Football in Cyprus
Football is Cyprus's most popular sport.
| Football in Cyprus | |
|---|---|
| Country | Cyprus |
| Governing body | Cyprus Football Association |
| National team(s) | Men's national team Women's national team |
National competitions | |
Club competitions | |
League: Cypriot First Division Cypriot Second Division Cypriot Third Division STOK Elite Division Cup: Cypriot Cup Cypriot Super Cup Cypriot Cup for lower divisions | |
International competitions | |
UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Europa Conference League UEFA Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup | |
Short of some sporadic surprise wins versus higher-ranked countries, mostly on home soil, the national team has not enjoyed any success of note. On the other hand, Cypriot clubs have reached the Champions League group stage three times in recent years; that has made Cyprus the smallest sovereign state (in terms of both of area and population) to have been represented in the main phase of Europe's most prestigious club tournament, since the introduction of the group stage in 1992.
APOEL FC has made history by being the first and only Cypriot team to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League (in 2012), and the round of 16 of the Europa League (in 2017). They have also won the domestic league and cup more times than any other Cypriot club (28 and 21 times respectively). APOEL's performances, in both domestic and European competitions, have made it the most successful club in Cyprus.
Founded in 1911, Anorthosis Famagusta is the oldest Cypriot football club. Omonia Nicosia is the most popular club in Cyprus, according to a 2022 study conducted by the University of Nicosia.