I was looking for a place for this discussion. I thought the Euro thread and then thought, no the answer would be tainted. Then I thought about here and thought, same issue. So rather then post on two threads, what the heck I am posting here for no other reason then I post here frequently. IMO I lean to the Champions League as the better played futbol. Futbol is better played as a cohesive unit (Steve S remember 98?) not as a group of all-stars, it truly a team game. I look at US Throw-Ball and Basketball and say; see exhibit "A". So is the WC just an all-star tourney?
World Cup is where its at. Watching even teams of Ecuador vs Poland and Ghana vs Cz Republic felt like the Champions league final. You cant mess with the passion and tension of the matches...........that alone raises the level of play.................see USA vs Italy.
I'm pretty neutral when watching the Champions League, but in the World Cup I usually want one country to win. The level of football might be a notch below CL, but I don't mind.
The best World Cup teams have the same quality of players as the top Champions League teams, though they're not quite as consistant. Also there's a fair few WC teams wouldn't get past the qualifying rounds of the CL. Still thoguh the WC is far more exciting and has far more passion though. CL even the final I can take or leave, but I have to watch the WC.
The Champions League probably has the higher-quality football, because the teams are far more cohesive than any in the World Cup. I think every team in the Champions League knockout rounds should be favored to beat the World Cup champions at any given time. However, I find the World Cup more exciting, because there's so much more passion in it. And I don't think there's a single player on the planet who would value a Champions League medal above a World Cup medal.
better played football? The CL away goals system is set up for a borefest. Credit to the teams that go away and attack. World Cup has more intensity so there's no comparison.
Agree........... You cant f'ck with this statement. Every Single World Cup game means something and the players put everything on the line and play their best............ only happens every 4 years....so the tension,excitement,emotion,tenacity, anger,frustraiton,crying,global shit-talking = the better football. .............so, you think your gonna have some of the borefest games of Champions league games where the Away teams sit back and defend..... i wouldent think so.
CL produces better football because the players play together on a consistent basis and they're more used to the tactical systems. WC produces better atmosphere, magnitude and its a more prestigious event because well... club loyalty can't beat national patriotism.
That dosent mean shit............ the fact that the greatest football played in the last 10 years was Brazil 2002 WC team. And they dident play together every day. In fact its actually the same for NAtional teams because each national team member for their respective national teams already knows how their team plays and how each member plays and how their styles are. Your acting like the National teams dont play many games a year.
The WC is ten times more enjoyable to watch than the CL. Most of the CL games are boring, owing to the away goal tie breakers. Many of the players change each year on CL teams, while entire countries get behind their national sides. I much prefer the WC.
The quality of the CL might be better but I really couldn't care less about it...WC for me too. (especially since our NT is always gonna be in it)
World Cup for me. It makes countries come together, it eases racial tensions (France 98), it stops civil wars (Ivory Coast 06); there's really something special about it that no other sport, competition or world event can duplicate.
Yes maybe the CL has better soccer due to it being club teams that play together all the time and are in good form. BUT it doesn't hold a candle to the World Cup in almost every other category.
World Cup by a mile. I like the Champions League, but I got hooked on soccer via the World Cup. Look at how the other major team sports have tried to emulate the World Cup (Rugby World Cup, FIBA Championships, World Baseball Classic).
No question, World Cup. It is not like an "all star tourney". Unlike other sports, national teams play together all year long. Look at the US, they are playing a minimum of 17 matches this year, more if they advance in the Confeds Cup or Gold Cup or schedule another friendly. I would take Spain, Italy, Germany, or Brazil over the CL winner.
I think you'll get a more diverse response in the Beautiful Game forum (where I'll move the thread) - most USA fans tend to be Country > Club, which isn't necessarily true of Europe
Until certain confederations raise their standards then the CL wins under the criteria set by the opening post (quality of players and football). Even some of the worst CL teams have better teamwork and more tactical discipline than you see from the weaker confederations in the WC. If you dismiss the group phase of each tournament (to eliminate the weakest teams) then it is closer but I still consider the CL to have a better spread of teams and talent. I would rate the European Championships and Copa America are being better overall tournaments than the WC under the criteria we are using.
Amen, I put the thread over on USMNT thread looking to see where the posters over there were coming from. The thread police moved it here; oh well. To me the rest of the world is catching up to the USA in hoops hence we select our team 2 years out to get ready. Something we didn't do before. But the Olympics/FIBA will never compete against the NBA even as the NBA become more international. IMO the uSA is also catching up to the rest of the world in Futbol.
Against World Cup? My contester for entertainment would be some CAF (too money turns games too coward), while the Club World Cup'd have to be my pick for sharpest consistency (considering all the qualifying requirements). For less worldwide popular sports, NBA or Formula One... "Better", for me (just for me, since I'm not Pinochet or Hitler): supportable and watchable. Cosmopolitan poll results by now, congrats for it. Sincerely, take off my hat for the word in bold.
There's no doubt that the CL produces better football. Whether it produces more entertaining football however is an entirely different discussion altogether. As evidenced by the fact that the world cup typically sells out all games.
Wow, can I use that as my sig. That's some funny shit right there. As for the disscussion, the quality of the CL teams are obviously higher (although it doesn't always show in matches). Because as many have already alluded to, they train with each other day in day out, and the very top teams have no real weak areas (not always true of National sides). The fact that the WC is every 4 years, and tends to get even the less enthsiastic fans involved (world wide), as well as being the pinnacle for the players themselves. Means that a greater excitement level is generated.
True, but the world cup is more inclusive. The whole country here, for example, will be behind England. An English team in the CL final wouldn't get 10% of that support. Even from the neutral point of view, a match between France and Spain would generate far more interest than Lyon v Real Madrid. For the clubs involved, the CL might well be more important than the world cup, because it's more personal, but the world cup is by far the bigger event. The truth is that in countries where club > country, that only really applies for fans' own club matches, or matches having a direct bearing on their club.