Your guide to the ranking system which ranks, once and for all, the most successful clubs in European Men’s football leagues
Any club which thinks it deserves the label ‘big’ should be playing in the top league of its association, buying the best players and holding down a global brand presence. Yet, it’s the trophy cabinet which really sorts the economy class clubs from the business class, or even private jet set.
Whilst round-robin format league championships are arguably the most important trophies to win, a huge amount of glory can be earned in knockout format ‘cup’ competitions and some clubs have built up massive fan bases from cup wins alone.
Winning the top tier league championship by playing every club in that league both home and away is regarded as the most empirical method of proving which club has the best squad in the whole country. Knockout cup competitions bring challenges of their own, however. The league is a marathon whereas the cup is more like the 400m hurdles – each game the winning team needs to have the confidence, ambition and inner steel to come away with a result after 90 minutes – that isn’t needed in every league game. This is why cups are so loved by fans; each trophy proves their team is, if not the best in the country, at least has a champion’s mindset.
Concept – This quantified ranking system is designed to compare how successful each European men’s football club has historically been within their domestic league system. It also allows for a cross comparison between all of UEFA’s biggest clubs.
Criteria – This success ranking system scores points to clubs based on which trophies and how many they have won. Only ‘competitive football’ trophies are considered. Different trophies score different points based on a ‘glory’ criteria shown below:
- How many games need to be played in order to win the trophy? More games equals a greater chance that quality, not luck, will be relied on to win the competition. It is also more likely that the quality of the whole squad will be relied upon rather than just the best starting 11.
- What do teams need to do in order to qualify for the competition? Must they already be proven winners to have a shot at the trophy or just one of hundreds of clubs? What is the quality of football likely to be?
- How prestigious is it? This is an opaque factor but is affected by things like how old it is, how many cultural links to the fan base it has, how much publicity it gets affecting things such as media rights financial rewards. Although the national leagues and cups of nations such as England, Spain, Italy and Germany carry a huge amount of prestige, the more international it is, under UEFA or FIFA, the more prestigious it generally becomes.
The trophy points system
| Code | Competition | Success Points |
| —————- | SUPER CUPS | ———————— |
SC | Domestic super cup | 2 |
UEFA SC | UEFA Super Cup | 4 |
| FIFA IC | Intercontinental Cup / Annual FIFA Club World Cup / FIFA Intercontinental Cup | 6 |
| —————- | MAJOR TROPHIES | ———————— |
| LC | League cup | 8 |
ECL | UEFA Conference League | 8 |
NC | National cup | 10 |
EL | UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League | 12 |
| UEFA CWC | UEFA Cup Winners Cup | 12 |
| FIFA CWC | Quadrennial FIFA Club World Cup | 15 |
| CL | UEFA European Cup / UEFA Champions League | 17 |
| C | Top-tier league championship | 18 |
Treble | Three ‘major’ trophies won in a season. | 1 |
Tiers, leagues and domestic-competition point deductions
Tier 1 leagues: Domestic trophies won in leagues ranked for 2026: 1 – 5 of the UEFA coefficient are deducted 0 points; all three domestic cup titles potentially available (super cups, national cups and league cups) are counted.
Tier 2 leagues: Domestic trophies won in leagues ranked for 2026: 6 – 10 of the UEFA coefficient are deducted -4 points; any domestic super cup titles are not counted.
Tier 3 leagues: Domestic trophies won in leagues ranked for 2026: 11 – 20 of the UEFA coefficient are deducted -8 points; any domestic super cup and league cup titles are not counted.
Tier 4 leagues: Domestic trophies won in leagues ranked for 2026: 21 – 55 of the UEFA coefficient are deducted -12 points; any domestic super cup, league cup and national cup titles are not counted.
The UEFA Men’s Association Coefficient can be viewed here
Domestic Super Cup
Generally referred to as the ‘Super Cup’ (SC) in most countries, this is an exhibition competition designed to curtain-raise the new season.
– Typically, played in the national stadium.
– ‘The two best teams in the country’.
– Just one game; easily forgettable.
– A ‘ glorified friendly’.
| Founded: | English Community Shield: 1908- French Trophée des Champions: 1955- German Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 1987- Italian Supercoppa Italiana: 1988- Spanish Supercopa de España: 1982- |
No. of games: | 1-2 |
| Qualification: | Generally, the league champions v national cup winners or league runners-up. The Spanish Supercopa has four teams. |
| Winning prize money: | English Community Shield – £0 Spanish Supercopa – €10 million, in 2025 |
| Notable finals: | Liverpool 3-4 Leeds United, 1992 Barcelona 5-4 Real Madrid, 2011 Borussia Dortmund 4-3 Bayern Munich, 1989 |
Points: | 2 |
UEFA Super Cup
Another season opener when players are fresh but blowing the cobwebs out.
– UEFA’s prestige.
– ‘One good and one great team’.
– Just one game; easily forgettable.
– A ‘trendy friendly’.
Founded: | 1972 |
No. of games: | 1-2 |
| Qualification: | Winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. |
Winning prize money: | €5 million, 2024 |
| Notable finals: | Anderlecht 5-3 Bayern Münich, 1976 Liverpool 3-2 Bayern Münich, 2001 Atlético de Madrid 4-2 Real Madrid, 2018 |
Points: | 4 |
Intercontinental Cup / annual FIFA Club World Cup / FIFA Intercontinental Cup
A ‘South America-v-Europe’ showdown which upgraded into an expanded super-cup competition for all the world’s continental champions.
– FIFA’s money and prestige.
– The most exclusive club competition in the world; World Champion’ title, pre-2025.
– Exotic.
– Short.
– Out of sight, out of mind.
– Dominated by UEFA; not very competitive.
Founded: | 1960 |
| Previous editions: | Intercontinental Cup (1960-2004) FIFA Club World Cup (2000-2023) |
No. of games: | 1-4, depending on varying formats |
Qualification: | Winners of the world’s six continental crowns |
Winning prize money: | €5 million, 2025 |
| Notable finals: | AC Milan 4-5 Santos, 1963 AC Milan 2-3 Sao Paulo, 1993 |
Points: | 6 |
League Cup
A secondary domestic knockout competition. Designed as the exclusive preserve of the nation’s most professional league(s).
– All the nation’s best teams.
– Usually, the final is played at the national stadium.
– The most minor of the ‘major trophies’.
– A ‘mickey mouse cup’.
– Compared to the national cup: More exclusive and elite but less history and prestige, and less lucrative.
| Founded: | English Football League (EFL) Cup: 1960- French Coupe de la Ligue: 1964-2020 German DFL Ligapokal: 1997-2007 Portuguese Taca da Liga: 2007- Spanish Copa de la Liga: 1982-1986 |
Min. no. of games: | Six for the EFL Cup |
| Qualification: | Generally, open to the nation’s top 1-4 professional leagues. |
| Winning prize money: | EFL Cup – £100,000, 2025 Taca da Liga – €2,000, 2019 |
| Notable campaigns: | Swindon Town’s 1968-1969 win Gueugnon’s 1999-2000 win |
Points: | 8 |
UEFA Conference League
The most junior of UEFA’s group-stage/knockout round competitions. Designed to allow for greater participation among clubs from UEFA’s lower-ranked leagues.
– Has UEFA’s prestige and money.
– Lots of teams, lots of games.
– Winner qualifies for Europa League.
– New, novel, no history.
– For the Europa League’s ‘chaff’.
– For clubs in UEFA’s ‘Big 5’ leagues: Low quality, not very challenging. Is it even a ‘major trophy’?
Founded: | 2021 |
Min. no. of games: | 15 |
| Qualification: | A mix of champions and cup winners from UEFA’s lower-ranked leagues plus five teams from UEFA’s ‘Big 5’ leagues. |
Winning prize money: | €7 million, 2025 |
Notable campaign: | West Ham’s undefeated run, 2023-24 |
Points: | 8 |
National Cup
The most prestigious domestic knockout competition that is open to a large part of a nation’s league pyramid.
– Often, the nation’s oldest domestic competition – lots of history and heritage.
– Offers the spectacle of giant killing, underdog glory.
– Exciting knockout football.
– Final played in national stadium – biggest game of the domestic season.
– Winner qualifies for Super cup
– Watered-down teams played by top-tier clubs.
– Not much money compared to top-tier league.
| Founded: | English Football Association (FA) Cup: 1871- French Coupe de France: 1917- Spanish Copa del Rey: 1903- German Pokal: 1935- Italian Coppa Italia: 1922- |
Min. no. of games: | 6 for the FA Cup |
| Qualification: | Generally, open to the association’s professional league pyramid as well as semi-amateur/amateur leagues below. |
| Prize money: | £2.1 million FA Cup final win, 2026 €7million for the Coppa Italia winners, 2025 |
| Notable campaigns: | Southern Football League Tottenham Hotspur’s FA Cup win, 1900-1901 Serie B side Napoli’s Coppa Italia win, 1961-1962 |
Points: | 10 |
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
The 3d / 2nd tier of UEFA’s groupstage-knockout competitions, designed to make UEFA club football more inclusive.
– Has UEFA’s money and prestige.
– Considerable history and heritage.
– Lots of teams from across Europe and beyond.
– Winners qualify for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup.
– For Europe’s big though not giant clubs.
– For UEFA’s Big 5 leagues: Of secondary importance to the domestic league campaign.
| Previous edition: | UEFA Cup: 1971-2008 |
Min. no. of games: | 15 |
| Qualification: | Open to a mix of champions, cup winners and highish-finishing clubs depending on their league’s ranking in the UEFA coefficient. |
Prize money: | €8.6 million for the winning finalists, 2022 |
Notable campaign: | Sevilla’s 3rd consecutive triumph, 2015-2016 |
Points: | 12 |
UEFA Cup Winners Cup
A knockout competition, secondary to UEFA’s European Cup. It was designated for national cup winners.
– Had UEFA’s money and prestige.
– Elite; had every nation’s ‘2nd best team.’
– Defunct in 1999.
– Compared to the UEFA Cup / Europa League: More elite but less games.
Founded: | 1960-1999 |
Min. no. of games: | 9 |
| Qualification: | Open to 32 association cup winners. |
Notable campaign: | Aberdeen’s campaign, culminating in a Final victory over Real Madrid, 1983 |
Points: | 12 |
Quadrennial FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA’s showcase groupstage-knockout competition, designed to rival the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League for prestige.
– Has FIFA’s money and prestige.
– Exotic and novel but no history or heritage.
– Once every four years, editions are rarer but more special as a result.
– Quality mixed; includes the world’s best teams and some semi-professional teams. Will likely be dominated by UEFA’s clubs.
Founded: | 2025- |
Min. no. of games: | 7 |
| Qualification: | Open to a mix of continental champions and high-ranking clubs within the coefficients of their continental governing bodies. |
Winning prize money: | $125 million, 2025 |
Notable campaign: | Chelsea’s inaugural win, 2025 |
Points: | 15 |
UEFA European Cup / UEFA Champions League
UEFA’s top tier groupstage-knockout competition, ostensibly for UEFA’s domestic league champions.
– Has UEFA’s money and prestige.
– Has the best teams in Europe, indeed, in the world; the most prestigious club competition in the world.
– The oldest UEFA competition; lots of history.
– Winners qualify for UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
– Compared to UEFA’s ‘Big 5’ leagues; less games, less money.
Previous edition: | European Cup: 1955-1992 |
Min. no. of games: | 15 |
| Qualification: | Open to a mix of continental champions and high-ranking clubs among UEFA’s ten highest ranked leagues. |
Winning prize money: | €25 million, 2025 |
| Notable campaigns: | Real Madrid’s fifth consecutive win, 1959–60 Porto’s underdog win, 2003-04 Bayern Munich’s ‘perfect’ win, 2019-20. |
Points: | 17 |
Top-tier League
The nation’s highest tier ‘round-robin’ competition which proves in the most empirical manner which team is the best in the nation.
– The highest number of games; the ‘bread and butter’ of club football.
– For UEFA’s ‘Big 5’ leagues: The most lucrative and generally most important competition. Vies with UEFA’s Champions League (CL) for priority and prestige.
– Depending on the league and season, the league’s best teams are outclassed by the CL’s best.
– Winner qualifies for the super cup and CL.
| Founded: | England’s Division 1 / Premier League: 1888- France’s Football Championship / Ligue 1: 1894- Germany’s Football Championship / Bundesliga: 1903- Italy’s Football Championship / Serie A: 1898- Spain’s First Division – ‘La Liga’: 1929- |
Min. no. of games: | Typically, 34-38 |
| Qualification: | Typically, open to the nation’s 2nd tier league’s three highest finishers. |
| Prize money: | £53 million for Premier League champions, 2025 €66 million for Bundesliga champions, 2026 €60 million for Ligue 1 champions, 2026 |
| Notable campaigns: | Leicester City’s ‘miracle’ win, 2015-16 Hellas Verona’s win, 1984-85 Juventus’ 102-point season, 2013-14 Bayern Munich’s record breaking win, 2012-13 |
Points: | 18 |
Bonus Points
1 bonus point will be additionally added for every major-trophy ‘Treble’ achieved in a season.
How successful is your club?
With this system, we can see the total sum of each club’s success and where it places them in the ‘most successful’ ranking. Is it Man U with their league titles or Liverpool with their CL trophies? Real Madrid or Barcelona? Celtic or Rangers? Inter or AC Milan?
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