Association football

==Domestic competitions==
{{Main|Geography of association football|Geography of women's association football}}
[[File:Forcejeo Real Madrid - FC Barcelona.jpg|thumb|A 2009 Spanish [[La Liga]] match between [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]] and [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]. The fixture, known as ''[[El Clásico]]'', is one of the most renowned in sport.<ref>{{cite news |last=Philip |first=Tom |date=19 November 2015 |title=What the Hell is El Clásico? |url=https://www.gq.com/story/el-clasico-real-madrid-barcelona-ronaldo-messi |work=[[GQ]] |accessdate=8 September 2023 |archive-date=10 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010150231/https://www.gq.com/story/el-clasico-real-madrid-barcelona-ronaldo-messi |url-status=live }}</ref>]]

The governing bodies in each country operate [[league system]]s in a [[Domestic association football season|domestic season]], normally comprising several [[division (sport)|divisions]], in which the teams gain points throughout the season depending on results. Teams are placed into [[Table (information)|tables]], placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team plays every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a [[round-robin tournament]]. At the end of a season, the top team is declared the champion. The top few teams may be [[promotion and relegation|promoted]] to a higher division, and one or more of the teams finishing at the bottom are [[promotion and relegation|relegated]] to a lower division.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fort |first=Rodney |title=European and North American Sports Differences(?) |journal=Scottish Journal of Political Economy |date=September 2000 |volume=47 |issue=4 |pages=431–55 |doi=10.1111/1467-9485.00172 }}</ref>

The teams finishing at the top of a country's league may also be eligible to play in [[List of association football competitions|international club competitions]] in the following season. The main exceptions to this system occur in some Latin American leagues, which divide football championships into two sections named [[Apertura and Clausura]] (Spanish for ''Opening'' and ''Closing''), awarding a champion for each.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/latinamerica/story/Estudiantes-win-Argentina-Apertura-title |title=Estudiantes win Argentina Apertura title |date=13 December 2010 |work=Fox Sports |agency=Associated Press |quote=Under the system used in Argentina and most of Latin America, two season titles are awarded each year&nbsp;– the Apertura and Clausura. |access-date=4 March 2011 |archive-date=23 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623075034/http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/latinamerica/story/Estudiantes-win-Argentina-Apertura-title |url-status=live }}</ref> Most countries supplement the league system with one or more "cup" competitions organised on a [[single elimination tournament|knock-out]] basis. These include the [[domestic cup]], which may be open to all eligible teams in a country's league system—both professional and amateur—and is organised by the national federation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rueter |first=Jeff |date=22 August 2023 |title=What is the U.S. Open Cup? Soccer tournament history, how to watch and Messi's path to another trophy |url=https://theathletic.com/4795121/2023/08/22/us-open-cup-history-broadcast-messi/ |work=[[The Athletic]] |url-access=subscription |accessdate=8 September 2023 |archive-date=24 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824030057/https://theathletic.com/4795121/2023/08/22/us-open-cup-history-broadcast-messi/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Some countries' top divisions feature highly-paid star players; in smaller countries, lower divisions, and many women's clubs, players may be part-timers with a second job, or amateurs. The [[Big Five (association football)|five top European leagues]] – [[Premier League]] (England),<ref>{{cite news |last=Hughes |first=Ian |date=31 March 2008 |title=Premier League conquering Europe |work=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7321408.stm |url-status=live |access-date=27 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118013022/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7321408.stm |archive-date=18 November 2018}}</ref> [[Bundesliga]] (Germany), [[La Liga]] (Spain), [[Serie A]] (Italy), and [[Ligue 1]] (France) – attract most of the world's best players and, during the 2006–07 season, each of these leagues had a total wage cost in excess of [[Euro sign|€]]600 million.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Louise |date=29 May 2008 |title=Leading clubs losing out as players and agents cash in |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/may/29/premierleague |url-status=live |access-date=28 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130407130029/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/29/premierleague |archive-date=7 April 2013}}</ref>{{needs update inline|date=September 2023}} These leagues also generated a combined €17.2&nbsp;billion in revenue in the 2021–22 season from television contracts, matchday tickets, sponsorships, and other sources.<ref>{{cite news |last=Buckingham |first=Philip |date=14 June 2023 |title=Premier League generated £5.5bn in 2021-22 – more than La Liga and Bundesliga combined |url=https://theathletic.com/4610513/2023/06/14/premier-league-revenue-football-finance/ |work=The Athletic |url-access=subscription |accessdate=1 September 2023 |archive-date=2 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902032903/https://theathletic.com/4610513/2023/06/14/premier-league-revenue-football-finance/ |url-status=live }}</ref>