These three international and one local football leagues should be on your viewing list.
Football’s popularity among Filipinos is growing, with roughly 40 million fans of the sport. This is likely due to the success of the Filipinas and the Azkals in international competition, as well as grassroots initiatives to boost the sport’s popularity.
If you’re a new fan, you may be familiar with professional football teams like Manchester United, FC Barcelona, and Bayern Munich. What you might not know are the leagues these teams belong to. Here are three of the world’s most popular football leagues, plus a homegrown one:
The English Premier League–the oldest and most popular
The world’s most popular football league, English Premier League (Premier League), has over 3 billion viewers. Established in 1992, it roots can be traced back in 1888 as a rebrand of the English First Division, making it the oldest football league in the world.
The league’s most popular club is Manchester United, with around 246 million fans. Other popular teams include Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea.
The Premier League’s exclusive carrier in the Philippines is Setanta Sports.
La Liga–the Filipino connection
The Spanish League (officially called La Liga EA Sports or La Liga), was founded in 1929. It is the second oldest and second-most-popular league in the world, with over 600 million viewers.
The league’s biggest club is Real Madrid, the most successful team in European football history, and the world’s most valuable football club. However, the club with the strongest Filipino connection is FC Barcelona, where Filipino Spanish footballer Paulino Alcántara played in 1912. Alcántara later became Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorer until Lionel Messi broke his record in 2014.
Other popular La Liga teams include Atlético Madrid, Sevilla FC, and Athletic Club. La Liga matches can be watched on the beIN Sports channels of Cignal TV.
Bundesliga–the league of the fans
The Bundesliga is the third-most-popular football league in the world, with around 450 million viewers. Established in 1963, it is also the youngest league mentioned here.
What makes the Bundesliga unique is its 50+1 ownership rule, which gives club members voting rights and prevents private investors or foreign billionaires from taking full control of clubs. This also helps keep ticket prices relatively affordable, contributing to the league’s consistently high stadium attendance.
The league’s most popular and successful club is Bayern Munich. Other popular teams include Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, and Eintracht Frankfurt. Bundesliga matches can also be watched on the beIN Sports channels of Cignal TV.
Philippines Football League–the local league
The Philippines has its own professional football league: the Philippines Football League, or PFL. Established in 2017, the league adopted the familiar “home” and “away” match format used by leagues worldwide.
The league’s “big two” clubs are Ceres-Negros (later rebranded as United City FC) and Kaya F.C. Since the league’s inception, all championships have been won by either United City or Kaya. Other popular teams include Dynamic Herb Cebu F.C., Stallion Laguna F.C., Manila Digger F.C., and One Taguig F.C.
PFL matches are widely accessible through the league’s YouTube channel, Facebook page, BlastTV, and Pilipinas Live.
Copa Paulino Alcántara–the homegrown cup competition
Aside from league championships, football clubs also compete in domestic cup tournaments such as England’s FA Cup, Spain’s Copa del Rey, and Germany’s DFB-Pokal. The Philippines has its own similar tournament, the Copa Paulino Alcántara.
Named after Paulino Alcántara, the Copa was established during the 2018 PFL season. Like cup competitions in other countries, it is open to non-league teams. Kaya F.C. is the tournament’s most successful club with three titles, followed by United City with two. Matches can be watched on One Sports, Matchday.ph, and the official PFL YouTube and Facebook pages.