It is widely regarded that the top five leagues in the world are now in Europe. Those leagues are the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, and Ligue 1. The best players from around the world play in these leagues.
There is plenty of highly acclaimed silverware to compete for in each of the countries that host these competitions. Yet what ranks as the highest level of trophies within these five leagues? How are they separated from one another in terms of their stature? Listed here are the trophies across Europe’s top five leagues, ranked by their prestige.
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Tier One
1. UEFA Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid Champions League
This is not just the most elite competition in Europe, it can also lay claim to being the most prestigious in the world. Firstly, the trophy itself is magnificent. With its big-eared handles and shining silver vessel, it is where the best players want to play for the biggest clubs in the world.
The competition began in its original format as the European Cup in 1955, with Real Madrid winning the first five tournaments in a row. This very much set the tone. In 1992, UEFA rebranded the tournament as the Champions League. As the years have passed, interest in the competition has continued to grow.
2. Premier League
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with the Premier League trophy.
The Premier League has had a host of great players over the years. Up until 2025, only seven different clubs have won the title since English football rebranded its top tier in 1992. Yet the league remains hugely popular. It has always been a division where any side can beat any team on their day.
With stadiums more often than not packed, English fans demand their teams get forward in high-octane games. There have been several nail-biting last day title-deciding games. Perhaps most famously when Sergio Aguero scored a last-minute winner against QPR to seal the 2012 Premier League title for Manchester City.
3. La Liga
Alex Song thinking Carles Puyol wanted him to lift La Liga trophy is football’s most awkward moment
La Liga is probably best known for the two juggernauts, which are Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two clubs have done much to dominate European competition at various stages over the last 25 years. During that time, the Spanish national side has won two European Championships and a World Cup.
So, this is a country and league that is steeped in a winning football culture. One that values players who can deal with the ball in tight situations. It’s also a league that has seen other teams, such as Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, dominate over the years in European competition.
4. Serie A
Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon lifts the trophy as his team mates celebrate winning the league
Serie A has a long and glittering history. For a period in the 1980s and 90s, it was seen as the strongest league competition in the world. While its star may not shine quite as bright today, it has enough heritage to be considered an elite competition.
Over the last 30 years, the league has been mostly dominated by Juventus and Internazionale. This is where it could be argued that Serie A is not as high in prestige as La Liga or the Premier League. Juventus winning it nine times in a row between 2012 and 2020, called into question the competitiveness of the division.
5. Bundesliga
Bayern win 2023 Bundesliga
Recent history has seen the Bundesliga dominated by Bayern Munich. Between 2013 and 2023, they won the German title 11 times in a row. German football does bring with it its own special atmosphere, with packed grounds and passionate fans.
Many of the country’s leading clubs have done well in European competition. Bayern Munich have won the Champions League six times in their history up until 2025. The German national side is usually a contender for any of the major international tournaments. The country has had influential coaches who have shaped the game in recent years, like Jurgen Klopp for Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.
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Tier Two
1. Europa League
Jesus Navas with the Europa League trophy
Since being rebranded from the UEFA Cup to the Europa League in 2009, the tournament has been won by nine clubs. Spanish sides have been the dominant force. Sevilla won it a staggering five times between 2014 and 2023, with Atletico Madrid enjoying three wins and Villareal one. Up until the late 1990s, the competition was a two-legged affair.
While obviously not as big a tournament as the Champions League, the Europa League has seen plenty of big teams contest the final. In fact, plenty of big teams have lost the final. Manchester United, Arsenal, Roma and Inter Milan have all suffered defeat at the last hurdle.
2. Ligue 1
Ligue 1 trophy hoisted aloft
Over the years, there have been many derogatory comments about Ligue 1. Some have dismissed it as a farmers’ league. Cristiano Ronaldo has been dismissive about it. He said it isn’t as good as the Saudi League. There is no getting away from it; Paris Saint-Germain have dominated proceedings in recent years.
Between 2014 and 2024, the Parisians won the title nine times. Just Lille and Monaco, with their own title wins, prevented PSG from winning what would have been 12 league titles in a row. Of course, up until 2025, no French side has won the Champions League since Marseille in 1993.
3. FA Cup
Liverpool win the 2006 FA Cup
The FA Cup is steeped in history. Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0 in the first final in 1872. Once the 20th century kicked in, finals would attract anything from seventy to one hundred thousand fans. In the 1970s and 80s, it was one of the few games on British television.
It meant that fans devoured the occasion, watching all the pre-match build-up if they were fortunate enough to be at the game. It has become something of a beauty pageant in the 21st century. Between 2000 and 2024, only Wigan, Portsmouth and Leicester City are non-big clubs to have won it.
4. Copa del Rey
Real Sociedad celebrate winning the Copa del Rey
Unlike the FA Cup, the Copa del Rey has a bigger mix of winners. Although Barcelona won four finals in a row between 2015 and 2018, others have enjoyed a big day. In 2022, Real Betis were victorious. Between 1999 and 2009, neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid won it.
The shocks in the cup can be big. In 2002, the year Real Madrid won the Champions League, they reached the Coppa del Rey final, which was played at the Bernabeu. Yet they were beaten 2-1 by Deportivo La Coruna. In Spain, the magic of the cup still exists.
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Tier Three
1. UEFA Conference League
West Ham celebrate winning the Europa Conference League
Some sneered when the UEFA Conference League was introduced. But for many fans, they were pleased to see European football have three club tournaments once more. It has clubs with huge and passionate followings win it. They include Roma, West Ham and Olympiacos.
Although the finals have been played at stadiums with limited capacities, it has made for a very intense atmosphere. It gives a larger number of clubs the opportunity to go on a great European adventure. Although, in reality, it is not until the latter stages of the competition do neutral fans get truly interested in the competition.
2. Coppa Italia
Hakan Calhanoglu kissing the Coppa Italia Trophy
As recently as 2007, the Coppa Italia was a two-legged affair. From then on, it’s been played at the Stadio Olimpico Stadium in Rome. Juventus have dominated. You have to go back to 1997, when Vicenza beat Napoli over two legs, has a lesser-known team won the competition.
The 2022 final was one of the most exciting games the competition has seen. It saw Inter Milan come back from being 2-1 down to Juventus to storm to victory 4-2 after extra time. Atalanta are perhaps the most unfortunate side. Although they won the competition in 1963. They have lost the tournament five times since then.
3. DFB Pokal Cup
Tuchel with the DFB-Pokal
Unsurprisingly, Bayern Munich have won this competition a great deal more than anyone else. That said, plenty of other sides won it in the 2000s. In 2021, two goals each from Jaden Sancho and Erling Haaland saw Borussia Dortmund beat RB Leipzig 4-1. Since 1985, the final has been played at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.
The trophy itself deserves a special mention, more in keeping with a rare trinket from the video game Zelda than what you are given for winning a football tournament. Special mention goes to MSV Duisburg, who, despite being in the final four times, have yet to win the final.
4. Coupe de France
Maxwell lifts the Coupe de France trophy in 2017
Yes, Paris Saint-Germain have dominated the competition, but it is the Coupe de France that arguably sees a greater number of teams taste glory. Second-tier Guingamp have won it twice, in 2009 and 2014. Bizarrely, they beat Rennes in both finals, a side that beat PSG in sudden death during a penalty shoot-out in 2019.
As recently as 2012, a third-tier side reached the final. Sadly, for Quevilly, they lost that final 1-0 to Lyon. Like the FA Cup, the Coupe de France is open to all teams. So every year, many thousands enter with the hope of going on a famous cup run.
5. League Cup
Paul Robinson and Robbie Keane with the League Cup trophy
Although a more recent competition, the League Cup, was first won by Aston Villa in 1961, it has become a popular competition. Until 1967, it was a two-legged final. It’s a trophy that allows so-called lesser teams to have their day in the sun. In 2013, Swansea City triumphed.
In 2011, Birmingham City shocked Arsenal with a late goal to win 2-1. Although some in the English game moan about the large number of games played in the country, the tournament remains popular. Newcastle fans were certainly delighted in 2025 to put an end to 70 long years without a domestic trophy.