With our football guide, you can learn about the most important football events in 2023. This year, there are quite a lot of interesting tournaments you can enjoy. And with such a tight schedule, our overview of the events can come in handy for all interested.
Top Competitions in 2023
The most interesting football tournaments are the international competitive games. This year, there are numerous annual tournaments, but also some less frequent ones, such as the World Cup. Let’s find out more about the top football tournaments in 2023.
Champions League
One of the most coveted trophies is the European Cup, which clubs can get by winning the Champions League. The Champions League is the highest form of football and the highest honour a football club can achieve. The top leagues have an adequate number of slots in the tournament, but there are also qualifiers.
This year, the 68th season of the Champions League is well underway. The tournament started on the 7th of November, 2022. The finals are set for the 10th of June. The current champions are Real Madrid, who are also the most successful club in the competition with 14 titles.
Europa League
This year, fans can also enjoy the Europa League. This top European club competition is the second-tier European competition, lagging only behind the Champions League. There are 32 teams in the Group Stage. The competition started on the 4th of August 2022, and runs until the finals on the 31st of May 2023.
Clubs can enter the competition through the national leagues if the league has a spot in the tournament. However, teams can also end up in the Europa League by dropping from the Champions League. Similarly, clubs that drop from the Europa League can participate in the Europa Conference League by finishing in a certain place during the Group Stage.
The current champions of the Europa League are Eintracht Frankfurt, which is their second title so far. However, the most successful club is Sevilla, with six championships. Spanish clubs have won 13 titles so far, while English clubs have won nine.
Europa Conference League
Finally, wrapping up on the notable European competition, we have the Europa Conference League. The competition is the third-tier tournament behind the Champions League and the Europa League. Similarly to Europa League, clubs that drop from the Champions League or the Europa League can get a spot here.
The tournament started on the 14th of June, 2022. It will last until the finals in Prague on the 7th of June, 2023. The competition is well underway, and you can enjoy a lot of exciting matches this year. With only the strongest teams left, you can enjoy clashes between some of the top-flight clubs.
FA Cup
The FA Cup differs from the other competitions on the list as it is not an international tournament. Rather, it is a competition only for English clubs. It is the oldest football competition in the world.
What makes it interesting is that any club from the Premier League down to Level Nine can participate. It has a tight schedule, and the finals are on the 3rd of June, 2023. There are other domestic competitions, such as the Carabao Cup or Community Shield, but the FA cup is the most distinguished.
Nations League
The Nations League is a biennial international competition that replaced the international friendly games. Teams from Europe are split into groups based on their overall score and performances.
In 2023, football fans can enjoy the Nations League finals. From the 14th to the 18th of June 2023, you can enjoy two semi-final games, followed by a third-place play-off and the finals. The four teams in the finals are Croatia, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, who are the hosts.
Super Cup
This year, fans can also enjoy the 48th edition of the Super Cup. This annual competition is actually a culmination of the Champions League and the Europa League. This one-game competition features a clash between the reigning champions of the Champions League and the Europa League.
The current Champions are Real Madrid, but this year is still undetermined, as both competitions are still ongoing. The game is set for the 16th of August at the Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus.
Euro 2024 Qualifiers
The Euro 2024 qualifiers is another important competition that starts this year. The qualifiers are to determine the 23 teams that will join Germany who qualified automatically as hosts for Euro 2024. The competition will start in March 2023 and end in March 2024.
There are ten groups, and each consists of six nations. You will be able to watch some of the games throughout the whole year. The group are interesting, and there will be a lot of exciting games to watch this year.
Copa America
The Copa America is one of the top men’s football competitions contested by the national teams in South America. The tournament is very popular and is also the third-most-watched competition in the football world. The current champions are Argentina, who are, along with Uruguay, the most successful team with 15 titles each.
This year, the competition starts on the 11th of June and lasts until the 10th of July, 2023. During this time, fans can enjoy some of the best football available in South America. Seeing the number of superstar players South America produces, you will surely enjoy the majority of games.
Copa Libertadores
The Copa Libertadores, which many consider being the Champions League of South America, is a very popular club tournament. The competition had several different formats over the years. And today, there are 47 teams from 10 associations. Most commonly, it starts around mid-January and ends in November of the same year.
Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is held once every two years. The competition determines the champions of North America, including Central America and the Caribbean. There are 16 teams that participate in the competition. In 2023, it will start on the 24th of June and end on the 16th of July.
The current champions are the United States, who have also won a total of seven titles so far. However, the most successful team is Mexico, with eight championships to this day.
Female World Cup
Men’s football is not the only entertainment for football fans this year. The Female World Cup is set to take place in Australia and New Zealand starting on the 20th of July. The Finals are set for the 20th of August, 2023. There are 32 teams from six confederations, and the matches are distributed across ten venues. The defending champions are the United States.
U-20 World Cup
Another exciting football tournament this year is the men’s Under-20 World Cup. The difference between the U-20 World Cup and the regular World Cup is that the former is a biennial competition.
This year’s hosts are Indonesia, and will see 24 teams fight for the title of the world’s strongest team. The competition starts on the 20th of May and ends on the 11th of June, 2023.
There are four pots, and we are yet to see the draw, which is to take place on the 31st of March. The reigning champions are Ukraine, but the most successful team is Argentina, with six titles. However, neither are in the competition this year.
2023 Women’s Finalissima
This year, football fans will have a chance to view the first edition of the Women’s Finalissima. It is an intercontinental women’s game between the winners of European and South American competitions.
In 2023, the winners of the Women’s Euro 2022, England, go up against Copa Americana Femenina 2022 winners, Brazil. The date for the game is the 6th of April, 2023, and the venue is Wembley Stadium in London.
Top Leagues
Traditionally, each year, football fans can enjoy a long list of national leagues. Among the most popular are by far the following:
- English Premier League
- Italian Serie A
- German Bundesliga
- French Ligue 1
- Spanish La Liga
The leagues are yearly competitions and bring football fans some of the most entertaining games. The most prominent league is the Premier League, which usually lasts from August to May. There are 20 clubs in the competitions, and each club plays a total of 38 games.
Similarly, the remaining top European competitions start and end usually around the same time. However, while the five are the strongest, they are not the only national competitions. Other interesting leagues include the English Championship, Portugal’s Primeira Liga, Belgian Pro League, Dutch Eredivisie, and many more.
But, we can’t only focus on Europe, despite the fact that many consider their leagues to be the strongest. Football is one of the most popular sports, and thus each country has its own national football league, both for men and women.
South America, North America, Africa and Asia have an endless list of annual leagues you can enjoy. Some other notable leagues on the American continent are Argentina’s Primera Division, Brazilian Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Uruguayan Primera Division, Mexican Liga MX, Colombian Categoría Primera A, etc.
