Football Atlas

comparison 3

• Direct vs indirect free kick

  The two free kick types differ in three practical ways under the 2026/27 Laws: whether a goal can be scored without another touch, which offences produce them, and what they become inside the penalty area. This comparison separates all three, bound to Laws 12 and 13.

• Serious foul play vs violent conduct

  Both are red cards, but they are different offences in the 2026/27 Laws: serious foul play happens in a challenge for the ball; violent conduct needs no challenge, can target anyone, and counts even without contact. The distinction decides restarts and applies to VAR review scope.

• VAR vs goal-line technology

  VAR and goal-line technology are often conflated. GLT is an automatic system with a single factual scope (did the whole ball cross the goal line) signalled to the match officials within one second; VAR is a human match official who reviews a closed list of match-changing decisions for clear and obvious errors, with the referee taking the final decision.

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• Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (champions - Senegal)

  The AFCON 2025 final in Rabat on 18 January 2026 ended Senegal 1-0 Morocco after extra time - Pape Gueye striking from the edge of the area three minutes into extra time, after Edouard Mendy had saved Brahim Diaz's VAR-awarded late penalty. It was Senegal's second title, denied on home soil to the hosts; Brahim Diaz won the Golden Boot.

• Ballon d'Or 2025 (Dembele and Bonmati)

  The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on 22 September 2025 crowned Ousmane Dembele - after PSG's first Champions League title, a domestic double and 37 goals - ahead of Lamine Yamal and Vitinha, while Aitana Bonmati won the women's award for the third year running. Yamal took the Kopa Trophy, Donnarumma the Yashin and Gyokeres the Gerd Muller.

• Bundesliga 2025/26 (champions - Bayern Munich)

  The 2025/26 German Bundesliga ended with Bayern Munich champions, a record-extending 35th German championship, retained with four games to spare after a 4-2 win over VfB Stuttgart on matchday 30, under coach Vincent Kompany, in a season with a record goal tally and a single defeat.

• European Champion Clubs' Cup 1959/60 final (Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt)

  Real Madrid beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 at Hampden Park on 18 May 1960 for a fifth consecutive European Cup, in the competition's fifth season. Ferenc Puskas scored four and Alfredo Di Stefano three - ten goals in a final that has never been matched - watched by a crowd UEFA puts at around 127,000.

• UEFA Champions League 1993/94 final (Milan 4-0 Barcelona)

  Milan beat Johan Cruyff's Barcelona 4-0 in Athens on 18 May 1994 - Massaro twice, Savicevic's lob and Desailly - having arrived as underdogs with both first-choice centre-backs suspended, so a stand-in captain lifted the trophy. The four-goal margin was not exceeded in a European Cup final until 2025.

• UEFA Champions League 1998/99 final (Man Utd 2-1 Bayern, the treble)

  The 1998/99 final at the Camp Nou on 26 May 1999 ended Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munchen after Bayern had led for 85 minutes: two substitutes, Teddy Sheringham in the 91st minute and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer two minutes later, turned the final around to give United their first European Cup since 1968 and complete a treble inside ten days.

• UEFA Champions League 2004/05 final (the Miracle of Istanbul)

  The 2005 Champions League final at Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium on 25 May 2005 ended Milan 3-3 Liverpool, with Liverpool winning the shoot-out 3-2 - Jerzy Dudek saving the decisive penalty from Andriy Shevchenko - in what UEFA itself calls one of the greatest finals of all time, the Miracle of Istanbul.

• UEFA Champions League 2011/12 final (Bayern 1-1 Chelsea, 4-3 pens)

  Chelsea won their first Champions League on 19 May 2012 in Bayern's own stadium in Munich, Didier Drogba equalising in the 88th minute five minutes after Thomas Muller had headed Bayern ahead, then converting the last penalty of a 4-3 shoot-out. Bayern had been trying to become the first club to win the competition at home.

• UEFA Champions League 2013/14 final (Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico, La Decima)

  Real Madrid beat Atletico 4-1 after extra time in Lisbon on 24 May 2014 for a tenth European title. Diego Godin's header had led from the 36th minute until Sergio Ramos equalised from a corner deep into stoppage time, with two of the five added minutes left, and Madrid scored three more in extra time.

• UEFA Champions League 2023/24 final (Dortmund 0-2 Real Madrid)

  The 2023/24 Champions League final at Wembley ended Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Real Madrid - Carvajal heading in from a Kroos corner (74th) and Vinicius Junior sealing it (83rd) - for Madrid's record-extending 15th European crown, Ancelotti's fifth as coach, and a sixth winners' final for Modric and Carvajal, matching Paco Gento.

• UEFA Champions League 2024/25 final (Paris 5-0 Inter)

  The 2024/25 Champions League final in Munich on 31 May 2025 ended Paris 5-0 Inter - the biggest winning margin in any European Cup final. Hakimi, a Desire Doue double, Kvaratskhelia and teenager Mayulu scored as Paris won the competition for the first time.

• UEFA Champions League 2025/26 final (Paris 1-1 Arsenal, 4-3 pens)

  The 2025/26 Champions League final, played 30 May 2026 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest: Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with Arsenal after extra time and won the shoot-out 4-3 to retain the trophy, the first side to do so since Real Madrid in 2018.

• European Cup / Champions League titles by club (through 2026)

  UEFA's all-time honours board after the 2026 final: 24 clubs from ten nations have won the competition, Real Madrid leading on 15 from 18 finals, ahead of AC Milan (7), Liverpool and Bayern Munchen (6) and Barcelona (5) - with the separate Champions League-era table, the finals-played denominators and the by-nation split UEFA publishes alongside them.

• FIFA Club World Cup 2025 (champions - Chelsea)

  The first 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, hosted in the USA in June-July 2025, was won by Chelsea, who beat reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final at MetLife Stadium on 13 July 2025. Cole Palmer scored twice, assisted the third and won the Golden Ball.

• CONMEBOL Copa America 2015 (champions - Chile)

  Chile won the Copa America for the first time at the 36th attempt, beating Argentina 4-1 on penalties in Santiago on 4 July 2015 after a goalless 120 minutes. Claudio Bravo saved from Ever Banega and Gonzalo Higuain put his kick over the bar.

• CONMEBOL Copa America Centenario 2016 (champions - Chile)

  Chile retained the title at the Copa America Centenario, beating Argentina on penalties for the second year running - 4-2 after another goalless 120 minutes - at MetLife Stadium on 26 June 2016 before 82,026 spectators, in a final reduced to ten against ten inside the first 45 minutes.

• CONMEBOL Copa America 2019 (champions - Brazil)

  Brazil won their ninth Copa America on home soil, beating Peru 3-1 at the Maracana on 7 July 2019 - their first knockout-final win at that ground, since the 1989 title there came under a four-team group format. They finished undefeated having conceded a single goal, the fewest by a champion since 2001.

• CONMEBOL Copa America 2021 (champions - Argentina)

  The 2021 Copa America final at the Maracana on 10 July 2021 ended Argentina 1-0 Brazil - Angel Di Maria chipping Ederson in the 22nd minute from Rodrigo De Paul's long pass - ending Argentina's 28-year title drought with their 15th Copa America. Messi was named best player of the tournament.

• CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 (champions - Argentina)

  The 2024 Copa America, hosted in the United States, ended with Argentina beating Colombia 1-0 after extra time in the final, Lautaro Martinez scoring in the 112th minute. It was Argentina's record 16th title, overtaking Uruguay's 15, and back-to-back triumphs after 2021.

• Copa America titles by country (through 2024)

  Argentina lead the all-time Copa America honours list with 16 titles after 2024, ahead of Uruguay on 15 and Brazil on 9 - a change from the 15-15 tie that held from 2021 to 2024 and that trained answers still report. The 48 titles reconcile exactly with the 48 editions played since 1916, and titles won are not the same count as finals won.

• UEFA EURO 1960 (champions - Soviet Union)

  The Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2-1 after extra time at the Parc des Princes on 10 July 1960, Viktor Ponedelnik heading the winner in the 113th minute, to become the first holders of the Henri Delaunay Cup. Only 17 nations entered, the four British associations among those who did not, and the USSR reached the finals on a walkover after Spain refused to play them.

• UEFA EURO 1964 (champions - Spain)

  Spain beat holders the Soviet Union 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on 21 June 1964 for the first major trophy in their history, Pereda opening after six minutes - still the earliest goal in a EURO final - and Marcelino heading the late winner. UEFA's own pages disagree on both that winner's minute and on who refereed the match.

• UEFA EURO 1968 (champions - Italy)

  Italy won the first tournament to carry the name UEFA European Championship, and won it twice over by the standards of any later edition: they reached the final on the toss of a coin after a goalless semi-final, drew the final 1-1 with Yugoslavia, and won the replay 2-0 two days later. Both remain unique in the competition's history.

• UEFA EURO 1972 (champions - West Germany)

  West Germany beat the Soviet Union 3-0 at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels for their first European title, Gerd Muller scoring twice and Herbert Wimmer once. It stood as the biggest winning margin in a EURO final for forty years, and Muller became the only player ever to top the scoring lists of both the qualifying and the final phase of one European Championship.

• UEFA EURO 1976 (champions - Czechoslovakia)

  Czechoslovakia beat West Germany 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw at the Stadion Crvena zvezda in Belgrade on 20 June 1976 - the first major international tournament final ever decided by a shoot-out. They had led 2-0 before Bernd Holzenbein equalised in the dying seconds, and the first seven penalties were all scored before Antonin Panenka's chip.

• UEFA EURO 1980 (champions - West Germany)

  West Germany beat Belgium 2-1 at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on 22 June 1980 for their second European title, Horst Hrubesch scoring both - his first goals in international football - with the winner in the closing seconds. It was the first eight-team EURO and staged the last third-place play-off in the competition's history.

• UEFA EURO 1984 (champions - France)

  France beat Spain 2-0 at the Parc des Princes on 27 June 1984 for their first official title in any team sport. Michel Platini's ninth goal of the finals - still the competition record, and more than any other nation scored in the whole tournament - went in when Luis Arconada let a modest free-kick creep out of his hands and over the line.

• UEFA EURO 1988 (champions - Netherlands)

  The Netherlands beat the Soviet Union 2-0 at Munich's Olympiastadion on 25 June 1988 for their first major title. Marco van Basten headed the assist for Ruud Gullit's opener before scoring the volley from the right-hand goal line that the tournament is remembered for - a goal UEFA's own pages date two minutes apart.

• UEFA EURO 1992 (champions - Denmark)

  Denmark beat the newly reunified Germany 2-0 at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg on 26 June 1992, through John Jensen and Kim Vilfort. They were at the finals only because Yugoslavia had been suspended from international football that May and the place passed to the qualifying group's runners-up - one of three ways politics redrew this tournament.

• UEFA EURO 1996 (champions - Germany)

  EURO '96 in England ended at Wembley with Germany beating the Czech Republic 2-1 in extra time. Substitute Oliver Bierhoff headed an equaliser after Patrik Berger's penalty, then scored senior international football's first golden goal - a goal the referee first checked for offside, and whose minute UEFA's own pages still give differently.

• UEFA EURO 2000 (champions - France)

  EURO 2000, co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, ended at Rotterdam's Feijenoord Stadium on 2 July 2000 with France beating Italy 2-1 on a golden goal. Italy led through Marco Delvecchio until Sylvain Wiltord equalised in added time, and David Trezeguet won it 13 minutes into extra time - France the first team to win the European Championship as reigning world champions.

• UEFA EURO 2004 (champions - Greece)

  EURO 2004 ended in Lisbon on 4 July 2004 with Greece beating hosts Portugal 1-0, Angelos Charisteas heading in Angelos Basinas's corner early in the second half. Greece had started as 80-1 outsiders and Portugal became the first host nation to lose a European Championship final.

• UEFA EURO 2008 (champions - Spain)

  EURO 2008 ended with Spain beating Germany 1-0 in the Vienna final - Fernando Torres outmuscling Lahm and clipping over Lehmann in the 33rd minute from Xavi's pass - ending a 44-year wait for a major title and opening the Spain era that ran through the 2010 World Cup and EURO 2012.

• UEFA EURO 2012 (champions - Spain)

  EURO 2012 ended with Spain beating Italy 4-0 in Kyiv on 1 July 2012 - the most emphatic win in a EURO final - through Silva, Alba, Torres and Mata, against an Italy reduced to ten after Motta's injury. It completed Spain's unprecedented EURO-World Cup-EURO treble.

• UEFA EURO 2016 (champions - Portugal)

  EURO 2016 ended with Portugal beating hosts France 1-0 after extra time at the Stade de France on 10 July 2016 - substitute Eder striking from 20 metres in the 109th minute - for Portugal's first major trophy, in a final Cristiano Ronaldo left injured after 25 minutes to coach from the touchline.

• UEFA EURO 2020 (champions - Italy)

  EURO 2020, played in 2021, ended with Italy beating England 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Wembley - Luke Shaw scoring inside two minutes, Leonardo Bonucci equalising, and Gianluigi Donnarumma saving from Saka and Sancho in the shoot-out. It was Italy's second EURO, their first since 1968, and Donnarumma was named Player of the Tournament.

• UEFA EURO 2024 (champions - Spain)

  UEFA EURO 2024, hosted by Germany, ended with Spain beating England 2-1 in the Berlin final - Nico Williams opening, Cole Palmer equalising and Mikel Oyarzabal winning it four minutes from time - for a record fourth European Championship title. Rodri was Player of the Tournament and Lamine Yamal Young Player.

• European Championship titles by country (through 2024)

  Ten nations have won the 17 European Championships played from 1960 to 2024, Spain leading on four after Berlin 2024, ahead of Germany on three. UEFA publishes two different titles-by-country tables that do not agree: the roll of honour keeps the historical nations (Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia) and is frozen at 2020, while the all-time rankings reallocate their titles to successor states.

• UEFA Europa League 2025/26 final (Freiburg 0-3 Aston Villa)

  Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 at Besiktas Park in Istanbul on 20 May 2026 for their first continental title since the 1981/82 European Cup, 44 years on from their previous UEFA final. Unai Emery's fifth Europa League title made him the most successful coach in the competition's history.

• UEFA Cup / Europa League titles by club (through 2026)

  Thirty-one clubs from 11 nations have won the UEFA Cup or Europa League across its 55 seasons. Sevilla lead on seven, more than double the three shared by Inter, Liverpool, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham. Aston Villa are the newest name, as 2026 winners.

• FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025 (champions - Paris Saint-Germain)

  The 2025 Intercontinental Cup final at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on 17 December 2025 ended Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Flamengo, PSG winning the shoot-out 2-1 with Matvei Safonov saving four consecutive kicks - closing PSG's 2025 of a domestic double, a first Champions League and this world title.

• LaLiga 2025/26 (champions - FC Barcelona)

  The 2025/26 Spanish LaLiga season ended with FC Barcelona champions for the 29th time, retaining the title under Hansi Flick and sealing it on 10 May 2026 with a 2-0 home Clasico win over Real Madrid, three matches to spare.

• Law 1 - The Field of Play

  Law 1 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) sets the field dimensions and markings, goal and penalty area measurements, and the conditions for using goal-line technology (GLT).

• Law 2 - The Ball

  Law 2 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) fixes the ball's qualities and measurements (circumference, weight, pressure), the quality marks required in official competitions, and the procedure when the ball becomes defective during play or a restart.

• Law 3 - The Players

  Law 3 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) fixes team sizes, the minimum number of players for a match to start or continue, and the substitution rules for official competitions, including the five-substitute allowance and return substitutes in grassroots football.

• Law 4 - The Players' Equipment

  Law 4 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) lists the compulsory equipment (sleeved shirt, shorts, socks, shinguards, footwear), bans all jewellery, regulates undershirt and undershorts colours and electronic tracking systems, and sets the sanctions for infringements.

• Law 5 - The Referee

  Law 5 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) establishes the referee's full authority, the finality of decisions on facts of play, the narrow conditions for changing a decision, and the referee's powers and duties including advantage, discipline and video review.

• Law 6 - The Other Match Officials

  Law 6 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) lists the match officials who may assist the referee — assistant referees, fourth official, additional assistant referees, reserve assistant referee, VAR and AVAR — their signalling duties, and the principle that the final decision always belongs to the referee.

• Law 7 - The Duration of the Match

  Law 7 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) fixes the two halves of 45 minutes, the half-time interval, the categories of time the referee must allow for, and the extension of a half for a penalty kick.

• Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play

  Law 8 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) covers the kick-off (coin toss, positions, ball in play, scoring directly) and the dropped ball (who receives it, where, and its restrictions).

• Law 9 - The Ball In and Out of Play

  Law 9 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) defines when the ball is out of play, including the specific cases where touching a match official puts it out (promising attack, direct goal, change of possession), and confirms the ball stays in play off posts, crossbar and corner flagposts.

• Law 10 - Determining the Outcome of a Match

  Law 10 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) defines when a goal is scored, how the winner is determined, and the procedure for kicks from the penalty mark (penalty shoot-out), including eligibility, alternation, reduce-to-equate and goalkeeper conduct.

• Law 11 - Offside

  Law 11 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) defines the offside position, the three ways an offside offence is committed (interfering with play, interfering with an opponent, gaining an advantage), the restarts that can never produce an offside offence, and the indirect free kick sanction.

• Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct

  Law 12 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) governs direct and indirect free kick offences, the handball offence, and misconduct: cautions (yellow card) and sending-off offences (red card), including denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO).

• Law 13 - Free Kicks

  Law 13 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) distinguishes direct and indirect free kicks, sets the procedure (position, stationary ball, opponent distance, the attacking one-metre wall rule) and what happens when each type of kick goes directly into either goal.

• Law 14 - The Penalty Kick

  Law 14 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) covers when a penalty kick is awarded, positioning of the ball, kicker, goalkeeper and other players, the kicking procedure, and how offences by the kicker, goalkeeper or encroaching players are sanctioned.

• Law 15 - The Throw-In

  Law 15 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) covers when a throw-in is awarded, the delivery procedure (feet, both hands, from behind and over the head), opponent distance, and why a goal can never be scored directly from a throw-in.

• Law 16 - The Goal Kick

  Law 16 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) covers when a goal kick is awarded, the procedure (kicked from anywhere in the goal area, opponents outside the penalty area, in play when kicked and clearly moving), scoring, and the five-second countdown sanction for delaying.

• Law 17 - The Corner Kick

  Law 17 of the IFAB Laws of the Game (2026/27 edition) covers when a corner kick is awarded — including the goalkeeper eight-second possession sanction — the procedure in the corner area, opponent distance, and scoring rules.

• CONMEBOL Libertadores 2025 final (Flamengo 1-0 Palmeiras)

  Flamengo beat Palmeiras 1-0 at the Estadio Monumental de la U in Lima on 29 November 2025 for a fourth Libertadores, becoming the first Brazilian club to win it four times. Danilo turned in an Arrascaeta corner on 67 minutes, in a final Flamengo won without conceding a shot on target.

• Ligue 1 2025/26 (champions - Paris Saint-Germain)

  The 2025/26 French Ligue 1 ended with Paris Saint-Germain champions for the 14th time and, for the first time in the club's history, a fifth consecutive title, sealed with a 2-0 away win over second-placed Lens.

• Premier League 2025/26 (champions - Arsenal)

  The 2025/26 English Premier League ended with Arsenal champions under Mikel Arteta - the club's first English top-flight title in 22 years, as recorded by UEFA in its Champions League final report five days before Arsenal's Budapest final against Paris.

• Serie A 2025/26 (champions - Inter)

  The 2025/26 Italian Serie A ended with Inter champions for the 21st time, sealing the scudetto on 6 May 2026 with a 2-0 win over Parma at San Siro (Thuram and Mkhitaryan), three games to spare, under coach Cristian Chivu - their second title in three seasons.

• The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025

  FIFA's The Best awards for 2025, presented in Doha on 16 December 2025 on the eve of the Intercontinental Cup final: Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati (her third straight) took the player awards, Luis Enrique and Sarina Wiegman the coaching honours, Donnarumma and Hampton the goalkeeper prizes, and Santiago Montiel the Puskas Award.

• UEFA Women's EURO 1984 (champions - Sweden)

  The first Women's EURO was settled over two legs: Sweden won 1-0 at the Ullevi through Pia Sundhage, England levelled the tie through Linda Curl at Kenilworth Road, and Sweden took the shoot-out 4-3. Sundhage scored the tie's first goal and converted its last kick. It remains Sweden's only title.

• UEFA Women's EURO 1995 (champions - Germany)

  Germany beat Sweden 3-2 in Kaiserslautern for a third title, the winning goal scored by a 17-year-old substitute who had been on the pitch for barely three minutes. It was the edition at which women's internationals went from 80 minutes to 90, and the one that ended Norway's run of reaching every final.

• UEFA Women's EURO 1997 (champions - Germany)

  Germany beat Italy 2-0 at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo to retain the title - having first had to survive a play-off to reach the finals at all. They finished behind Norway in qualifying, losing 3-1 at home, and only got there by beating Iceland 7-0 on aggregate. It was the first edition with an eight-team final tournament.

• UEFA Women's EURO 2001 (champions - Germany)

  Germany beat Sweden 1-0 at the Donaustadion in Ulm on a golden goal, substitute Claudia Muller scoring on 97 minutes before 18,000 people after Sweden had unexpectedly taken the hosts to extra time. The rule that ended the match there no longer exists in the Laws.

• UEFA Women's EURO 2005 (champions - Germany)

  Germany beat Norway 3-1 at Ewood Park for a fourth successive title, then a record. The edition's defining number is not the final's crowd of just over 21,100 but the 29,092 who watched England play Finland in the opening match - at the time a record for a women's match anywhere in Europe.

• UEFA Women's EURO 2009 (champions - Germany)

  Germany beat England 6-2 in Helsinki for a fifth consecutive title, in the highest-scoring final the competition has had. The scoreline hides the match: England were within a goal after 55 minutes, and three German goals in 14 minutes turned 3-2 into 6-2.

• UEFA Women's EURO 2013 (champions - Germany)

  Germany took a sixth consecutive title in Sweden, beating Norway 1-0 in Solna before a tournament-record crowd of 41,301. They did it having won only one of their three group games - and having lost 1-0 to the same Norway in the group stage. Nadine Angerer saved a penalty in each half of the final.

• UEFA Women's EURO 2017 (champions - Netherlands)

  The Netherlands won their first Women's EURO on home soil, beating Denmark 4-2 in Enschede having won all six matches. It ended Germany's 22-year reign, made the Dutch only the fourth different champion, and came seven months after they had changed coach following five defeats in eight games.

• UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (champions - England)

  England beat Germany 2-1 after extra time at Wembley for their first major international title, in front of a record crowd of 87,192. Both England goals came from substitutes: Ella Toone, on six minutes earlier, opened the scoring, and Chloe Kelly won it in extra time after Lina Magull had equalised.

• UEFA Women's EURO 2025 (champions - England)

  The Women's EURO 2025 final at St. Jakob-Park in Basel on 27 July 2025 ended England 1-1 Spain after extra time, England winning 3-1 on penalties - Caldentey scoring for Spain, Russo equalising, Chloe Kelly converting the decisive kick - making England only the second team to retain the Women's EURO.

• Women's EURO titles by country (through 2025)

  Five nations have won the 14 Women's EUROs played since 1984. Germany lead on eight, a record built on six consecutive titles and a 22-year reign as champions; England have two, Norway two, and Sweden and the Netherlands one each. UEFA counts the 1989 title, won by West Germany, within Germany's eight.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 1991 (champions - USA)

  The inaugural Women's World Cup, in China PR, had 12 teams and 26 matches and ended at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou on 30 November 1991 with USA beating Norway, Michelle Akers scoring twice. FIFA's own pages disagree on whether the final finished 2-1 or 2-0.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 1995 (champions - Norway)

  Norway won the second Women's World Cup, beating Germany 2-0 at the Rasunda Stadium in Solna on 18 June 1995 through Hege Riise and Marianne Pettersen, after knocking out holders USA in the semi-finals. The 12-team tournament doubled as qualification for the first women's Olympic football tournament.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 1999 (champions - USA)

  The 1999 final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on 10 July 1999 ended USA 0-0 China PR after 120 minutes, the hosts winning the shoot-out 5-4 with Brandi Chastain converting the decisive kick in front of 90,185 spectators - the moment FIFA calls one of the most memorable in the tournament's history.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 2003 (champions - Germany)

  China PR gave up the hosting of the 2003 tournament and it moved to the USA, where the hosts fell to Germany in the semi-finals. Germany beat Sweden 2-1 in the all-European final at the StubHub Center in Carson on 12 October 2003, Nia Kuenzer scoring in extra time for a first German world title.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 2007 (champions - Germany)

  Germany retained the trophy at China PR 2007, beating Brazil 2-0 at the Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium on 30 September 2007 through Birgit Prinz and Simone Laudehr. They were the first team ever to defend the Women's World Cup, and Brazil the first South American side to reach the final.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 (champions - Japan)

  Japan won their first world title in the host nation's own tournament: 2-2 with USA after 120 minutes at the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt on 17 July 2011, then victory on penalties. Homare Sawa's side ended Germany's run of successive titles and USA's pursuit of a third star.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 (champions - USA)

  USA took a third title at Canada 2015, beating Japan 5-2 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on 5 July 2015 in a rematch of the 2011 final - the highest-scoring Women's World Cup final, 4-0 to the USA inside 16 minutes, with a Carli Lloyd hat-trick.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 (champions - USA)

  USA retained the trophy at France 2019, beating the Netherlands 2-0 at the Stade de Lyon on 7 July 2019 through Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe. It was the second successful defence in the tournament's history, the Netherlands' first final, and the fourth USA title.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 (champions - Spain)

  The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, ended with Spain beating England 1-0 in the final at Stadium Australia on 20 August 2023 before 75,784 fans. Captain Olga Carmona scored the winner before the half-hour; Mary Earps saved a Jenni Hermoso penalty. It was Spain's first women's world title.

• FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 (Brazil, upcoming)

  The tenth Women's World Cup runs from 24 June to 25 July 2027 in Brazil - the first in South America - with 32 teams and 64 matches across eight host cities, from the Maracana in Rio to Arena Itaquera in Sao Paulo. Spain arrive as 2023 champions and England as European champions.

• Women's World Cup titles by country (through 2023)

  Five nations have won the nine editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup played to date: USA four (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019), Germany two (2003, 2007), Norway (1995), Japan (2011) and Spain (2023) one each. Only Germany and the USA have ever retained the trophy, and Spain go to Brazil 2027 as holders.

• FIFA World Cup 1930 (champions - Uruguay)

  The first World Cup, played entirely in Montevideo, ended with hosts Uruguay coming from 2-1 down at half-time to beat Argentina 4-2 at the Estadio Centenario - a final played with a different ball in each half by order of referee Jean Langenus because the teams could not agree, in the year of Uruguay's independence centenary.

• FIFA World Cup 1934 (champions - Italy)

  The 1934 World Cup ended with hosts Italy beating Czechoslovakia in extra time in the Rome final, Angelo Schiavio scoring the winner five minutes into the added period after a 1-1 draw - the first of Vittorio Pozzo's two consecutive titles.

• FIFA World Cup 1938 (champions - Italy)

  The 1938 World Cup in France ended with Italy beating Hungary 4-2 in the Paris final - doubles from Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola - making Italy the first nation to win consecutive World Cups and Vittorio Pozzo the only coach ever to win two.

• FIFA World Cup 1950 (champions - Uruguay)

  The 1950 World Cup in Brazil had no final: Uruguay won the concluding four-team group by beating hosts Brazil 2-1 at the Maracana - the Maracanazo - coming from behind through Schiaffino and Ghiggia before a record crowd of 173,850. It was Uruguay's second title.

• FIFA World Cup 1954 (champions - West Germany)

  The 1954 World Cup in Switzerland ended with the Miracle of Bern: West Germany came from 2-0 down inside eight minutes to beat Hungary 3-2 at the Wankdorf Stadium, Helmut Rahn scoring twice including the late winner, against a Hungary side that had beaten them 8-3 in the group stage and were the biggest final favourites in World Cup history.

• FIFA World Cup 1958 (champions - Brazil)

  The 1958 World Cup ended with Brazil beating hosts Sweden 5-2 in Stockholm - still the highest-scoring World Cup final - for their first title. Pele, at 17 years and 249 days, remains the youngest player to appear in and score in a World Cup final, after a semi-final hat-trick against France.

• FIFA World Cup 1962 (champions - Brazil)

  The 1962 World Cup in Chile ended with Brazil retaining the title, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final - with Garrincha, sent off in the semi-final against the hosts, allowed to play after a petition backed even by Chile's president. Brazil became the second nation to win consecutive World Cups.

• FIFA World Cup 1966 (champions - England)

  The 1966 World Cup ended with hosts England beating West Germany 4-2 after extra time at Wembley before 96,924 fans - Geoff Hurst scoring the only hat-trick in a men's World Cup final (18', 101', 120'), including the crossbar goal awarded after the referee consulted linesman Tofiq Bahramov. It remains England's only title.

• FIFA World Cup 1970 (champions - Brazil)

  The 1970 World Cup in Mexico ended with Brazil beating Italy 4-1 at the Estadio Azteca on 21 June 1970 before 107,412 fans - Pele, Gerson, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto scoring in what FIFA calls the greatest final performance. Brazil's third title meant they kept the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently.

• FIFA World Cup 1974 (champions - West Germany)

  The 1974 World Cup ended with hosts West Germany beating the Netherlands 2-1 at Munich's Olympiastadion on 7 July 1974, coming from behind after Johan Neeskens's 88-second penalty - still the fastest goal in a World Cup final, scored before West Germany had touched the ball - through a Paul Breitner penalty and Gerd Muller's winner.

• FIFA World Cup 1978 (champions - Argentina)

  The 1978 World Cup ended with hosts Argentina beating the Netherlands 3-1 after extra time at El Monumental in Buenos Aires on 25 June 1978 - two goals from Mario Kempes, who won both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot with six goals, and a Bertoni clincher, after Rensenbrink had hit the post for the Dutch seconds from full time.

• FIFA World Cup 1982 (champions - Italy)

  The 1982 World Cup in Spain ended with Italy beating West Germany 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on 11 July 1982 - Rossi, Tardelli (with the legendary celebration) and Altobelli scoring. Paolo Rossi won both the Golden Boot (six goals) and Golden Ball after not scoring in Italy's first four games, including a hat-trick that eliminated favourites Brazil.

• FIFA World Cup 1986 (champions - Argentina)

  The 1986 World Cup in Mexico ended with Argentina beating West Germany 3-2 in the Azteca final on 29 June 1986 before 114,000 fans - Brown, Valdano and Burruchaga scoring after a Maradona through-ball settled it. It was Maradona's tournament: Golden Ball, five goals and five assists, including the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century against England.

• FIFA World Cup 1990 (champions - West Germany)

  The 1990 World Cup in Italy ended with West Germany beating holders Argentina 1-0 in Rome's Stadio Olimpico, Andreas Brehme converting an 85th-minute penalty past Sergio Goycochea after Rudi Voller was fouled. Argentina had two players sent off; it was West Germany's third title.

• FIFA World Cup 1994 (champions - Brazil)

  The 1994 World Cup in the USA ended with Brazil beating Italy in the first final decided on penalties, after a 0-0 draw at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena - Roberto Baggio skying the decisive kick. It was Brazil's fourth title, ending a 24-year wait since 1970.

• FIFA World Cup 1998 (champions - France)

  The 1998 World Cup ended with hosts France beating holders Brazil 3-0 at the Stade de France on 12 July 1998 - two first-half Zidane headers from corners and an injury-time third by Emmanuel Petit - for their first title, making France the sixth host nation to win at home.

• FIFA World Cup 2002 (champions - Brazil)

  The 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by Korea Republic and Japan, ended with Brazil beating Germany 2-0 in the Yokohama final on 30 June 2002 - Ronaldo scoring both goals (67th and 79th minutes) to complete his redemption from 1998 and win the Golden Boot. Brazil won all seven games to claim a record fifth title.

• FIFA World Cup 2006 (champions - Italy)

  The 2006 World Cup in Germany ended with Italy beating France 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Berlin's Olympiastadion on 9 July 2006 - a final remembered for Zidane's early penalty, Materazzi's equaliser, and Zidane's 110th-minute red card for headbutting Materazzi. It was Italy's fourth title and their first shoot-out win at a World Cup.

• FIFA World Cup 2010 (champions - Spain)

  The 2010 World Cup in South Africa ended with Spain beating the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time at Soccer City, Johannesburg, on 11 July 2010 - Andres Iniesta scoring with four minutes of extra time to spare and revealing his tribute to Dani Jarque. It was Spain's first world title, won with three consecutive 1-0 knockout wins beforehand.

• FIFA World Cup 2014 (champions - Germany)

  The 2014 World Cup in Brazil ended with Germany beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the Maracana final on 13 July 2014, Mario Gotze volleying the winner from Andre Schurrle's cross - at 22 years and 40 days the youngest scorer in a World Cup final since Wolfgang Weber in 1966.

• FIFA World Cup 2018 (champions - France)

  The 2018 World Cup in Russia ended with France beating Croatia 4-2 in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on 15 July 2018 - a final featuring the first own goal in a World Cup decider and a VAR-reviewed penalty - for a second title, twenty years after 1998, with Didier Deschamps now as coach.

• FIFA World Cup 2022 (champions - Argentina)

  The 2022 World Cup in Qatar ended with Argentina beating France on penalties (4-2) after a 3-3 draw in the Lusail final on 18 December 2022 - Messi scoring twice and winning a second Golden Ball, Mbappe scoring a final hat-trick and taking the Golden Boot with eight goals. It was the last 32-team World Cup.

• FIFA World Cup 2026

  The 23rd FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States from 11 June to 19 July 2026: the first 48-team, 104-match edition, played in 16 host cities and won by Spain, who beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final.

• FIFA World Cup 2026 individual awards

  The official individual awards of the 2026 World Cup: Rodri won the Golden Ball, Kylian Mbappe the Golden Boot with ten goals, Unai Simon the Golden Glove with seven clean sheets, Pau Cubarsi the Young Player Award, and the Netherlands the Fair Play Trophy.

• FIFA World Cup 2026 final (Spain 1-0 Argentina)

  The 2026 World Cup final, played 19 July 2026 at New York New Jersey Stadium: Spain beat defending champions Argentina 1-0 after extra time, Ferran Torres scoring the only goal in the 106th minute, to win their second title and become the first nation to hold the men's and women's World Cups simultaneously.

• World Cup all-time top scorers (through 2026)

  The all-time World Cup scoring chart after the 2026 tournament, from FIFA's own final-day list: Kylian Mbappe leads with 22 goals in 22 matches, ahead of Lionel Messi (21), Miroslav Klose (16), Ronaldo (15), Harry Kane and Gerd Muller (14), Just Fontaine (13) and Pele (12) - Klose's long-standing record having fallen twice in one tournament.

• Most World Cup titles by a player (Pele, three)

  Pele remains the only player to win the World Cup three times - 1958, 1962 and 1970 with Brazil - a record FIFA notes could not even be equalled at the 2026 tournament, since no active player held two winner's medals going into it.

• World Cup titles by country (through 2026)

  The all-time FIFA World Cup honours table after the 2026 edition: Brazil 5 titles, Germany and Italy 4, Argentina 3, France, Spain and Uruguay 2, England 1 - with title years and the structural caveats (no final in 1950) taken from FIFA's own updated honours article.

faq 7

• Who holds every major title (as of August 2026)

  The reigning champion of each major competition as of August 2026, each bound to the official source already in this graph: Spain (World Cup and EURO), England (Women's EURO), Spain women (World Cup), Argentina (Copa America), Paris Saint-Germain (Champions League), Chelsea (Club World Cup), and the 2025/26 champions of the top five European leagues.

• Common handball misconceptions

  Answers to the handball arguments fans actually have, each checked against the 2026/27 text of Law 12: ball-to-hand is not automatically a foul, the box changes nothing by itself, accidental handball only matters for scorers, shoulders are legal, and goalkeepers are only partly exempt.

• Common offside misconceptions

  Answers to the offside questions people actually argue about, each checked against the 2026/27 text of Law 11: level is onside, position alone is never an offence, arms never count, no offside from throw-ins, and being in your own half is safe.

• Substitution rules FAQ

  The substitution questions actually asked, answered from the 2026/27 texts of Laws 3 and 10: how many changes are allowed, the three-window limit, extra time, return substitutes, and who may take part in a penalty shoot-out.

• Where UEFA's own pages disagree about historic EURO finals

  UEFA is the primary record for European Championship history, and its pages sometimes disagree with each other and occasionally with themselves - about goal minutes, about the format's own history, about who captained a side, and in one case with the scorer's own account of his goal. Seven cases across six finals, re-checked on 9 August 2026, with one control case where the pages agree.

• Common VAR misconceptions

  Answers to what fans get wrong about VAR, checked against the 2026/27 IFAB protocol: VAR cannot review everything, cannot decide, cannot be demanded by teams, does not re-referee soft calls, and never handles second yellow cards.

• World Cup 2026 - the questions everyone asks

  Verified answers to the most-asked questions about the 2026 World Cup: the champion, the score and scorer of the final, the top scorer, the third place, the host cities and the records set, all bound to FIFA primary pages.

glossary 12

• Advantage

  Advantage is the referee's decision to allow play to continue after an offence when stopping play would benefit the offending team.

• Direct free kick

  A direct free kick is a free kick from which a goal can be scored by kicking the ball directly into the opponents' goal, awarded for the contact and handball offences listed in Law 12.

• Dissent

  Dissent is public protest or disagreement, verbal or physical, with a match official's decision; it is punishable with a caution.

• DOGSO (Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity)

  DOGSO is the Law 12 sending-off category for denying an opponent or the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, with a caution instead of a red card when a penalty is awarded for a genuine attempt to play the ball.

• Handball

  Handball is the Law 12 offence of touching the ball with the hand or arm: deliberately, with a hand/arm position that makes the body unnaturally bigger, or when scoring directly or immediately after a touch, even if accidental. Goalkeepers are exempt inside their own penalty area.

• Indirect free kick

  An indirect free kick is a free kick from which a goal can only be scored if another player of either team touches the ball after it is kicked; the referee signals it with a raised arm.

• Offside

  Offside is the Law 11 concept distinguishing an offside position (not an offence) from an offside offence, which requires involvement in active play at the moment a team-mate plays the ball.

• Panenka (penalty)

  A Panenka is a penalty struck as a gentle chip down the middle, timed so the goalkeeper has already committed to a dive and cannot recover. It is named after Antonin Panenka, who won the EURO 1976 final shoot-out with one. It is legal under Law 14 - the offence people confuse it with is feinting after the run-up has been completed.

• Serious foul play

  Serious foul play is a tackle or challenge for the ball that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality; it is always a sending-off offence.

• Simulation

  Simulation is the act of creating a wrong or false impression that something has occurred when it has not, committed to gain an unfair advantage; it is cautioned as unsporting behaviour.

• VAR (Video Assistant Referee)

  The VAR is a match official who may assist the referee only in the event of a clear and obvious error or serious missed incident, in a closed list of match-changing categories; the referee always takes the final decision.

• Violent conduct

  Violent conduct is using or attempting to use excessive force or brutality when not challenging for the ball — against anyone, with or without contact — including deliberate non-negligible strikes to the head or face; it is always a sending-off offence.

guide 5

• How a penalty shoot-out actually works

  Kicks from the penalty mark under the 2026/27 Laws, in procedure order: who is eligible, the two coin tosses, reduce-to-equate, the alternating kicks and early finish, sudden death, and how Law 14 applies during the shoot-out.

• How handball actually works

  A walk through the 2026/27 handball text of Law 12: where the arm legally begins, the two live criteria (deliberate touch, unnaturally bigger), the scorer-only accidental clauses, and the three different goalkeeper situations.

• How offside actually works

  A step-by-step walk through Law 11 as published in the 2026/27 Laws of the Game: what an offside position is, why position alone is never an offence, the three forms of active involvement, the exempt restarts, and how the offence is sanctioned.

• How the 48-team World Cup works

  The format introduced at the 2026 World Cup, from FIFA's own explanation: 12 groups of four, a new round of 32 fed by the top two of each group plus the eight best third-placed teams, 104 matches, and eight games for the champion.

• What changed in the 2026/27 Laws of the Game

  The 2026/27 edition changes that alter match outcomes, from the official IFAB law-changes list: the ten-second substitution exit, five-second restart countdowns, the DOGSO-advantage sanction removal, penalty double-touch handling, VAR review of clearly incorrect second cautions, and the competition options added this cycle.

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