Discover the top soccer leagues in the world with statistics, player information and facts, along with how to watch them.
Soccer, already arguably the biggest sport in the world, is also gaining a lot of steam in the United States, with viewership for leagues like the English Premier League and Liga MX on the rise every single year and showing no signs of slowing down. That rise in popularity in America will likely only continue until and through the 2026 World Cup, which is set to be jointly hosted by the United States and its neighbors, Mexico and Canada, when we could see an even bigger boon in soccer popularity in this county. So what better time to get into soccer than now? To help you here today, we’re going to talk about some of the biggest soccer leagues in the world.
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What is the top soccer league in the world?
That honor undoubtedly belongs to the English Premier League (EPL). Sure, when matched up head to head in international competition with La Liga, it’s often Spanish clubs that come out on top. But as far as depth, the number of top players and coaches, and monetary investment, no league comes close to the EPL.
Just this year, 2023, Manchester City, the reigning English champion three years running, has already secured a domestic double, winning the league and the accompanying FA Cup, and is set to face Inter Milan of Italy’s Serie A in hopes of winning its first Champions League trophy.
Led by the likes of Norweigan superstar striker Erling Haaland and Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, and managed by Pep Guardiola, City are currently the envy of the soccer world.
There are other loaded clubs in the Premier League, too, including Aresnal (Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard), Manchester United (Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes), Liverpool (Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk) and Tottenham (Harry Kane).
No question, the English Premier League is second to none as far as the best soccer leagues in the world.
What are the other top four soccer leagues in the world?
La Liga
As we already mentioned, La Liga has to be considered right up there with the Premier League as far as the best soccer competitions in the world. It may not have the depth or number of superstar players that the EPL has, but its top two clubs – Real Madrid and Barcelona – are two of the most historic and decorated clubs ever in the sport, and would be in the running to win the EPL every year along with Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.
La Liga also arguably plays the most beautiful style of soccer in the world. While the EPL is known for its top-notch physicality and at-time brutish style of play, Spain’s top soccer league is more about finesse, beautiful combinations, smart passing and tidy finishes.
Some of the biggest names in the soccer world still belong to La Liga, too, including star Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, his teammate Ousmane Dembele on the wing, as well as their chief rivals, Vinicius Jr., one of the best wingers in the world who suits up for Real Madrid, and his teammate in midfield, Federico Valverde.
And that’s without even mentioning other top La Liga clubs like Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, the latter of whom has won five Europa League trophies in the past decade.
It may not have the hype and depth of the Premier League but if you want to watch beautiful soccer, La Liga is also well worth your time.
Serie A
History also looks back kindly on Italy’s Serie A, as some of the biggest names in the history of the sport made their mark there, including Argentine legend Diego Maradona, Brazilian magician Ronaldinho and perhaps the most confident player of the bunch, Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
That’s without mentioning some of the top domestic players Serie A has produced, all-time greats such as Francesco Totti, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio and Gianluigi Buffon. Italy has historically been one of the best soccering nations in the world with four World Cup trophies to its name (it’s also the reigning European champion despite having missed out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar), and its top-notch domestic league, Serie A, has played a big part in that.
Serie A today remains one of the top soccer leagues in the world, as just this year, Inter Milan, led by Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez, is set to face England’s Manchester City for the 2023 Champions League trophy. Inter Milan isn’t even the best team in Italy this year either, as it was Napoli who won Serie A thanks to Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and his league-leading 25 goals.
Other historic Serie A clubs include AC Milan, which has the second-most Champions League trophies ever with seven, and Juventus.
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Bundesliga
Those who consider Germany’s Bundesliga a one-team league may not be all that far in their assessment. That one club is a mighty one, however, as Bayern Munich has won the league an astonishing 11 times in a row, including this season, when it won the Bundesliga on the final day of competition when its top rival, Borrusia Dortmund, entered the final day of the tournament with the most points in the league. The German giants also have also won the Champions League six times, tied for third-most behind Real Madrid (14) and AC Milan (seven).
Bayern Munich has won the Bundesliga 33 times now to eight for Dortmund, who last won the competition back-to-back years, in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Some of the current top stars in the league include names such as Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich) Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich), Jude Bellingham (Dortmund) and Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich).
Ligue 1
Finally, France’s Ligue 1 is similar to Bundesliga in that it really only has one international contender at the moment. In their case, it’s Paris Saint-Germain, which just won the league for the 11th time ever, the most of any French club.
Of course, getting into Ligue 1 might have been more exciting prior to this season when the greatest player ever, Lionel Messi, still had a future in the league. That is no longer the case, as Messi is set to leave the French giants this summer. But the club still boasts the best winger in the world, Kylian Mbappe, who has already won a World Cup with France and is one of the most exciting players in the world to watch.
Paris Saint-Germain does face some competition in AS Monaco, Marseille, Lille and RC Lens.
In all, it’s still one of the five best soccer leagues in the world, even after Messi’s impending departure.
Other top leagues in the world
Of course, for those that prefer soccer on this side of the world and not just the European elite, there’s plenty of other soccer to enjoy.
For example, Liga MX is arguably the most popular soccer league in America, often drawing the highest ratings of any soccer league viewed in the United States. Historic rivalries like that between Club America against Chivas have a lot to do with that.
Liga MX may not have the classy style of play or caliber of player that European leagues boast but its games are often more exciting, as the league is known for its chaotic style of up-and-down play, high-scoring results and big-time tackles – and the red cards to go with it.
Major League Soccer (MLS), our domestic league here in America, is also growing quickly in both levels of play and popularity. No longer is the league known just for signing over-the-hill legends to huge contracts that they rarely live up to. Now, MLS is wisely investing in young North, Central or South Americans that the league develops and then sells for a huge profit to European clubs.
Current Newcastle star Miguel Almiron is a great example of that. As is Bayern Munich’s stud defender, Alphonso Davies, a young Canadian who came up through MLS club, the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Watch the top soccer leagues in the world on fubo: Start your free trial here!
Watch the best soccer leagues in the world with Fubo
For fans of soccer, no streaming service touches Fubo, which carries the biggest soccer leagues in the world on its platform. In America, for those who want to watch the Premier League, Fubo carries NBC, which is the provider of EPL games in the United States. If you are passionate about Champions League soccer, the top competition of the sport in the world, Fubo offers CBS, where you can find the biggest Champions League matchups. Fubo also has beIn Sports, which carries loads of Ligue 1 and Serie A games. The streaming giant also carries TUDN, which is where you can find Liga MX, and FOX, which provides the most exciting MLS games every week.
You can even sign up for a free trial of Fubo, though we’re confident once you sign up, you won’t want to leave.
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