Top 7 Football leagues by UEFA rankings

The UEFA country ranking is computed by taking an average of the total number of points divided by the total number of clubs of each country over the last five years. To determine the participants in UEFA League football, the previous year's ranking is used. However, English Premier League tops the list & followed by Serie A and La Liga.

Let's take a better look at the Top 7 Football leagues by UEFA rankings.

#7 Primeira Liga | Portugal

The Primeira Liga has increased its reputation in recent years. Occupying the seventh place in UEFA's national league ranking, as of 2024, it has become one of the better football leagues in the world. The Primeira Liga also reached a world ranking of fourth according to IFFHS's 2011 ranking. Founded in 1934 as an experimental (now official) league called Campeonato da Liga da Primeira Divisão. It was named Campeonato Nacional da Primeira Divisão from 1938 until 1999.

Over 70 teams have competed in the Primeira Liga till now, but only five have been crowned champions. Among them, the "Big Three" teams Benfica (38 wins), Porto (29 wins) and Sporting CP (20 wins) – have won all but two Primeira Liga titles; the other winners are Belenenses (1945–46) and Boavista (2000–01).

#6 Eredivisie | Netherlands

The Eredivisie consists of 18 clubs. Each club meets every other club twice during the season, once at home and once away. At the end of each season, the two clubs at the bottom are automatically relegated to the second level of the Dutch league system, the Eerste Divisie (First Division).

The champion and runner-up of the Eerste Divisie are automatically promoted to the Eredivisie. The club finishing third from the bottom of the bottom of the Eredivisie goes to separate promotion play-offs with eight high-placed clubs from the Eerste Divisie.

The winner of the Eredivisie claims the Dutch national championship. Ajax has won the most titles, with 36 national titles. PSV Eindhoven are next with 25, and Feyenoord follow with 15. Since 1965, these three clubs have won all but three Eredivisie titles.

#5 Ligue 1 | France

Ligue 1 was inaugurated on 11 September 1932. At that time, the name was National and then got changed to Division 1 just one year later. It was in 2002, when the current name, Ligue 1 came into effect.

 Paris Saint Germain is the most successful club with 12 league titles in France. Meanwhile, Lyon is the club that has won the most consecutive titles (seven between 2002 and 2008). 

The French league consists of 18 teams and has a promotion and relegation system from Ligue 2.

#4 Bundesliga | Germany

The Bundesliga was founded in 1962 in Dortmund and the first season started in 1963-64. The structure and organisation of the Bundesliga, along with Germany's other football leagues, have undergone frequent changes over the years. The Bundesliga was founded by the Deutscher Fußball-Bund. The Bundesliga is the number one football league in the world in terms of average attendance; out of all sports.

Fifty-seven clubs have competed in the Bundesliga since its establishment. Bayern Munich has won the title 32 times, the most among Bundesliga clubs. From 1976-84, Bundesliga was rated as the top league in Europe. 

#3 La Liga | Spain

La Liga comes in third place in UEFA rankings currently. After registering only 15.812 points in the 2023-24 season, they dropped to number three position from number two in the rankings. Though La Liga was ranked the best league in the world from 2013 to 2019, the rise of the Premier League's standards have pushed them down in recent years.

Since the 1997-98 season, La Liga started to have 20 teams in their league. The relegated teams get pushed down to Segunda División, their second-tier league. Real Madrid with 36 titles are the most successful team in La Liga's history with FC Barcelona dominating the last three decades, winning the title 17 times since 1990. 

#2 Serie A | Italy

Serie A, the Premier division football league in Italy has been regarded as one of the most tactical and technical leagues in the world. The league was established in 1898 and until 1929 the league did not have a round-robin system. 

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Since the 2004-05 season, Seria A started having 20 teams in the world and has a relegation and promotion to Serie B. Juventus with 36 titles is the most successful team in the League's history. They currently have 89.998 points in the UEFA Co-efficient ranking. 

#1 Premier League | England

The English Premier League tops the list of UEFA rankings now. The Premier League, often referred to as the English Premier League or the EPL ( The Football Association Premier League Limited), is the top level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League (EFL). 

The competition was founded as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992 following the decision of clubs in the Football League First Division to break away from the Football League, founded in 1888, and take advantage of a lucrative television rights sale to Sky. 

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With 104.303 points, the Premier League has been dominating the charts since the 2020-21 season. However, Serie A has dominated the Premier League in the current season since they could only manage 17.375 points this season.

Manchester United with 13 tiles are the most successful team in the league since its inception in 1992. However, Manchester City have been the most dominating club in the league since 2010, winning the league 7 times since then.

The Premier League is also the most-watched sports league in the world and gets broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people.