Latin Cup
A forerunner of the European Cup, the Latin Cup brought together champions from Southwest Europe.
The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. It began in 1949 and was last played in 1957. The competition is considered a predecessor of the European Cup.
Quick Facts
- Era active
- 1950s
- Status
- Defunct
- Key figures
- László Kubala, Josep Escolà
- Home venue
- Estadi Les Corts
Lore & Background
The tournament was usually played between the league champions of each participating country. The first edition was opened on 20 June 1949, with the Sporting CP vs Torino at Chamartín Stadium of Madrid. Barcelona would be the first champion of the tournament after beating Sporting 2–1 at the final. The competition was based on cycles of 4 years, with points awarded to federations based on finishing positions.
Reader's Guide
The competition featured two semi-finals, a third-place play-off, and a final. It was staged at the end of every season in a single host country. The champion of each edition achieved 4 points for its federation, with 3, 2, and 1 points for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places respectively. The federation with the most points over four years received a trophy.
Did You Know?
- The Latin Cup was not created nor organized by FIFA, though FIFA granted approval for it to be played under international football guidelines.
- The competition is acknowledged by UEFA as a historical precursor to the European Cup, but is not a UEFA-sanctioned competition.
- Real Madrid played and won both the European Cup and the Latin Cup in 1957.
- No Latin Cup was held in 1954 due to a fixture clash with the FIFA World Cup.
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