Ever wonder which cities around the globe are the most consumed with the game? Well, one way of telling is by counting how many important clubs are located within it. From top clubs to semi-pro lower division sides we counted them all. It was a bit tough to figure out, because in some countries the lower divisions are still considered competitive while in others, the 2nd division might not as well exist. And lets not even bring promotion/relegation into the equation. So while we tried our hardest to try and come up with absolute formula, it was better if we combined some of the facts (# of clubs) with some opinion (importance of league) to help determine which cities rise above others. We then limited to 1 city per confederation as the clear winner along with some honorable mentions.
Take a look and let us know what you think.
CAF - CAIRO, EGYPT
Cairo boasts 8 teams that play in the Egyptian Premier League. Including powerhouses like Al Ahly SC and Zamalek SC who are the only two teams to have won the league championship in the last 14 years. And although Cairo has plenty historical things to see and do, you'd be very pleased to know you can get away for a quick football match if you're all "Egypted-Out".
MAIN CLUBS: Al Ahly SC, Zamalek SC, El Dakhleya SC, Tala'ea El-Gaish SC, Wadi Degla SC
CAN'T MISS: Clasico El-Arab or the Cairo Derby between Al Ahly SC and Zamalek SC is always a heated event and its the most important game of the season.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Feb - May is the best time to visit as the season is starting to wind down and the fight for positions are starting to happen. Although it's a high probability that Al Ahly or Zamalek have already ran away with it.
HONORABLE MENTION: Cape Town, South Africa
AFC - DOHA, QATAR
While there are many other better footballing powers in Asia, Doha, Qatar house 7 of the 14 teams in the Qatar Star League. Including former Barcelona star Xavi's team, Al-Sadd SC who have won the championship 13 times. The country itself is not that big so chances are you can pretty much reach any other club in the nation from here within a couple of hours.
MAIN CLUBS: Al Ahli SC, Al-Arabi SC, Al-Sadd SC, Lekhwiya SC, Qatar SC
CAN'T MISS: Go see Xavi while he's still at Al-Sadd
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime its not 10000 degrees.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tokyo, Japan
CONCACAF - MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
This region doesn't boast many cities with a high concentration of football clubs. Except maybe some of the smaller island nations in the Caribbean. But the closest thing that came to mind is Mexico City. Not only is it one of the biggest cities in the world but it also has 3 of the arguably most important clubs in all of the Americas. Club América, Cruz Azul and Pumas UNAM. It's also the home of the Mexican National team, making it that much more important.
MAIN CLUBS: Club America, Cruz Azul, Pumas UNAM
CAN'T MISS: El Clasico Joven between Club America and Cruz Azul
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime there's a big Clasico Joven or Mexican National team game is best. But the best weather is in Winter/Spring.
HONORABLE MENTION: New York City. It includes 2 MLS clubs and about 3 minor league clubs for you to chose from. Not only that the amount of immigrants in this place means you can always find place to watch football from all over the globe.
OFC - AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Theres not much to choose from in this confederation but Auckland is probably the most soccer dense city that matters. Auckland City and nearby Waitakere United are the main attraction here along with tons of other amateur clubs for you to join in..
MAIN CLUBS: Auckland City FC, Eastern Suburbs AFC, Waitakere United
CAN'T MISS: The Auckland Derby between Auckland FC and Waitakere United.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Early in the season in October or late in the season in March
HONORABLE MENTION: Wellington, New Zealand
CONMEBOL - BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
This is probably the most football dense city on the globe. They have at least, 18 major clubs that are constantly in the top flight that are located in and around the city. If you go down to the smaller clubs you can easily surpass 30+ clubs. You can literally hit a different stadium every weekend for 6 months and not repeat them. But the crown jewel of them all is the legendary Estadio Alberto J. Armando aka. La Bombonera. Coming to see a game here is like no other place in the world, especially on derby days. Definitely a must see.
MAIN CLUBS: Boca Juniors, River Plate, Velez Sarsfield, San Lorenzo
CAN'T MISS: El Clasico between Boca Juniors and River Plate. If you can, go see it at La Bombonera if possible. The tickets are tough to come by and only sold to club members which means you'd have to go to the secondary market. Most hotels "know a guy who knows a guy" and are pretty safe, although you'll pay a bit more for them. But well worth the piece of mind.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Mar-May is the best time. The weather is still pleasant and the city is coming back alive after the summer heat escape, so they'll be loads to do.
HONORABLE MENTION: Montevideo, Uruguay has just as many clubs as Buenos Aires, but their league is not as good in quality. The bright side is that if you're in Buenos Aires you can hop on over to Montevideo in less than an hour and take in the best of both.
UEFA - LONDON, ENGLAND
The birthplace of modern football is also one of the greatest football cities in the world. London has 12 major clubs and dozens of smaller ones to choose from. And these clubs just happen to be some of the world biggest such as Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea FC. You can literally catch a game almost every day of the week if you time it right. And if you're really lucky a Champions League, Europa League, EPL, and FA Cup match could be taking place in the same week. it doesn't get any more important than that!
MAIN CLUBS: Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea FC, Fulham FC, West Ham United
CAN'T MISS: So many things to choose from, but the North London Derby(Arsenal vs Tottenham) will probably get the nod here.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Feb-Mar. This is when all the big games are happening and chances are one of the London teams in in deep in the tournament or fighting for the EPL crown.
HONORABLE MENTION: Stockholm, Sweden
So what do you think? Is there a city you would consider over these? Let us know on twitter, facebook, and instagram.