What Defines a Major Trophy in Football?
In football, a 'major trophy' means winning silverware that holds real respect and competitive significance for a club. With leagues, domestic cups, super cups, tiered tournaments, and friendlies, teams have plenty of chances to win titles. Yet, no official rule decides which trophies are major; it mostly depends on fan views and the history attached to them.
Here’s a closer look at what counts as a major trophy in different football regions.
Major Trophies Around the World
- Premier League: The toughest and most prestigious prize in English football.
- FA Cup: The oldest national knockout tournament worldwide, dating back to 1871.
- EFL Cup (League Cup / Carabao Cup): A secondary knockout competition involving all 92 Premier League and EFL clubs.
The Premier League and FA Cup are accepted as major trophies everywhere. The League Cup sits in a gray area. It includes top teams and offers a Wembley final plus European qualification but is generally seen as less prestigious.
- UEFA Champions League: The ultimate club prize in Europe, featuring champions and top-ranked sides.
- UEFA Europa League: The second-tier European competition with significant status.
- UEFA Conference League: Introduced in 2021 as the third-tier continental cup; it remains the least prestigious.
The Champions League stands as the top global club trophy. The Europa League holds historical value, but the Conference League hasn’t gained the same respect despite winners like Chelsea and Roma.
- MLS Cup: The postseason playoff winner and what many see as the league champion.
- Supporters' Shield: Awarded for the best regular-season record.
- U.S. Open Cup: The oldest American competition, dating to 1914, open to all levels.
- CONCACAF Champions Cup: The premier continental club competition offering access to the FIFA Club World Cup.
The MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup stand out as major honors. The other two mainly hold domestic importance.
Competitions Usually Not Seen as Major
- Community Shield and similar super cups: These are one-off season openers pitting league champions against cup winners.
- Super Cups in general, including the UEFA Super Cup: Single matches, not full campaigns.
- Pre-season and invitational tournaments: Friendlies and summer cups without competitive weight.
- Youth, reserve, and regional trophies: Not contested by full-strength senior first teams.
Some debates swirl around the FIFA Club World Cup and European Super Cup. Many argue that only winning major competitions like the Champions or Europa League gets you to those events, so they don’t carry the same prestige alone. For example, Chelsea holds the Club World Cup title through 2029 but some fans don’t view them as world champions.
A Unique Perspective: The Sextuple
The rare sextuple achievement by Barcelona (2009) and Bayern Munich (2020) includes winning three domestic trophies, two European titles, and the Club World Cup in one season. Individually, the two super cups aren’t major trophies, but combined in this sweep, they symbolize total dominance. The sextuple is a unique feat where every trophy matters collectively rather than separately.
