What Countries Play Football/Soccer?
AFC
CAF
Concacaf
CONMEBOL
OFC
UEFA
FIFA Membership
- FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) is the international governing body for association football/soccer.
- Countries and territories that do not belong to FIFA are not listed, but it is virtually guaranteed that football/soccer is nonetheless played in those locations in a non-FIFA capacity.
- Data indicate each FIFA member’s corresponding continental confederation (divisions within FIFA). — AFC – Asian Football Confederation — CAF – Confederation of African Football — Concacaf – Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football — CONMEBOL – South American Football Confederation — OFC – Oceania Football Confederation — UEFA – Union of European Football Associations
- United Kingdom: The United Kingdom does not have an overarching FIFA member association. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have separate FIFA member associations, so the United Kingdom itself is left blank.
- The membership list of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is testament to the fact that football/soccer is a global game. FIFA has 211 members, but the United Nations has “only” 193 members and two permanent observers.
- This discrepancy has two main causes. First, countries such as England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern are all part of one country politically (the United Kingdom) but participate individually in FIFA. Secondly, several territories are admitted to participate in FIFA but are not presently eligible to join the United Nations (Palestine, US Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Taiwan [as Chinese Taipei]).
Football (known as soccer in the United States) is a popular sport worldwide and countries like Brazil, England, Mexico, Germany, Italy, among others, take a keen interest. The countries have clinched the FIFA World Cup many times and have the best soccer players worldwide.
Highlighted Countries
Brazil
Ranking second among countries with the highest number of NFL supporters (19.7 million people), Brazil is one country whose love for football is unmatched. The country’s men’s national team is one of the best globally, and most of the best football players hail from here. Brazil has also won the FIFA World Cup many times.
The country’s success in football can be attributed to how it embraces soccer and the constant promotion of the sport. More recently, Brazil’s professional league developed clubs in Brazilian states to nurture talent from the grassroots.
Germany
Having won the FIFA World Cup four times (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) and three European Championships, Germany adds to the many countries where football is played. Its national football team, the Die Mannschaft, represents Germany in the men’s international football. Germany also has many professional and amateur leagues.
England
England is credited with developing most football rules. They were first developed in 1863 in England before becoming the primary set of rules to be followed worldwide. England has more than 40,000 registered clubs and is home to the first oldest professional football club.
Mexico
Mexico is another country with a rich football history dating back to 1896. Mexico has the most successful players, with legends like Napoli’s Hirving Lozano, Atletico Madrid Hector, and Ajax’s Edson Alvarez hailing from here. The country’s professional football team called Liga Football Americano was established in 2016 with nine competing teams.
France
Football is one of the most popular sports in France, having well over 1.8 million players in 18,000 registered clubs. The country has also won several world championships, including the 1998 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 1984 and the 2000 European Championships.
France also has a history of producing record holders. Just Fontaine, who has scored the most goals in the World Cup, and Zinedine Zidan, who has won the FIFA World Player of the year three times, hail from here.
Italy
Italy adds to the many other countries whose love for soccer is unmatched, with more than 4.6 million people playing every year. Its success can be traced back to 1898 when the national soccer association, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) was formed.
So far, Italy has won the World Cup Title four times (2006, 1982, 1938, and 1934), attributed to its high quality of teams (Series A). Series A is a top professional soccer league that consists of Italy’s 20 best teams.
Austria
The country has made a name for itself in football in Europe. It has played against Germany and ranks as the top team on Swarco Raiders in Europe. Austrian teams have dominated international competitions, albeit not clinching stately awards like the FIFA World Championship.
