Is international soccer the worst?

With the Women’s World Cup, Gold Cup, the Copa American Africa Cup of Nations and the U20 World Cup, we’ve been absolutely spoiled for international soccer this summer. And for many, the international game is the very pinnacle: a chance to root for your nation on the biggest stage. But what if I told you that international soccer is actually… the worst? Because the truth is, it pales in comparison to club soccer.

It’s clear that the domestic club game is way bigger than the international game—there’s a lot more money involved, and the standard of play in the Champions League is significantly higher than in the World Cup. This is because the players in Champions League teams play together every day—they know their roles and aren’t just thrown together for pointless international breaks and tournaments.

And club teams are just plain better than international ones: top sides are assembled with the very finest players from around the world—not limited by the country they happened to be born in. Just ask Leo Messi what he thinks about this? He’s already quite playing international soccer once and clearly doesn’t enjoy his time in blue and white stripes.

And often, the international game is a distraction. Do the world’s best players and teams really want their momentum interrupted by constant international friendly breaks during the season? Do Brazil’s players really want to regularly head off to Qatar or South Korea or wherever their federation sends then for a money spinner?

Wouldn’t the Premier League and other top leagues be improved if the players actually had a chance to recuperate during the summer? And let’s not forget that international soccer is the lifeblood of FIFA. If we stopped playing the international game, all their cash reserves and rampant corruption would disappear!

The game would have less international bodies like FIFA and UEFA trying to milk their products, and there would be less politics, less ethically challenging tournament locations, and less jingoism. The club game is the heart and soul of the sport. It’s what we spend the most time watching, it’s what we all have the most connection with all year round, and it’s what pays the salaries of the best players.

In the US, wouldn’t it be better to focus on the domestic product than underwhelming friendlies and frustrating CONCACAF qualifiers? And wouldn’t it be better if the time and money spent on the awesome USWNT was instead poured into growing the professional domestic game?

I get it: the idea of international soccer being the worst is a tough sell after this kind of summer, and I know it serves as a great way to increase awareness of the game.
But in most countries, there’s more than enough awareness of the world’s most popular sport! Let’s face it: Club soccer beats international soccer… every time. What do you think about this one? Let us know and For more on the beautiful game - follow @FCYahoo on your favorite social channels.