The foundation of international soccer are tournaments which bring together the best national teams from all over the world. Club football may dominate the calendar but the competitions between countries are often the most exciting, watched by billions and producing moments that stay long in the memory of generations of players. These occasions highlight varying playing styles, intense rivalries and national pride from the FIFA World Cup to continental championships in Europe, South America and Africa.
But for new fans, the tournament scene can be a little confusing. FIFA is the world governing body, UEFA runs the European tournaments, and South America and Africa have their own prestigious events. Knowing how these soccer championships work helps to follow qualification campaigns, tournament formats and the importance of every match. Here is a guide to the main FIFA tournaments, UEFA competitions, Copa America and AFCON and how they fit into the international football calendar.
The role of FIFA in international soccer
The FIFA is the global governing body for the organisation of the sport at the international level. FIFA, established in 1904, is responsible for more than 200 national football associations and the Laws of the Game with other governing bodies.
Its main function is to organize international competitions to identify the best national teams in the world in different age categories and formats. FIFA also runs qualifying tournaments, international rankings and development programmes to grow the sport around the world.
The FIFA World Cup: Football’s biggest tournament
The World Cup is FIFA’s premier competition. It takes place every four years and features qualified national teams from each continent.
Teams don’t just get to play in the World Cup. They have to get through qualifying tournaments organised by their continental confederations. Each region is allocated a certain number of qualifying places . There are a certain number of spots for Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, North America and Oceania .
After qualification comes a tournament in which the teams will play in a group or league phase, and then move into knockout rounds, where every game could be the deciding game for a nation’s World Cup future, whether they go forward or go home.
FIFA’s other major tournaments
The World Cup gets the most attention, but FIFA also puts on several other competitions that help grow international football. These include the FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, youth tournaments such as the Under-20 and Under-17 World Cups, as well as international competitions for futsal and beach soccer. Together, these events ensure that FIFA’s reach stretches far beyond the senior men’s game.
What is UEFA?
UEFA is the governing body of football in Europe and administers many of the sport’s most prestigious competitions. FIFA is the international football governing body, with UEFA looking only at Europe and its clubs. The confederation runs both international tournaments with national teams and elite club competitions with Europe’s strongest domestic sides.
UEFA European Championship (Euro)
The UEFA European Championship or the Euros is Europe’s premier international competition. The competition is held every four years, between World Cups, with national teams qualifying through a long campaign across Europe.
The Euros is regarded as one of the most competitive tournaments in world football and features many of the world’s strongest national teams. To win the European Championship is regarded as one of the greatest achievements in world soccer.
UEFA Nations League
The UEFA Nations League is one of the latest UEFA competitions. Rather than just play international friendlies, the Nations League ranks European nations and seeds them into divisions. “There are more meaningful international fixtures throughout the football calendar, fighting for promotion, relegation and qualification spots.
UEFA Champions League and club competitions
UEFA also organises elite club competitions but these are not international tournaments for national teams. Clubs in the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League qualify based on their performance in domestic leagues. These tournaments are not FIFA tournaments, where players are playing for their country, not their club.
Copa América: South America’s historic championship
Copa América is one of the oldest international soccer tournaments in the world. The Copa América is organized by CONMEBOL and decides the champion of South America. It is no stranger to see footballing giants such as Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay feature in the tournament. Copa América has fewer nations than most other tournaments but is famous for its technical quality and bitter rivalries.
How Copa América works
The CONMEBOL member nations enter automatically and teams from other confederations are invited in order to complete a balanced tournament format. Following the group stage , the top sides move into knockout rounds that eventually produce a South American champ .
AFCON: Africa’s premier soccer championship
AFCON, also known as Africa Cup of Nations, is organized by the Confederation of African Football. The competition includes the best national teams from all over Africa and has seen a dramatic rise in quality and popularity in the last decades. The AFCON has become a major stage for many of the world’s leading footballers, many of whom are based in Europe’s top leagues but also play for their countries.
Qualification for AFCON
African countries must qualify through regional campaigns to reach the final tournament. After qualification, teams play group-stage matches and then enter knockout football where every match becomes more crucial. The tournament has seen plenty of surprise results and up-and-coming footballing nations to test the established powers.
How international soccer championships differ
There are many similarities with these competitions and they all have their own identity. The ultimate prize in football is the FIFA World Cup, with nations from every continent qualifying.
The UEFA European Championship is only for European nations but is considered as one of the toughest tournament because of the depth of talent in the region.
AFCON demonstrates the rapid development of African football and Copa America sees the footballing giants of South America take each other on.
Together they form the pinnacle of international competition in a range of world regions.
How teams qualify for major tournaments
“Qualifying is the key thing in international football and it’s one of the most important parts. “Qualifying is the key thing in international football and it’s one of the most important parts. Each confederation holds its own qualification competitions under FIFA rules. Each confederation holds its own qualification competitions under FIFA rules.
Teams qualify for the tournament according to its format, league position as group winners, through the playoffs or regional league position. Qualification campaigns usually take years and every international counts long before the tournament starts.
