Mexico: Clubs Ranked - 1960/61 to 2023/24

The top clubs in Mexico are listed to the right. Points are allocated for both domestic (Mex) and then international tournaments are added to create the 'Tot' figure. 

How are the points earned? For Division 1, the top four are rewarded with 6, 3, 2 and 1. The Cup Mx, it's 4 and two for the finalists.  In the international competitions, 8, 4 and 2 points. For the newly formed Leagues Cup, 6, 3 and 1.  

For the league, since 1996/97, there has been the Apertura or Opening League for Liga Mx. It's also been called the Invierno. The most successful clubs are to the left. Recent winners have been Club León in 2020/21, followed by Atlas FC, CF Pachuca and CF América. 

The Clausura or Closing League has been the one that's been around for all of this period being covered. It also had the name Verano. Since 2020/21 the winners have been Cruz Azul, Atlas FC, Tigres UNAL and CF América. The latter has a comfortable lead over the other clubs.

Mexico played in the South American Copa Libertadores between 1998 and 2016. It also has recently been part of the new League Cup with top MLS side but few games have been played. The main competition of the CONCACAF which started in the 1960's and now expanded to include North and Central America plus the Caribbean. Much success can be seen in the chart to the right.

All put together, the clubs are below. The grand total is shown for each club, divided into regions with a ranking number (Rk) which gives their place compared to all the other clubs. Any suggestions? Please leave a comment. 

Running two league competitions is unusual and it doubles up the league titles that can be won. Amazingly the two titles are not usually won by the same club although CF América did in 2024.

The central region surrounding Mexico City is the most successful with 49.2% of the total. To the west of that region comes next with 25.2%, then east for 20.5%. The south (3.9%) and north (1.1%) have had little impact. 

China: Clubs Ranked - 1987 to 2023

Football has history here but it was in 1987 that a semi professional Jia-A League started. It went fully pro in 1994 and then was named the Super League in 2004.

To the right is a list of the top clubs since 1987. Chn is points awarded in China and Tot when adding Asia. 

Points are earned in the first division league 6,3,2 and 1. The FA Cup 4 and 2 for the finalists. Success in the Asia Club Championship 8,4 and 2. 

The top Super League /  Jia-A League clubs are listed the the left. The points are close as clubs were formed and disbanded so few have a long history to get a lead on the others. 

Recent winners are Jiangsu FC in 2020,  Shandong Taishan 2021, Wuhan Three Towns 2022 and Shanghai Port FC in 2023. 

The FA Cup started in 1995 and wasn't held between 2007 and 2010 so that's 25 times held. Shandong Taishan has been clearly the most successful. It won the cup three times from 2020 to 2022 but lost the final to Shanghai Shenhua in 2023.

The Asia Club Championship has been quite successful for Clubs in China. Between them they have won it three times, twice losing finalists and nine times semi finalists. 

All put together, the clubs are below. The grand total is shown for each club, divided into regions with a ranking number (Rk) which gives their place compared to all the other clubs. Any suggestions? Please leave a comment. 

Football in China hasn't been without incident. A major problem is often linked to payoffs to players and match officials to benefit gambling syndicates. In 2003, there was no winner of the league competition when the top side was stripped of its title. Hopefully, it has been stamped out thanks to strict action taken against those caught. 

I don't know much about regions in China but the clubs listed are divided into East which took 239 points (37.8%), North East (25.6%), South Central (19.9%), North (15.0%) and South West (1.6%). 

The clubs with a + after their name are no longer active, fourteen in all! Some without that symbol have not been active through the full period since 1987. The East looks to be the dominant area in the immediate future. 

USA Clubs Ranked - 2013-23 (Women)

I had the impression that the USA was the epicentre of women's soccer. Europe has some strong leagues as well of course. Still, that was the perception and the fact that the USA is the most successful country in the World Cup competition reinforced that notion.

However, the USA had a poor WC in 2023, second in its group and out in the first playoff round. I took it as a blip but looking into the club scene in the US has now got me wondering. 

The table below rewards top clubs making the top four in the elite league (National Women's Soccer league) from its inception in 2013 and NWSL Challenge Cup since 2020. For the history of women's soccer in the US, the time period I've covered is just scratching the surface.

The problem is that before that, clubs came and went like a morning mist. That's the conclusion I reached. The lack of stability made a club comparison a long list with little meaning. At least since 2013 there has been more settled.

The most successful club is the North Carolina Courage and they started in 2017. Prior to that they were the West New York Flash that relocated to NC. I have kept them separate below but if combined, totally dominant. 

FC Kansas City dropped out in 2018. The Houston Dash arrived in 2014, the Orlando Pride 2015 with both the Kansas City Currant and San Diego Wave entering in 2022. So even now, with new teams joining and a few dropping out, it has the feel of a league that is establishing itself. If anyone can add to my conclusion or state why it's not as I'm seeing it, leave a comment below. Registering not a requirement to do so. 

As for regions, the US always has to deal with the tyranny of distance. The east of the country is where most clubs are based with over half the points going there.