Top 30 Leagues in World Football (2025)

There are a lot of different factors as to what makes a good footballing league. Is it the competition that makes the most money? Is it the most competitive division? Is it the one with the best players or the one that is more inclined to make a splash in continental tournaments? With so many different variables at play, it is almost impossible to give a definitive answer as to who deserves to be number one.

The key word there is almost, as the experts at Opta have managed to do just that. Using their unique Power Rankings formula, the analysts have been able to whittle all the leagues in the world down to the top 30. They make their calculations by taking the average power ranking for every team in the respective division, which helps inform them about the relative strength of the competition.

Obviously, there are some divisions not strong enough to make the cut – and that includes League One, ranked 37th and ahead of the 39th-placed Scottish Premiership. That recent debate, fuelled by Jamie O’Hara, has dominated the Scottish football landscape.

Because Opta’s Power Rankings are based on averages, that sees several leagues fall out of the top 20, but the most shocking is the money-filled Saudi Pro League, who are behind even some of Europe’s top second-tier competitions. But, from the Premier League to Liga MX, what about the rest?

Top League image gallery

20

Spanish Segunda Division

Perhaps not one of the first leagues that comes to mind when thinking of top-tier competitions, but there are some fairly recognisable teams in the Spanish Segunda Division – including the likes of Deportivo, Las Palmas and Cadiz. Real Sociedad B, too, reside in Spain’s secondary division, which was founded in 1929 alongside the First Division, later named La Liga.

Real Murcia – who now ply their trade in the third tier of Spanish football – are the record winners of the competition with eight titles and, as things stand, it is Levante who are the current reigning champions. Yeremay Hernandez, Mika Marmol and Sergio Arrbias are among the league’s most important players at the moment.

19

Swiss Super League

There have only been three winners of the Swiss Super League since its formation in 2003. The dominant side have been reigning champions, FC Basel. The Swiss giants, who won eight consecutive titles from 2010-2017, have won the title in 12 of the 22 seasons so far. Ex-Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri joined the club in 2024 and has been integral to their success ever since.

The only two other Super League winners have been Young Boys and Zurich. The former have won the title on six occasions, while the latter have won it three times, with their last triumph coming in 2009.

18

Japanese J1 League

You might look at the Japanese J1 League and think it’s a little high on the list because, aside from Vissel Kobe, there aren’t that many teams recognisable outside of Japan. The defending champions’ reputation was certainly helped by Andres Iniesta’s stint there, but the fascinating thing with the J1 is that there aren’t too many dominant teams.

Sure, there have been examples of back-to-back champions, but never has there been a team to win five on the bounce or anything close to that. It’s even evident when you look at the fact that Kobe, despite aiming to secure a three-peat, are currently in third in the table — seven points off the lead.

17

German Bundesliga Zwei

Just making it into the top 20 is the German Bundesliga Zwei, the second tier of German football. The biggest team currently competing in the division is undoubtedly Schalke 04. Die Königsblauen, who have been crowned champions of Germany on eight occasions, were relegated to the second tier in 2023 following financial difficulties.

The likes of Hannover 96 and Hertha Berlin also find themselves in the division, having spent much of the 21st century in the well-documented top tier of German football. None other than FC Köln hold the record for number of championships with five. Arminia Bielefeld hold the record for number of promotions from the 2. Bundesliga to the Bundesliga, with eight.

16

Croatia Prva HNL

There is no doubt who the top dog in the Croatia Prva HNL is right now, and that has largely been the case from when the league first came to be. There have only ever been four champions across the 37 seasons of this competition’s existence, and it’s Dinamo Zagreb who have come out on top the most with 25 titles to their name.

In fact, since 2005, only twice have Zagreb not come away with the silverware, with last season being one of those as HNK Rijeka secured their second ever title. The only other team to have any sort of dominant period was HNK Hajduk Split, who were the early force in the 1990s.

15

Dutch Eredivisie

The Eredivisie can be found all the way down in 15th, which only emphasises its unfortunate fall from grace. The division is dominated by the big three of Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, who have never been relegated from the Eredivisie since its formation in 1956.

Once the home of teams that used to dominate European football, such as Ajax in the 1980s, the league has dramatically declined in recent years. This is particularly heartbreaking for football historians, as the financial riches elsewhere make a return to the very top of the game unlikely for Dutch sides in the foreseeable future.

14

Turkish Super Lig

Games between any of Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas all make for great spectacles, with all three sides based in the capital of Istanbul. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the clubs in the capital city have dominated the division, which is now over 60 years old.

Six different teams have won the Turkish Super Lig, though Besiktas have lifted the trophy 16 times. This is three fewer than the 19 triumphs from Fenerbahce, which itself is six behind the 25 league titles that Galatasaray have won over the years. Galatasaray have won the title in the past three seasons and are poised to extend that streak to four.

13

Polish Ekstraklasa

The Polish Ekstraklasa has climbed up these rankings in recent times. In the same rankings at the start of last season, the home of sides such as Lech Poznan and Legia Warszaw, were as far back as 30th, but has shot up the table as a result of their improved calibre.

Legia Warsaw are the most successful club in the league’s history, with all but four of the 15 titles coming from the 1990s onwards. Behind them, both Gornik Zabrze and Ruch Chorzow have 14 trophies to their name, though neither have won the league since the late 80s. Wisla Krakow are the only other team to have won the league more than 10 times, with the latest of their 11 titles coming in 2011, but the current champions Lech Poznan are close to that feat as they sit on nine.

12

Danish Superligaen

The highest tier of Danish football, the Superligaen is known simply as the Superliga in English and is made up of 12 teams, having been founded in 1991 to replace the pre-existing Danish top flight. The current format played by the league has been active since the mid-1990s, with the top six entering a championship play-off at the regular season’s conclusion and the bottom six battling to avoid the two relegation places.

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Copenhagen have dominated the Superliga since its formation, having lifted the title 16 times, with only one of those coming before the turn of the millennium. Peter Schmeichel’s former employer Brondby have won seven league titles, ending a near 15-year drought in 2021, while both AaB and Midtjylland have lifted the trophy four times each, though the former of the two was relegated to the second tier last time out.

11

Liga Profesional Argentina

Ranked ahead of the Danish Superligaen by just 0.2 power ranking points is the Liga Profesional, the home of top flight football in Argentina. The division has a rich history, stretching over 100 years since its founding in the 1890s. 30 teams compete in the league, with some of the most famous including River Plate, Newell’s Old Boys, Racing Club and of course, Boca Juniors.

River Plate have been the most successful side in the division to date, having won 38 league titles between 1920 and 2023. Just behind them, with 35 trophies, are Boca Juniors, with a massive 17-trophy deficit between themselves and Racing Club in third.