What Defines a Major Trophy in Football?

In football, the term 'major trophy' refers to silverware that carries real prestige and competitive significance for clubs. With many leagues, cups, super cups, and various tournaments available, the question arises: which trophies truly count as major?

There isn’t an official standard that decides what qualifies as a major trophy; much depends on fan opinion and the history or importance tied to the competition. Below is a look at what competitions are generally seen as major across some of football’s biggest regions.

Major Trophies by Region

• EnglandPremier League: The toughest and most prestigious league trophy in English club football.
• FA Cup: The oldest national knockout tournament in the world, dating back to 1871.
• EFL Cup (League Cup / Carabao Cup): A secondary knockout cup involving all 92 Premier League and EFL teams. While it includes top clubs and offers a Wembley final and European qualification, its prestige is lower compared to the Premier League and FA Cup.

• UEFA Champions League: The highest honor in European club football, featuring champions and top-ranked sides.
• UEFA Europa League: The second-tier continental competition, long respected as a significant trophy.
• UEFA Conference League: Introduced in 2021 as a third-tier continental cup, it is less prestigious despite being won by notable clubs like Chelsea and Roma.

• MLS Cup: The postseason playoff championship considered by many as the league title.
• CONCACAF Champions Cup: The premier continental competition for clubs in the region, offering entry to the FIFA Club World Cup.
• Supporters' Shield and U.S. Open Cup: Both hold domestic importance but are not usually viewed as major compared to the MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Trophies Often Viewed as Less Major

• Community Shield and Domestic Super Cups: These season-opening matches between league champions and cup winners are regarded as curtain-raisers rather than major trophies.
• UEFA Super Cup and Other Continental Super Cups: Single-match events without the extended challenge of a full campaign.
• Pre-season and Invitational Tournaments: Friendly competitions, summer cups, and testimonial matches lack competitive weight.
• Youth, Reserve, and Regional Trophies: These involve non-senior squads and are not counted among major honours.

Some debate surrounds the FIFA Club World Cup. Though it technically crowns a global champion, many fans don’t fully recognize winners as world champions because qualification depends on winning other major trophies like the Champions League.

The Unique Case of the Sextuple

One way to grasp how trophies stack up is by looking at the sextuple achieved by Barcelona in 2009 and Bayern Munich in 2020. Both clubs won all three domestic trophies, the two main European trophies, and the Club World Cup in a single season. Although the super cups themselves are minor individually, combined with the other trophies they form a remarkable statement of dominance. This achievement stands apart from simply collecting six separate trophies; it’s a unique display of supremacy.