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Data checked on 31 October 2026
FA CupLeague CupCopa del ReyPichichiCoppa ItaliaScudettoDFB-PokalMeisterschaleCoupe de FranceTaça de PortugalCopa do BrasilCopa LibertadoresU.S. Open CupMLS CupCopa ArgentinaWorld CupChampions LeagueBallon d'OrEuropean Championship
It was created on the idea of Charles W. Alcock, secretary of the Football Association, after the success of a school cup at Harrow. The first final was played on 16 March 1872 at the Kennington Oval in London and won by Wanderers, 1-0 against the Royal Engineers.
It is famous for its upsets: clubs from lower divisions can knock out the giants.
In a nutshell: First final: 1872, Wanderers 1-0 Royal Engineers.
It was created in 1960-61 as a competition parallel to the Football League. At first some big clubs ignored it, but today it is a title like any other. The first champions were Aston Villa.
In a nutshell: First edition: 1960-61, champions Aston Villa.
The first edition, in 1903, was played to celebrate the coronation of Alfonso XIII and was called the Copa de la Coronación. Athletic Club beat Madrid FC 3-2. It has had several names depending on the political moment (President's Cup, Generalísimo's Cup…) and today it is the Copa del Rey.
Until 1929 it decided the champion of Spain, before La Liga existed.
In a nutshell: First winners: Athletic Club, 1903.
It has been given by the newspaper Marca since the 1952-53 season to the top scorer in the Spanish top flight. It is named after Rafael Moreno «Pichichi», a forward for Athletic Club in the 1920s. The first winner was Telmo Zarra.
In a nutshell: Marca's top-scorer award, named after «Pichichi».
The Coppa Italia was played for the first time in 1921-22 and won by Vado. It had several breaks and has been played regularly since 1958. It is the knockout tournament of Italian football.
In a nutshell: First Coppa Italia: 1922, champions Vado.
Since 1924, the Italian champion wears a shield with the colours of the flag on its shirt, the Scudetto. Hence the expression «winning the Scudetto» for winning the league.
In a nutshell: Used since 1924 as the symbol of the Italian champion.
It was born in 1935 under the name Tschammer-Pokal. The first winner was 1. FC Nürnberg. After the war it was resumed under its current name, DFB-Pokal. Its final has been played at the Olympiastadion in Berlin since 1985.
In a nutshell: First edition: 1935, 1. FC Nürnberg.
Since 1949 the German champion receives the Meisterschale, a silver platter weighing about eleven kilos. It was first awarded to VfR Mannheim. Today it goes to the Bundesliga champion.
In a nutshell: A large silver platter, not a cup.
It was created in 1917-18, with the war as a backdrop, on the initiative of Henri Delaunay and in tribute to Charles Simon, an official killed in action. The first champions were Olympique de Pantin. Henri Delaunay, secretary of the federation, would later be the driving force behind the European Championship.
In a nutshell: First Coupe de France: 1918, Olympique de Pantin.
The first official edition was played in 1938-39 and won by Académica de Coimbra. The final is played at the Estádio Nacional in Jamor, near Lisbon.
In a nutshell: First Taça de Portugal: 1938-39, Académica de Coimbra.
It was created in 1989 to give teams from all over the country, not just the big names of Rio and São Paulo, the chance to play a national competition and qualify for continental tournaments. The first champions were Grêmio.
In a nutshell: Born in 1989, its first champions were Grêmio.
The first Copa Libertadores was played in 1960 and won by Peñarol of Uruguay. It was created as a continental competition inspired by the European Cup. It takes its name from the liberators of South America.
In a nutshell: First edition: 1960, champions Peñarol.
It is the oldest tournament in American football: the first edition was in 1913-14 and won by Brooklyn Field Club. Since 1999 it has carried the name of Lamar Hunt, a pioneer of soccer in the United States and founder of MLS.
In a nutshell: First edition: 1913-14; today it is the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
MLS decides its champion with a knockout play-off, and the first MLS Cup was played in 1996 with D.C. United as champions. The trophy is called the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
In a nutshell: First MLS Cup: 1996, D.C. United.
The Copa Argentina existed in different formats from 1969, but it was relaunched in 2011-12 with teams from all divisions. The first champions of this new era were Boca Juniors.
In a nutshell: Relaunched in 2011-12, first won by Boca Juniors.
The first World Cup trophy was called the Jules Rimet Cup, after the FIFA president who drove the tournament in 1930. Brazil kept it permanently after winning their third World Cup in 1970. It was stolen in 1966 and found by a dog called Pickles, and in 1983 it was stolen again and never recovered.
Since 1974 the current trophy has been awarded, designed by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, made of 18-carat gold. The champions do not keep it: they receive a replica.
In a nutshell: Jules Rimet Cup (1930-1970) and the FIFA trophy (since 1974).
The European Cup was born in 1955-56 on the initiative of the French journalist Gabriel Hanot of the newspaper L'Équipe. Real Madrid won the first five editions. The current trophy, nicknamed «Big Ears» for its handles, has been used since 1967.
Previously, a club that won it three times in a row or five times in total kept the original trophy; today it receives a replica and a special badge.
In a nutshell: Launched in 1955-56, driven by Gabriel Hanot.
It was created in 1956 by the magazine France Football, led by Gabriel Hanot. The first winner was the Englishman Stanley Matthews. For years only European players could win it, and since 1995 any player in the world can.
In a nutshell: The first Ballon d'Or went to Stanley Matthews (1956).
Henri Delaunay, secretary of the French federation and of UEFA, proposed a tournament for European national teams as early as the 1920s, but he did not live to see its first edition, played in 1960 and won by the Soviet Union. The trophy bears his name.
In a nutshell: First European Championship: 1960, won by the Soviet Union.
Sources: federations and organisers of each competition. Some trophies had several names and stages; the year of the first edition is given.
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