As I sat at my computer last night, I began to think about the two biggest sporting events in the world—the UEFA Champions League Final and the Super Bowl.
Both events are bestowed in history, producing some the finest winners of all time. So, seen as I'm more knowledgeable in football (sorry America, soccer), I'll begin with the UEFA Champions League Final.
This year's final pitted Manchester United and Chelsea against each other, enthroning the winner would be the best team in Europe. The match was watched by approximately 1.5 billion people in over 200 countries. The clubs play for the European Cup, one of the most prestigious trophies in history.
The prize money is typically around £6 million, but the actual amount that the winners can expect from things like TV and merchandising deals is around £85 million.
The match is played under normal football rules—but with this being a final, extra time can be played if the scores are level at the end of the regular 90 minutes. If the scores are still level after 30 minutes of extra time, then the tie will be decided by a penalty shootout.
The winning club is often recognised as the best in Europe, and goes forward to the FIFA World Club Cup. In that cup, they try to beocme the best in the world.
So, now we look at the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is synonymous with the people of America. It is often considered to be an honorary public holiday. That's big.
The Super Bowl was first played on January 15, 1967, as part of an agreement between the NFL and its younger rival, the American Football League (AFL) in which each league's championship team would play each other in an "AFL-NFL World Championship Game".
After the leagues merged in 1970, the Super Bowl became the NFL's championship game, played between the champions of the league's two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).
The Super Bowl is watched by a global audience of over 100 million people, the majority of which are in the United States. The players compete for the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which to many, is the greatest prize in world sport.
Amazingly, the match typically lasts around four hours. That's unbelievable. The winning are obviously the Champions of the United States, but are often called the Champions of the World, even though they only play teams from, and in, North America.
According to my sources, the prize money is typically around $4 million, but revenue can approach $110 million for the winners.
So, which is the biggest and best? Well, the UEFA Champions League Final wins on the global audience, prize money, and the sheer scale of the victory. However, the Super Bowl wins on the value of the trophy, the Vince Lombardi, considered by many to be the most prestigious trophy ever. It also wins on match length.
So, who is the winner? Well, by a score of 3-2, I pick the UEFA Champions League Final. The reason? Heartbreak. You look at the picture of John Terry from Wednesday, devastated after missing a penalty that would have won the final for Chelsea.
Now I'm not too experienced in the Super Bowl, but I've never seen that emotion for a losing player in that final. For that reason, among other things, it's gets the nod from me.
What do you think? This will probably strike a heated debate from both sides of the Atlantic, so go on, let the bickering commence.
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4 months ago
Phew....tough one. Obviously as a footy fan, I prefer the Champions League. Its just one of the most exciting competitions in the world and more importantly its filled with drama. You get minnows beating giants, managers being sacked for not winning it, beatuiful football, see the best talents in the world and how they fare against the team you support(if they are lucky enough to compete.) True what you said about Chelsea and John Terry, the emotion in his reaction just summed the night up and how things can go from being a kick away from winning it, to losing it all.
I watch the SuperBowl when possible and though Im not a huge fan of American Football it is enjoyable. The only thing I have a quarrel with is maybe, now this is just my opinion, its probably the most commercialised and 'plastic' events in the world. Its not actually what happens on the field, or the sport, just everything that surrounds it. I mean there is as much talk about who is performing live for the half time show as there is in the teams playing.
from 4 months ago
true. i didn't include the half time show becuase i couldn't be bothered, frankly, but it is mainly commercial. it is rather slow as well, where fotballers get one 15 minutes break, and that's it.
4 months ago
Not trying downplay your article or anything but I always thought the World Cup was the biggest sporting torunament to have ever existed and its Final was the single biggest sporting event EVER...
from 4 months ago
yeah but i mean club teams, not country. i might do something concerning the world cup, might not.
4 months ago
the superbowl is a non event outside the states. the comparison you make irks me. whereas the champions league is followed with interest in all corners of the globe. i can vouch for this living in new zealand an insignificant speck and going down to the pub at 6 am the other morning to watch the game with about fifty other fans. that would never happen here for a superbowl.it frankly does not compare with the F.A. cup, the champions league, the uefa cup, the copa libertadores and so on.
from 4 months ago
i think the point here is the CL and the superbowl are the top prizes in the respective sports, are it is a fair comparison, because i remember the superbowl parties in the uk, 750,000 people across the uk wacthed the superbowl in pubs and clubs, so it is an event outside of the u.s
4 months ago
For me it is the Super Bowl, I've been watching it since I was 6 or 7 and it is might as well be a national holiday. One thing that I think the Super Bowl has over the Champions league is that there is no other competition. What I mean by that is I constantly read threads talking about what is more important and prestigious the CL or the league title with the opinions usually at 50-50. The Super Bowl is it, it is the one and only trophy when it comes to the NFL.
As far as the commercials within the game yah it sucks and interrupts the flow but that how it is for sports tv here. We have all our games played on free tv instead of on channels that require a subscription so commercials are needed to generate the revenues for the network and league.
from 4 months ago
good point. superbowl is the only chance for major glory, whereas we have 3, if not 4 chances of major golry in the uk. commercials are needed for revenue, but the sheer amount can probably spoil it a wee bit.
i almost chose the superbowl personally because of the fact that it might aswell be a national holiday. i mean it's second to thanksgiving in food consumption. that's big.
4 months ago
One of the things about English football is that there are 'many ways to win.' Any team would be satisfied with their season if they won the Premiership... OR if they won the Champions League... OR if they won the FA Cup. And everyone in England would be happy if they won the World Cup... OR if they won the Euro Cup (in '12).
My point is simply that the Super Bowl is the one and only chance for an American Football fan to have a memorable season. Sure, I wish that there was an international competition for the sport. That would be amazing. Oh well.
from 4 months ago
hey bryan, that's a good point there. I think the amount of competitions in england can split the superbowl and the champions league that way. international superbowl, that would be cool.
4 months ago
I have to agree with Illya - The superbowl is not even known to many outside of the United States of America.. I'm pretty sure that most people in India don't even know which sport it is associated with and many know what the Champions League is all about here. So, in my opinion it is not even a comparison.
from 4 months ago
i think the fact that the nfl managed to have a game at wembley last year proves that plenty of people have an interest in the nfl.
from 4 months ago
You're referring to one game played outside the USA.. apart from the USA and the UK many people will not bother about the Superbowl.. and that's what many people have said.. so I don't understand how one game can justify its international presence.
4 months ago
UCL obviously,who gives a crap about the Superbowl outside the North America ???
The Americans are used to over hyping all their sports and this is no different.
from 4 months ago
plenty of people do kiran, me being one of em, why the hell would i bother if no-one cared. we get about 900,000 people watching the superbowl in the uk, compared to 200,000 for a normal nfl game, so yes kiran, people do care about it.
4 months ago
Yeah, i agree with most of the comments on here, outside of the USA no one cares about the superbowl, plus you can hardly count 4 hours of mind numbing bordom as a plus point for the superbowl, because its mostly adverts!!
I think that the prize money, match length and importance of the trophy arent really as major factors as the sheer scale of the champions league, with so many teams from so many countries taking part, and millions of people watching (billions for the final) theres nothing that can rival it in terms of a club sporting event.
Btw, well done on a balanced and well thought out article.
from 4 months ago
i did put the superbowl down a bit for the amount of adverts, i mean come on, yes gilette are the best a man can get, but i don't need to be told 40 times!
thanks for the compliment.
4 months ago
From an objective perspective of someone who follow American Football and Football/Soccer:
If you're not really into sports, the Super Bowl hands down. Super Bowl isn't all about the game. It's all about the memorable commercials (In the US, the most expensive ads are sold during the Super Bowl), the half time show, the house parties etc. The Super Bowl is more of an experience than anything else.
If you're more of a sports fan, the Champions League. Unlike the Super Bowl, supporters for the final are the ones who show up to the game. With the notable exception of Super Bowl 42, the Super Bowl usually has all the corporate suits who flock to the game. More focus on the game itself.
from 4 months ago
it's a split decision for most, but i see your point. anyone can watch the superbowl, even if they have to ask why it stops every 4 seconds lol. you have to be into footy to watch it for me.
2 months ago
I think the Superbowl is the most prestgious. Everyone seems over concerened with the advertising that happens throughout the game, but it's not as if the UCL doesn't ram it down your throats too...and subliminally, which is probably worse!!! I mean, you don't see advertising hoardings at any NFL game, and the teams believe their shirts to be of far more value than to emblazon them with sponsers logos.
2 months ago
Comparing Football to gridiron...mismatch
Football Champions League final gets over 420 million viewers. gridiron "super"bowl gets just 98 million
Football is global as the worlds no.1 sport....gridiron is ONLY played by yanks and they only do so because they invented it...pretty damn sad. No-one knows any gridiron teams, players, rules as its low-profile and never gets any news coverage. Test of popularity is a gridiron league and nfl Europe folded and no-one even noticed, no-ones interested. gridiron has too many flaws for it to be accepted outside US...and as i say only americans do because they invented it. gridiron is a 4 hour stop start snorefest, it takes players an eternity to get from one end of the field to the other, they then have the ENTIRE width of the field to score...and get multiple attempts to do so. How retarded. The players wear girly body armour and a helmet...only girls wear body pads. Only 98 million watch gridiron "super"bowl and many of them only do so to watch commercials..when gridiron starts they switch channel...so actual viewing figure is alot lower.
To state the obvious...Football wins.
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