There are numerous professional soccer leagues all over the globe, but the best players tend toward certain countries. The most successful clubs are those that have the largest budgets. History plays an important role, however.
Which 20 leagues are the most popular in the world at the moment? While there is a clear top five in leagues at the moment, there are many surprises. Legs are jockeying for position or bragging rights.
20. Danish Superligaen
The top league in Denmark is the first to be included on the list. It is a small country, but it has a passion and a lot of soccer. This has made them somewhat relevant to international soccer. FC Midtjylland and FC Copenhagen are the leaders right now. However, there are other teams that have helped make the league more competitive.
19. Chinese Super League
If they want, there are Chinese Super League teams with the financial resources to be a very dominant force. They are Asia’s best league right now and they are growing rapidly with many people starting to play for the first time. Major League Soccer, and the Chinese Super League could reach the top 10 within a decade.
18. Major League Soccer
The United States seems to be very focused on making Major League Soccer a real threat in the soccer world. They are the only North American league that made this list. The 18th place might not be as well-known due to name recognition. Problem is that MLS teams continue to focus on well-known players in their final years of their careers. If they want to be taken seriously, they need to find more stars at their prime.
17. Greek Super League
Some blame Greece’s lackluster passion. soccer as some other countries in today’s world. Some people look at the financial difficulties of many top clubs as the reason they have fallen so low. Although the Greek Super League has some talent, it is not as strong as it once was. If they do ever get it back together, they are worth keeping an eye on as they climb up the ranks.
16. Turkish Super Lig
Turkey is supported by Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. Turkey’s most prominent threat in international competition is Galatasaray. The league is considered to be the best internationally, with at least one player. Turkey’s style is a little more physical than most, appealing to some fans looking for a brand of soccer they enjoy.
15. Swiss Raiffeisen Super League
A Swiss Super League exists since 1898. The league has experienced a variety of changes over the years. Only three teams have ever won the title since 2003 when they started their current format.
In the beginning stages of the new format, Basel and Zurich won the trade-off win. But the Young Boys have won three straight. While there are some talented players who make it through the league, they often sign their contracts as they reach their prime.
14. Ukrainian Premier League
The Ukrainian Premier League was notoriety when Shakthar Donetsk made it through to the knockout stage in champions league action, a few years back. For the domestic crown, it usually falls between them and Dynamo Kyiv. It has allowed them to grow their league as more talent is coming through Ukraine, both in the youth ranks and at the national level.
13. Argentina Primera Division
Argentina has the talent to be higher up this list, coming from a country that is easier to access. However, many of these players leave for Europe to play in the top teams. They are in the same situation as Brazil but it is worse for Argentina.
Although some clubs are able to pay for the aging stars, most of it is a breeding ground that allows players to move on to better things. Being in the second-best league can be a good thing for those who wish to stay in South America.
12. Belgian Jupiler Pro League
The Belgian league is very similar to the Austrian league. This means that many of the top homegrown players move on to other prestigious European clubs.. Belgium’s top teams do not have the funds to keep their top players happy and to throw them to the top.
11. Austrian T-Mobile Bundesliga
Because they don’t have many teams making a lot of noise, the Austrian T-Mobile Bundesliga is often lost in the shuffle.. Red Bull Salzburg is now the team to beat. But they want to have an impact on the Europa League and Champions League. Austria has lost a fair amount of its top players to European leagues.
10. Championship (English second league).
While the Premier League in England is highly competitive, there are still high-quality soccer leagues in England.. This second league is made up of teams that were recently relegated to the Premier League. They are among the top 10 leagues in the world.
The fact that so much money is invested in these clubs is a major reason this league is still competitive. Teams are eager to do all they can to win Premier league spots every year.
9. Russian Premier League
Given that the Russian Premier League was only around for two decades it is quite remarkable. It is quite remarkable that they rank so high in the list of teams made up of Russian-born players. Some clubs have established themselves as the best.
Zenit St. Petersburg and CSKA Moscow have six titles between them, and they hope to show the rest of Europe what they can do. You should not be surprised to see the Russian Premier League climb a little higher on the list.
8. Portuguese Liga
Portugal is another country where a national league is dominated only by a handful of teams. Portugal’s domination is unique. In their history, FC Porto and Sporting CP have won every title except two. They have been successful against other European clubs, which is why they are at the very least a little higher up in the rankings.
7. Brazilierio Serie A
Brazil is the top league other than Europe. The league is still young and many teams struggle to retain quality players. Teams are left with many players who may be slightly older than they should, as well as some younger men still learning and discovering what they can offer.
It is still a thrilling league, and it continues to get support across South America. If they can figure out a way to keep the best Brazilian athletes home, they could challenge the top five players on the list.
6. Eredivisie
After the top five leagues the overall level of play decreases dramatically. It is not that there aren’t good teams and players in the other leagues. But it is not the same as the top 5. The Dutch league is closest to the top, because they have some clubs that can make a difference outside of the Netherlands.
Ajax and PSV Eindhoven are the teams with the most talent and best results. It is difficult to bring in players from other countries as most top players will move to established leagues to compete.
5. Ligue 1
Like most other leagues in France, Ligue 1 is dominated primarily by one team. Paris Saint-Germain is a club which can compete with any team, but there isn’t much depth in France at the moment. People are always going to tune in to see the likes of Neymar in Kylian Mbappe, but most soccer fans don’t watch them play in the Ligue 1, but only when it’s time for the Champions League.
PSG must be challenged by other teams before Ligue 1 is allowed to consider moving up the list. Although it is possible, things are moving slowly at this time.
4. Bundesliga
Although the Bundesliga is not the most competitive league, they have one of the best clubs in the world in Bayern Munich. They have won every German championship they have competed in since 2013 and are well regarded against top European teams.
Their dominance has led to frustration in the domestic arena. Many hope that the league will become more of a race to second and that there are some other teams who might be able to make a push for their cause.
VfL Wolfsburg is in the best place to make that push towards top, while Borussia Dortmund and VfL Wolfsburg have the most potential. But Bayern Munich is an absolute juggernaut domestically. It will take a tremendous effort to defeat them for the entire season.
3. Serie A
Although it might be surprising to some that Serie A is in third place, the league has made great strides in recent years in landing top players and maintaining a competitive balance. Ronaldo is the marquee player. However, the league got a nice boost after Zlatan Ibrahimovic signed with AC Milan. Their careers are coming to an end but they both have a lot of international recognition.
Serie A’s three major players are AC Milan Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and Juventus. But Napoli and Roma have proven that they are capable of being competitive domestically. While they have a long way to go before they can compete with the two above them in Serie A, Serie A continues its improvement.
2. La Liga
People think of La Liga when they think about Barcelona or Real Madrid. It is clear that these teams have the history and star players as well as the fan base, and the financial resources to compete with any international club team. This league is second best because of a relatively new Spanish team.
Atletico Madrid is currently the only team to have won La Liga since 2005. They have been constantly in the chase in recent years, not only in domestic competitions but also in international competitions. They haven’t won a Champions League title yet, but they did finish runner-up twice.
Although Spain may not have the same depth as the English Premier League they have the most Champions League titles with 18. La Liga will remain in second place as long the top players are signed by teams that have money.
1. Premier League
While many leagues have attempted to replicate the Premier League’s model, it is still the best in soccer. It is the top-ranked team, has a few teams that are capable of competing with any other in the world, and has a passionate fan base that keeps it going.
England might struggle to produce homegrown talent to an extent, but having the ability to import players is a great way to keep the Premier League vibrant. In any given year, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal are all dangerous threats in the Champions League.