Unlike many other sports, such as basketball (NBA) and baseball (MLB), where one league is considered the best in the world, soccer is organized into many different leagues that could be considered the best. As such, soccer’s top stars and teams may never play head-to-head except during country- or continent-wide tournaments, such as the UEFA Champions League or the World Cup.

One league containing many stars is the English Premier League, the top tier of English soccer. Powerhouse [1] teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City duke it out across the British Isles, hoping to be the best the island offers. 

Elsewhere in Europe, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 represent the top tiers in Spain, Italy, Germany, and France, respectively. Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and many more call Europe home, as do stars like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Thomas Müller, and other household names.

Across the pond [2] in North America, Major League Soccer, or the MLS, is the best league in the US and Canada. Although it is not as competitive as the European leagues, the MLS is growing in popularity and talent, as younger Americans and aging European stars increasingly choose to suit up for an MLS team. David Beckham, Gareth Bale, and Zlatan Ibrahimović have all called the US home after impressive careers in Europe, and, soon, Lionel Messi is rumored to join Inter Miami CF.

Other countries also boast incredible leagues, like Brazil’s Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, Argentina’s Argentine Primera Division, and the Netherlands’ Eredivisie. The diversity of leagues across the globe means there’s no shortage of exciting matchups, and it demonstrates [3] that soccer is, truly, the world’s most popular sport.