Which are the best soccer leagues in the world? A ranked list of the top 12

There are hundreds of professional football leagues worldwide. FIFA, being the governing body for football globally, oversees leagues played in the six regional confederations the world is divided into: CAF (Africa), AFC (Asia and Australia), UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF (North & Central America and the Caribbean), OFC (Oceania) and CONMEBOL (South America). All these confederations have their own soccer leagues. Read on to know the 12 best soccer leagues in the world.

The Premier League has been hailed as the most thrilling league globally for over three decades. The League has been successful in monetary sense and popularity since it was renamed the "English Premier League" in 1992. Discover the top competitors of this world's greatest football league below.

Best soccer leagues in the world ranked by Opta Power Rankings

Opta's Power Rankings is a global team ranking system for nearly 13,500 football teams. The system ranks teams from 183 countries and 413 domestic leagues on a scale of zero to 100, where zero is the worst-ranked team in the world, and 100 is the best team in the world. Below are the world's best soccer leagues ranked by the Opta Power Rankings:

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Football

12. Turkish Super Lig - Turkey

• Founded: 21 February 1959
• Headquarters: Istanbul, Turkey
• Domestic cup (s): Turkish Cup; Turkish Super Cup
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current championship: Galatasaray (2022–23; 23rd title)
• Most championship: Galatasaray (23 titles)

The Süper Lig, or Turkish Super Lig, is one of the top football leagues in the world. The league is officially known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons and is run by the Turkish Football Federation. There were 18 clubs in the Süper Lig until 2020, and 20 Clubs have been competing in the Süper Lig starting from 2020.

The league's season runs from August to May, with each club playing the others twice (a double round-robin system) – once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents – for a total of 38 games.

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Seventy-five clubs have participated in the Süper Lig, but only six have won the title to date: Galatasaray (23), Fenerbahçe (19), Beşiktaş (16), Trabzonspor (7), İstanbul Başakşehir (1) and Bursaspor (1). In the 2023-24 season, twenty clubs compete, where a champion is decided, and three clubs are promoted from and relegated to the 1. Lig.

11. Swiss Super League - Switzerland

• Founded: 1898
• Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland
• Domestic cup (s): Swiss Cup
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current champions: Young Boys (2022–23; 16th title)
• Most championships: Grasshopper (27 titles)

The Swiss Super League has 19 teams and is played over 36 rounds from late July to May. The league's season included a winter break from mid-December to the first week of February. Each team plays each other four times, twice at home and twice away, in a round-robin. Grasshopper has won the most Swiss Super League championships (27 titles).

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10. Brazilian Serie A - Brazil

• Founded: 23 August 1959
• Headquarters: São Paulo, Brazil
• Domestic cup (s): Copa do Brasil; Supercopa do Brasil
• International cup (s): Copa Libertadores; Copa Sudamericana
• Current championship: Palmeiras (2022–23; 11th title)
• Most championships: Palmeiras (11 titles)

The Brazilian Serie A is called the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Many commonly refer to the contest as the Brasileirão or Brasileirão Assaí due to sponsorship with Assaí Atacadista. There are 20 clubs in the Brasileirão, and the league's season is from May to December. Each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system) – once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents – for a total of 38 games. Brasileirão has a flair and samba touch. It is working on deals in international TV rights and sponsorships to bring in extra revenue for the clubs.

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9. Belgian Pro League - Belgium

• Founded: 1895
• Headquarters: Wervik, Flemish Region, Belgium
• Domestic cup (s): Belgian Cup; Belgian Super Cup
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current championship: Antwerp (2022–23; 5th title)
• Most championships: Anderlecht (34 titles)

The Belgian Pro League is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. It operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Challenger Pro League. The competition is officially called the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler. It has been contested by 16 clubs from the 2023–24 season onwards, with Antwerp winning the 2022–23 season.

8. Portuguese Primeira Liga - Portugal

• Founded: 1934
• Headquarters: Porto, Portugal
• Domestic cup (s): Taça de Portugal; Supertaça
• League cup(s): Taça da Liga
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current champion: SL Benfica (2022–23; 38th title)
• Most championships: Benfica (38 titles)

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The Primeira Liga, also known as Liga Portugal, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. It was first known as "Campeonato da Liga da Primera Diviso" when it was established in 1934. The league is officially called Liga Portugal Betclic for sponsorship reasons. More than 70 teams have participated in the Primeira Liga championship, but only five clubs have won the contest. The three top winners are Benfica (38 victories), Porto (30 victories), and Sporting CP (19 wins).

7. Dutch Eredivisie - Netherlands

• Founded: 1956
• Headquarters: Zeist, Netherlands
• Domestic cup (s): KNVB Cup; Johan Cruyff Shield
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current championship: Feyenoord (2022–23; 16th title)
• Most championships: Ajax (36 titles)

In the Netherlands, the Eredivisie League is the top division for professional football. Two years after professional football began in the Netherlands, the League was established in 1956. It is one of the most significant ones in Europe, according to many. UEFA ranks Eredivisie as the fifth-best League in Europe as of the 2022–23 season. It features 18 clubs. With 35, 24, and 15 titles won, the top three teams in this division are Ajax, Eindhoven PSV, and Feyenoord.

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6. English Championship - England

• Founded: 2004
• Headquarters: London, UK
• Domestic cup (s): FA Cup
• League cup(s): EFL Cup
• International cup (s): UEFA Europa League (via FA Cup); UEFA Europa Conference League (via EFL Cup)
• Current championship: Burnley (2022–23; 2nd title)
• Most championships: Burnley; Newcastle United; Norwich City; Reading; Sunderland; Wolverhampton Wanderers (2 titles each)

The English Football League Championship (EFL Championship) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the English football league system, after the Premier League. The league is also known as the Championship in England or the Sky Bet Championship (for sponsorship purposes). The league has 24 clubs, and Burnley won the 2022–23 edition.

5. French Ligue 1 - France

• Founded: 1932
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Domestic cup (s): Coupe de France; Trophée des Champions
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current championship: Paris Saint-Germain (2022–23; 10th title)
• Most championships: Paris Saint-Germain (10 titles)

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Football

The French Ligue 1 is among the top five best leagues in soccer. The league is officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons. It is under the Ligue de Football Professionnel, a French governing body that runs France's major professional football leagues.

Twenty clubs compete in this league, and a promotion and relegation system is used to promote top teams to Ligue 2. League 1 seasons run from August to May. Clubs play two matches against the other teams in the league – one home and one away – totaling 34 matches for the season.

4. Spanish La Liga - Spain

• Founded: 1929
• Headquarters: Madrid, Spain
• Domestic cup (s): Copa del Rey; Supercopa de España
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current championship: FC Barcelona (2022–23; 27th title)
• Most championships: Real Madrid (35 titles)

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The Spanish La Liga is among the world's top three best leagues in soccer. The Spanish Football League Championship has 20 competing teams, and sixty-two teams have previously participated. The top teams in this league are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Valencia.

Barcelona has won 27 La Liga championships, while Real Madrid has won 35. Legendary soccer players Lionel Messi and Ronaldo raised the bar for Spanish La Liga, and the league keeps improving every year, even without them.

3. Italian Serie A - Italy

• Founded: 1898
• Headquarters: Milan, Italy
• Domestic cup (s): Coppa Italia; Supercoppa Italiana
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current championship: Napoli (2022–23; 3rd title)
• Most championships: Juventus (36 titles)

The Italian Serie A, officially known as Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons, is a professional tournament for football teams in Italy. The winners are awarded the Scudetto and Coppa Campioni d'Italia. Since the 1929/30 season, the competition has been run in a round-robin format. According to the IFFHS report, Serie A was the strongest national League in the world in 2020. The league is home to three of the most well-known clubs in the world: Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan.

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2. German Bundesliga - Germany

• Founded: 24 August 1963
• Headquarters: Frankfurt, Germany
• Domestic cup (s): DFB-Pokal; DFL-Supercup
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current champion: Bayern Munich (2022–23; 32nd title)
• Most championships: Bayern Munich (32 titles)

The Bundesliga is the most-watched League in Germany. The league's seasons run from August to May, with 18 clubs in competition, and matches are played on the weekends (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays).

A little over 45000 spectators watch Bundesliga games in stadiums. Fifty-six clubs have competed in Germany's Bundesliga since its founding. Bayern Munich has won 32 titles, 11 from the last eleven seasons, a European record. The Bundesliga has other champions like Borussia Dortmund, Hamburger SV, and Werder Bremen.

1. English Premier League - England

• Founded: 27 May 1992
• Headquarters: London, UK
• Domestic cup (s): FA Cup; FA Community Shield
• International cup (s): UEFA Champions League; UEFA Europa League; UEFA Europa Conference League
• Current champion: Manchester City (2022–23; 7th title)
• Most championships: Manchester United (13 titles)

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Football

The English Premier League is a top-tier football league in the world. It has had fifty clubs participating since its inception in 1992: 48 English and 2 Welsh clubs. Twenty clubs partake in the competition, with each playing 38 games. AN EPL season starts in August and ends in May. Seven teams have won the Premier League trophy: Liverpool (1), Blackburn Rovers (1), Leicester City (1), Arsenal (3), Chelsea (5), Manchester City (7), and Manchester United (13).

What are the criteria used to rank football leagues?

Six factors used to compare soccer leagues in FIFA and determine the best are:

• Competitiveness
• Quality of football
• Success on an international level
• TV rights & viewership numbers
• Star Power
• Average attendance

What are the best soccer leagues in the world?

Below are the 30 world's best soccer leagues ranked according to the Opta Power Rankings:

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What are the best leagues in soccer?

Below are the ten best soccer leagues in the world ranked by Opta Power Rankings:

FIFA has 210 men's leagues and 129 women's national teams. Meanwhile, FIFA 23 contains over 30 licensed leagues, over 100 licensed stadiums, over 700 clubs, and more than 19,000 players. The world has many football leagues because each country has its own domestic league. The English Premier League tops the rankings of the best soccer leagues in the world, with a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people, because it has strong teams. EPL teams make the league incredibly competitive, thus making the contest unpredictable and exciting to fans.

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Sportsbrief.com published an article comparing Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldo Nazario. The Cristiano vs Nazario debate seems to be a never-ending one. Most of Cristiano's fans believe he is the greatest soccer player ever, even though the Portuguese striker believes some icons are better than him.

For this reason, Cristiano's fans always compare him with other legendary players of his generation and retired superstars like Ronaldo Nazario, who left outstanding records.