Soccer may not be the dominant and biggest sport in the US, but it certainly is the biggest in the world. Billions watch some of the biggest leagues and competitions and Europe is seen as one of the homes of soccer.

Pretty much everywhere you go in Europe you’ll find passionate football fans. Even clubs in the third or fourth tiers in the UK sometimes get tens of thousands of people coming to their stadiums to watch the games.

Across Madrid and up to Munich, through to the football-crazed cities of the United Kingdom (pretty much all of them) the sport is a massive part of Europe. Loads of tournaments and vents capture the attention of millions and form the basis of some big gambling scenes, too.

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Soccer Markets

With such a huge number of different people watching the sports, there are loads of statistics gathered, and a big market exists for gambling on soccer in Europe’s top leagues. More stats are available for soccer than arguably any other sports competitions in the world (possibly with American Football and NBA basketball as exceptions to this).

This means that there are both team and individual markets and lots of ways people can potentially bet. Sports betting markets at Thunderpick show how much coverage there is of these different events across European leagues – the Premier League is the most-viewed domestic league in Europe and there are so many ways people can explore gambling markets and options.

Gambling is growing and changing with technology too, and there are lots of global events where forward-thinking brands are able to showcase new developments and ways to bet on sports and esports.

The European Leagues and Competitions

Football fans (soccer fans) refer to the big five European tournaments: the English Premier League (EPL), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), the Bundesliga (Germany), and Ligue 1 (France). Each of these leagues boasts its own history of course, and the top teams come together to compete.

The English Premier League (EPL) is probably the most popular and widely watched league globally with iconic clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and loads more – all with a lot of money and huge stadiums, and the Premier League is broadcast in pretty much every corner of the globe, companies paying billions for the TV rights.

The UK was the original home of football, but La Liga, Spain’s premier league, is synonymous with technical skill and has become really well-known. Over the years, it’s been dominated by giants such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona who also take each other on in El Clásico. The clash between these two clubs is one of the most watched and anticipated fixtures in the soccer calendar plus plenty of other Spanish clubs have followings of hundreds of thousands.

Serie A is the league played in Italy and is renowned for its tactical depth and some huge clubs like Juventus and the Milan clubs, where the rivalries can be pretty intense!

Germany’s top league is named the Bundesliga and this is another country that is celebrated for its fan culture – German people love football! There’s a reputation in recent years for developing young talent in the Bundesliga plus teams playing a fast-paced, attacking style of football, the Bundesliga is home to clubs like Bayern Munich who have huge histories and are known all over the world.

Ligue 1 in France is seen by many as a place of emerging talent, and hasn’t been as large as the Premier League over the years – but it has grown significantly in stature. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) (with some huge investment) has dominated the league in recent years, bringing in superstar players and competing at the highest levels in European competitions. Ligue 1 is also known for its top youth academies, producing world-class talent (one of the reasons why the France National Team is always a threat).

All of these leagues have betting markets that vary greatly, but they are all so closely monitored that people can bet on things like shots on target, fouls, and way more.

European Competition

UEFA’s Champions League is the pinnacle of club soccer in Europe and has group stages followed by knockout rounds, which means high-stakes matches and amazing footballing moments. The Champions League final is one of the most watched sporting events.

There is also a Europa League, and a Conference League, secondary to the Champions League, but both offer their own brand of excitement. Featuring clubs that haven’t qualified for the Champions League, the Europa League provides a platform for emerging teams and offers the winner a spot in the next season’s Champions League.

Conclusion

Markets are likely to continue to grow as the coverage of sports does, and statistics companies have more intelligence at their disposal. It is amazing how fast stats on soccer are gathered and how these can inform markets on pretty much every game, whether a bettor is in Europe or elsewhere in the world.