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Understanding What Makes a Trophy 'Major' in Football

In football, a "major trophy" refers to silverware with significant history and competitive importance for clubs. There are numerous competitions—leagues, domestic cups, super cups, and friendlies—but no official rule decides which trophies qualify as major. Instead, fan views and tradition largely shape this perception.

This article explores the criteria behind what is considered a major trophy across different regions.

England

  • Premier League: The toughest and most prestigious league trophy in English football.
  • FA Cup: The oldest national knockout tournament worldwide, established in 1871.
  • EFL Cup (League Cup / Carabao Cup): A secondary knockout competition involving all 92 Premier League and EFL clubs. Despite featuring top teams and offering a European spot, it is generally viewed as less prestigious than the Premier League or FA Cup, sitting on the edge of what counts as "major."

Europe

  • UEFA Champions League: The highest honor in club football, contested by champions and top-ranked sides across Europe.
  • UEFA Europa League: The second-tier continental competition with considerable prestige.
  • UEFA Conference League: Introduced in 2021 as the third-tier European tournament. Though won by notable clubs like Chelsea and Roma, it lacks the same status as the other two.

USA

  • MLS Cup: The postseason playoff championship, widely seen as the ultimate league prize in the United States.
  • Supporters' Shield: Given to the team with the best regular-season record in MLS.
  • U.S. Open Cup: The longest-running American competition, open to clubs from various levels, founded in 1914.
  • CONCACAF Champions Cup: The premier continental club tournament in North and Central America, offering a path to the FIFA Club World Cup.

Trophies Generally Not Viewed as Major

  • Community Shield (England) and similar events: Season-opening matches between league and cup winners, often seen as ceremonial.
  • Super Cups: Single-match finals such as the UEFA Super Cup or domestic equivalents like the DFL-Supercup and Supercopa.
  • Pre-season and invitational tournaments: Friendly competitions and testimonial matches.
  • Youth, reserve, and regional trophies: Competitions that do not involve full-strength senior first teams.

Some debate surrounds the FIFA Club World Cup and European Super Cup. Since qualification depends on winning major trophies like the Champions League or Europa League, they are often considered secondary despite their global profile.

A notable example highlighting the distinction is the sextuple achievement by Barcelona in 2009 and Bayern Munich in 2020. Both won every available domestic trophy, European titles, and the Club World Cup. While the super cups alone aren't major trophies, combined they form a remarkable statement of dominance.

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