista Futebol Clube)
- Braga (Sporting Clube de Braga)
- Casa Pia (Casa Pia Atlético Clube)
- Estoril Praia (G.D. Estoril Praia)
- Famalicão (Futebol Clube Famalicão)
- Gil Vicente (Gil Vicente Futebol Clube)
- Marítimo (Sport Marítimo)
- Portimonense (Portimonense Sporting Clube)
- Porto (Futebol Clube do Porto)
- Rio Ave (Rio Ave Futebol Clube)
- Santa Clara (Grupo Desportivo de Santa Clara)
- Sporting CP (Sporting Clube de Portugal)
- Tondela (F.C. Tondela)
- Vizela (Futebol Clube de Vizela)
- Vitória SC (Vitória Sport Clube)
- Benfica (Sport Lisboa e Benfica)
- Marítimo (Sport Marítimo)
Season
It is usually played between August to May.
7. English Championship
English Championship, or the EFL, is the largest single body of professional clubs in European football. The tournament sees some of the top-notch teams and players in the sports battling it out for the EFL Championship trophy. With a 130-year-old legacy, it was founded by 12 clubs and 72 clubs have been members of this elite league.
Structured in a pyramid format, each team plays twice against the others, once at their home ground and once as the away team. It leads to a total of 46 matches per team. Teams earn three points for a victory, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss.
Once the season is done, the top two teams and the winner of the Championship play-offs are elevated to the Premier League, while the bottom three teams are demoted to EFL League One.
Viewership/ Audience Insights
Apart from being a highly competitive league, it also has an impressive crowd-pulling capability and is broadcast to a global audience of 400 million across 182 territories, beaming into more than 250 million homes outside the UK.
Top Players
- Gustavo Hamer
- Morgan Whittaker
- Jobe Bellingham
Revenue Generated
EFL saw a revenue of £747m in 2022/23.
Teams
- Birmingham City
- Blackburn Rovers
- Blackpool
- Bristol City
- Cardiff City
- Coventry City
- Crystal Palace
- Huddersfield Town
- Hull City
- Ipswich Town
- Leicester City
- Leeds United
- Middlesbrough
- Millwall
- Norwich City
- Plymouth Argyle
- Preston North End
- Queens Park Rangers
- Reading
- Sunderland
- Swansea City
- Watford
- West Bromwich Albion
- Wigan Athletic
Season
The English Football League (EFL) season runs from August to May.
8. Superligaen
Coming from the land of Denmark, its highest football tournament, the Superligaen, is administered by the Divisionsforeningen and contested by twelve teams. Tracing its inception way back in 1991, it has been responsible for producing some masterclass football ever since. It started with the initial force of ten teams which were slated to play 32 games in a season. But the 1995-96 season saw 12 teams playing each other thrice for 33 games.
However, the Superligaen saw a recent change in its structure in the year 2016, when the twelve teams were upgraded to fourteen, and with the process of relegation 26 games later the teams were split into two groups. The top six teams are promoted to the Championship Playoff and the remaining teams go to the Qualifying Playoff to upgrade their performance.
Viewership/ Audience Insights
This Danish display of impeccable football saw a total viewership of 15 million in the 2022-23 season.
Top Players
- Emiliano Martínez
- Elias Achouri
- Nicolai Vallys
- Roony Bardghji
Revenue Generated
It is estimated that a club in Superligaen earns €11,026,612 on average.
Teams
- Aarhus GF
- B 93
- FC Copenhagen (F.C. København)
- FC Nordsjælland
- Hobro IK
- Lyngby BK
- Midtjylland (FC Midtjylland)
- Odense Boldklub (OB)
- Randers FC
- Silkeborg IF
- SønderjyskE
- Viborg FF
Season
You can witness this Denmark spectacle in autumn and spring.
9. Brazilian Serie A
The Brazilian Serie A or the Brasileirão is the professional league for men’s football in Brazil and is the topmost football league in the country. With the twenty top clubs competing for the title, it also operates based on promotion and relegation.
Founded in the year 1959 as the Campeonato Brasileiro, it has seen a series of changes. Currently, it operates on the simple structure of relegation, where four teams at the bottom are relegated to Serie B.
The league is also a witness to some first-class football teams, which include Flamengo, São Paulo FC, and many others. It’s one of those leagues which learned the tricks of the trade with time, and it all began when Anglo-Brazilian Charles Miller introduced the concept of the game upon his return from England in 1894.
Needless to say, a lot has happened since then with the Brazilian Serie A, and currently, it is one of the most remarkable sports tournaments in the world.
Viewership/ Audience Insights
The league has an average attendance of 43,458 and a viewership of 1.4 million across the globe.
Revenue Generated
As per Global Data, the estimated income of this league for this year is $32.46 million.
Top Players
- Raphael Veiga
- Yuri Alberto
- Paulinho
Teams
- América Mineiro
- Athletico Paranaense
- Botafogo
- Corinthians
- Coritiba
- Cruzeiro
- Flamengo
- Fluminense
- Gremio
- Internacional
- Magdalena
- São Paulo
- Santos
- Sport Recife
- Vasco da Gama
- Palmeiras
- Fortaleza
- Bahia
Season
Currently, you can witness the magic of Brazilian Serie A, since this year it began on April 13 and will end on December 8.
10. Liga MX
Hailing from Mexico, last but not least on my list is the noble football competition of Liga MX or the Liga BBVA MX, which is also the topmost league in the CONCACAF’s league ranking index.
It is one of the most crowd-pulling football tournaments in America and ranks second position in television viewership following the Premier League.
Before the Liga MX, there was no such unified celebration of the game in Mexico and the growing interest in the game prompted the establishment of the national league in 1943. The Mexican Federation of Football was formed by six clubs from the Primera Fuerza of Mexico City, two clubs from the Liga Occidental, and two from the Liga Veracruzana.
The Liga MX is the reformed and polished version of the MFF and it paved the way for a rebranding of the federation with a new name and a logo. Initially, it used to operate in the format of two annual tournaments, namely the Apertura and Clausura, with 18 teams competing in each. This structure results in the crowning of two champions per season.
However, this format again saw a significant change when, from 2002 to 2011, the 18 teams were divided into three groups of six, with the top two teams from each group and the two best third-place teams qualifying for the Liguilla.
Currently, the league operates on the simple format of 9 teams each. The two groups where each team plays 17 matches in the regular season (one home and one away match against every other team) and the top four advance to La Liga automatically.
Viewership/ Audience Insights
The 2023 viewership registered a decent amount of 143,000 viewers.
Revenue Generated
As per CougarBoard Liga MX currently rakes in $608 million, or $33.7 million per team.
Top Players
- Víctor Guzmán
- Carlos Rodríguez
- Roberto Alvarado
Teams
- Atlas
- Atlético de San Luis
- Club América
- Club de Fútbol Monterrey
- Club León
- Club Necaxa
- Club Puebla
- Club Tijuana
- Cruz Azul
- FC Juárez
- León
- Mazatlán FC
- Pachuca
- Pumas UNAM
- Santos Laguna
- Tigres UANL
- Toluca
- Querétaro
Season
The league is scheduled for two seasons, namely Apertura (July to December) and Clausura (January to May).
Key Factors Contributing To Its Popularity
Now that you know the top names in football and their magnum empire, it’s only obvious to wonder what paved the way for them to be this popular. Some teams have a legacy close to a decade, but in a fast-paced time like ours, it takes way more than that to drive a viewership in billions.
Let us dive in to check some crucial factors that contribute to a league’s popularity and how it is one unified force which sometimes is even bigger than unified religion itself.
Intense Competition Among Top Clubs:
The purpose of entertainment in the form of sports is always nail-biting moments and cashing in the emotion of a win. So, a league that ensures these two factors takes away the cake easily. A common football fan looks forward to the moments when the top two rivals fight for the cup, which engulfs them in a sense of pride and glory that no other form of entertainment can ever replace.
Impact of Marketing, Media coverage, And Social media:
Apart from the cutthroat competition, the constant glorification of the players and their legacy elevates their popularity to a great extent. The concept is of marketing a player to the point where they create a sense of identity and exclusivity. Moreover, branded sponsorships and social engagements ensure that a player becomes more accessible and yet remains an idol, which prompts fans to cheer for them louder each year.
Another significant thing to note is that access to live coverage has ensured an increase in the fan base, due to its high-quality football content. Buying a ticket for the stadium match might create a hole in your pocket, but high-quality football in the comfort of your home is what does the trick.
Contributions To Global Football Culture
If not for the league matches, the legacy of football might not have been this cherished nor the quality of football would have been standardized. The league matches ensure that only the top talents get to contest in it and, in turn, elevate the game’s standards both in terms of performance and professionalism.
The leagues are the true flag-bearers of the globalization of football. Imagine praying for a team that’s in a different corner of the world altogether; it is only possible in football. This cultural exchange where fans from all over the world identify with clubs and players from different countries is considered the most important aspect of football.
Conclusion
Well, that was all from my end about the top leagues in football. Undoubtedly, it takes an entire clan of people and setups to ensure that we not only enjoy top-notch football but also keep the same experience intact each year.
It is a multi-million dollar industry that operates on the whims and emotions of its fans and I think this is where the exact beauty of football lies.
We should consider ourselves privileged that we get to witness some of the greatest in the sport due to these league matches, with quick ease and accessibility, and can enjoy the game in its full glory.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the most popular football league in the world?
As per the data up to the last season, the English Premier League is the most popular football league in the world.
2. Why is the Premier League considered the most-watched football league?
The reason the Premier League is considered the most-watched football league is quite simple. It checks all the boxes, which includes providing cutthroat competition and globally recognized big clubs. Not only that, it’s also backed by strategic media campaigns and aggressive broadcasting to reach a global audience.
3. Which football clubs contribute to the global popularity of these leagues?
Some renowned names contribute to the global popularity of these leagues, which include the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus, FC Barcelona, and many others.
4. How do broadcasting rights impact the popularity of football leagues?
Broadcasting rights are one of the most important factors in determining the popularity of the football leagues. The access to enigmatic gameplay without spending a hefty amount of money attracts more fans and increases the overall appeal of the league on a global scale. Furthermore, an increased visibility automatically ensures greater revenue and business.
5. What role do star players play in making a football league popular?
It is crucial to remember that a star football player influences thousands globally and their influence is unprecedented. There are mainly two kinds of football fans: one who is loyal to the player and one who is loyal to their club. So, a star player can make or break the league.
A league becomes an international showcase when star players are part of it. For example, players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappé transcend any borders and they bring global attention wherever they end up signing.
6. What are the key revenue sources for the most popular football league?
A major chunk of the income for the popular leagues comes from their television broadcasting rights, which is followed by ticket sales, sponsorship, and many others.
7. How does social media help in the global reach of football leagues?
The onset of social media has changed the trajectory of the global reach of football forever. What seemed like only a dream for all football fans on social media has been made into a reality by providing a direct channel to connect with their loved players. It also fosters a sense of community which, in turn, enables the league to promote its brand and stay relevant.
