The Short Answer: Your teams play in up to three types of competitions — their domestic league, their country's cup, and European tournaments. All matches count. Different competitions award different points.
Why This Matters
Fantasy Fútbol is the only fantasy soccer game that counts every match your teams play.
Traditional fantasy games only track league matches. We track everything:
- Saturday league game? Counts.
- Midweek Champions League night? Counts.
- FA Cup third round against a lower-league side? Counts.
A team competing on multiple fronts has more chances to score points — but also more chances to slip up.
The Three Competition Types
| Competition Type | Examples | Win Points | Draw Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic League | Premier League, La Liga, Serie A | +3 | +1 |
| Domestic Cup | FA Cup, Copa del Rey, DFB-Pokal | +4 | +2 |
| European Tournament | Champions League, Europa League | +5 | +2 |
Goal differential (+1 per goal scored, -1 per goal conceded) applies to all competition types equally.
1. Domestic Leagues
What They Are
The bread and butter of European football. Every team plays every other team twice — once home, once away — over the course of the season.
The Big 5 Leagues
| League | Country | Teams | Matches Per Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | England 🏴 | 20 | 38 |
| La Liga | Spain 🇪🇸 | 20 | 38 |
| Bundesliga | Germany 🇩🇪 | 18 | 34 |
| Serie A | Italy 🇮🇹 | 20 | 38 |
| Ligue 1 | France 🇫🇷 | 20 | 38 |
Points
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | +3 |
| Draw | +1 |
| Loss | 0 |
Strategic Notes
- Every team plays in a league. This is the baseline — all 98 draftable teams have league matches.
- Fixture difficulty varies wildly. December might have your team facing three top-6 sides; January might be easy opponents.
- The differentiator is what else they're competing in.
2. Domestic Cups
What They Are
Knockout tournaments within each country. Lose and you're out. Win and you advance.
The Big 5 Cups
| Cup | Country |
|---|---|
| FA Cup | England 🏴 |
| EFL Cup (Carabao Cup) | England 🏴 |
| Copa del Rey | Spain 🇪🇸 |
| DFB-Pokal | Germany 🇩🇪 |
| Coppa Italia | Italy 🇮🇹 |
| Coupe de France | France 🇫🇷 |
Note: England has two domestic cups (FA Cup and EFL Cup). The other countries have one primary cup competition.
Schedule
- Early rounds: September – January
- Quarterfinals: January – February
- Semifinals: February – April
- Final: May
Points
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | +4 |
| Draw | +2 |
| Loss | 0 |
Strategic Notes
- Knockout = volatility. Your team might play 6 cup matches (final run) or just 1 (early exit).
- Cup draws matter. Getting drawn against a lower-league side is a gift. A top-6 opponent in the third round is a nightmare.
- England is cup-heavy. Teams in both the FA Cup and EFL Cup have more opportunities.
3. European Tournaments
What They Are
The pinnacle of club football. Teams from across Europe compete in continental competitions organized by UEFA.
The Three European Competitions
| Tournament | Prestige | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Top finishers from each league |
| UEFA Europa League | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Next tier + cup winners + CL dropouts |
| UEFA Conference League | ⭐⭐⭐ | Lower qualifiers + EL dropouts |
Current Format (2024-25 onwards)
League Phase (September – January):
- 36 teams in each competition
- Each team plays 8 matches against 8 different opponents
- Top 8 advance directly to Round of 16; teams 9-24 play a playoff round; teams 25-36 eliminated
Knockout Phase (February – May):
- Single-elimination bracket (two-legged ties until the final)
- Final is a single match at a neutral venue
Schedule
| Phase | Timing |
|---|---|
| League Phase (Matchdays 1-8) | September – January |
| Knockout Playoffs | February |
| Round of 16 | February – March |
| Quarterfinals | April |
| Semifinals | April – May |
| Final | Late May / Early June |
Points
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | +5 |
| Draw | +2 |
| Loss | 0 |
Strategic Notes
- European teams are premium assets. Those +5 win bonuses add up fast.
- Deep runs are goldmines. A team reaching the Champions League final plays 15+ European matches.
- Know who's in what. Before your draft, know which teams qualified for which European competition. This is critical information.
The European Advantage (With Math)
Team A: Brighton (No Europe) — hypothetical December
- 6 Premier League + 1 FA Cup
- If they win everything: 6×+3 + 1×+4 = +22 match result points
Team B: Arsenal (Champions League) — same December
- 5 Premier League + 2 Champions League + 1 FA Cup
- If they win everything: 5×+3 + 2×+5 + 1×+4 = +29 match result points
Even with one fewer league match, Arsenal's European football is worth +7 more points in pure win bonuses. This is why European teams are drafted early.
Extra Time and Penalties
Cup matches (domestic and European knockouts) can go beyond 90 minutes.
Goal Differential:
- Goals in extra time count
- Penalty shootout goals do not count
Match Result:
- The team that advances gets the win bonus
- The team eliminated gets the loss (0 points)
Example: FA Cup match goes to penalties
Manchester United 2-2 Liverpool (after ET). Liverpool wins 5-4 on penalties.
- Liverpool GD: +2 scored, -2 conceded = 0
- Liverpool MRP: Cup win = +4
- Liverpool total: +4
Competition Calendar
| Month | What's Happening |
|---|---|
| August | Leagues begin, European qualifiers |
| September | Full league schedule, European league phase begins |
| October – November | League + Europe continues |
| December | Fixture congestion peak, cup rounds advance |
| January | League + Europe league phase concludes, cup quarterfinals |
| February | European knockouts begin |
| March – April | League run-in, European quarterfinals/semifinals, cup semifinals |
| May | League finales, domestic cup finals, European finals |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do friendlies or preseason matches count?
No. Only official competitive matches: domestic leagues, domestic cups, and UEFA European tournaments.
Do two-legged ties count as two matches?
Yes. Each leg is scored independently.
Is Conference League worth targeting?
Yes, but with caveats. Conference League teams get the same +5 for a win as Champions League teams, but the teams in Conference League are generally weaker domestically. Still valuable compared to no European football.
What if a team drops from Champions League to Europa League?
The new format (2024-25 onwards) eliminates dropping down. Teams finishing 25th-36th in the CL league phase are eliminated entirely.
See Also
- How Points Are Scored — Full breakdown of goal differential and match result points
- Starting 5 vs. Bench — Using competition schedules to set your monthly lineup
- The Draft Explained — Why European teams go early
- Understanding the Tables — How competition performance shows up in standings