How Competitions Work
How leagues, cups and tournaments are organised, from promotion and relegation to the World Cup.
3 explainers, in reading order
How the Champions League works
Understand the 36-team league phase used since 2024/25, how clubs reach the knockout rounds, and how coefficients decide seeding and the number of places each country gets.
Promotion and relegation, explained
See how league pyramids move clubs up and down each season, how Spain, England and Germany do it differently, and how a closed league such as MLS compares.
World Cup formats, explained
Understand how the 48-team World Cup works since 2026, how the 32-team Club World Cup works since 2025, and how the 2030 World Cup is shared across three continents.