The European season is officially underway, and between this weekend and next, the biggest European leagues will come back, and after a massive World Cup summer, plenty of people want to figure out how to keep the soccer party going and what teams to support around the world. From an accessibility standpoint, they can be some of the easier sides to keep an eye on in the global game, while also having names that you may recognize while getting into soccer. Also, just because it’s a big team doesn’t mean that there isn’t some chaos and good stories to get into. So let’s take a look at why some of the biggest teams in the world may be worth rooting for.
Paramount+ is your home for Europe’s best soccer all season long. From the Champions League to the EFL Championship, Serie A to Europa League, Paramount+ has all the biggest names, biggest games, and biggest moments. And for 24/7 coverage of all the action, don’t miss CBS Sports Golazo Network, which is with you every step of the way.
England
- Root for Arsenal if: You enjoy a front-runner and defensive soccer. England’s defending champions have exciting players like Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis, but this is a team built on defense.
- Root for Manchester City if: The “Erling Haaland song” is still stuck in your head. It was the World Cup of the Norwegian, and he will score plenty of goals playing for the club this season.
- Root for Aston Villa if: You enjoy marching to the beat of your own drum. You kind of blinked, and Villa were in the Champions League, and this season, without Morgan Rogers, it will be tough to replicate their success, but that’s why we play the games, and Unai Emery is a great manager.
- Root for Liverpool if: You like LeBron James or the Boston Red Sox, since one of Liverpool’s ownership groups, RedBird Capital (which is also involved in AC Milan and Toulouse), has LeBron James’ involvement, while the other group involved, Fenway Sports Group, owns the Red Sox. And they may be in for a bounce-back season.
- Root for Tottenham if: Chaos is your thing. Tottenham were almost relegated in consecutive seasons, and now they’re back to pushing for European soccer, but after not signing a single attacker so far this summer, a lot of pressure is on Roberto De Zerbi’s management.
- Root for Chelsea if: You think Xabi Alonso was unfairly sacked by Real Madrid and you enjoy chippy chips. All faith in the Blues is tied to a combination of backing their manager and ensuring that their french fries-loving midfielder, Cole Palmer, can get back to the top of his own game.
- Root for Manchester United if: History matters. In the Premier League era, no team has more Premier League titles than Manchester United, and under Michael Carrick, the Red Devils are looking to get back to their glory days.
Predicting the full Premier League table: Arsenal on top as new Man City era begins without Pep Guardiola
James Benge
Italy
- Root for Juventus or Milan if: Country Roads and the United States men’s national team gave you the soccer bug during the World Cup. Weston McKennie, and Christian Pulisic can be seen on Paramount+ all season long.
- Root for Napoli if: You’re a fan of glow-ups. Every player who heads to Napoli starts moving differently as they set foot in one of Europe’s most unlikely recent success stories, and the soccer isn’t half bad either.
- Root for Inter if: You like teams that do more with less. This isn’t a big spending club, but Inter have been able to compete with Europe’s best at a fraction of the budget.
Five World Cup talents to watch in Serie A: England’s Djed Spence, Christian Pulisic’s new teammate and more
Francesco Porzio
Germany
- Root for Bayern Munich if: You like machines. Bayern are going to show up, score plenty of goals with trademark German efficiency, in no small part thanks to England’s star striker, Harry Kane, and they’ll be among the contenders for a Champions League title under Vincent Kompany.
- Root for Borussia Dortmund if: You want to see the stars of tomorrow, today. From Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus to Alexander Isak, Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland, plenty of stars have made a stop in the Black and Yellow. They even have another Bellingham in Jobe, if you still have a Jude jersey, alongside a young American winger, Mathis Albert.
France
- Root for Paris Saint-Germain if: You believe in the merits of the Ewing theory that a team plays better after losing their superstar. Life after Kylian Mbappe has been great for PSG, who will now chase their third consecutive Champions League title while also being one of the most fun teams in the world.
- Root for Marseille if: You enjoy France but hate PSG, their historic rivals are also an option.
Spain
- Root for Barcelona if: Spain’s World Cup win entranced you. Now with Rodri, formerly of Manchester City, in the mix, the core of the Spanish national team will suit up for Barcelona as the defending LaLiga champions look to win the Champions League for the first time since 2015.
- Root for Real Madrid if: You want chaos of a higher order. The Jose Mourinho experience has a little bit of everything and always has the chance of an explosion in his press conferences. Add in excellent players such as Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, and it’ll be quite a time as Real tries to get back to the top of LaLiga.
- Root for Atletico Madrid if: You enjoy physical soccer. Diego Simeone is a master of the dark arts, and it rubs off on his teams, making Atleti underdogs who can still make things happen in the league.
- Root for Villarreal if: The Yellow Submarine entrances you. Not only does the club have one of the best nicknames in soccer, but it also has ex-Green Bay Packer wide receiver Antonio Freeman’s son, Alex Freeman, a right back for all the NFL and USMNT fans out there to keep an eye on.
