National Football
In football there are two types of teams: national teams and clubs. Club football is played on a much regular basis, by teams enlisted in a national competition or a continental competition. They usually play a championship of at least 30 games, from which the best teams qualify for a European competition next season. They have the freedom to do transfers (within the rules and restrictions of the internal competition) with other clubs and get the players they want, regardless of the nationality.
History
National football teams on the other hand play rarely, usually around 10 games a year. Only players with that respective nationality can play for the national team, so, no transfers can be made. The squad, formed usually by 23 players, is announced with a week or so before the official games. They are called up for one, maximum two games one after the other, so the players will not spend a lot of time outside their own club that pays them.
The game itself is more spectacular and intense when national football teams are involved, because teams don’t have a lot of time to prepare the most efficient tactic against the next opponent, so they have to play on the fly more. This makes the game more appealing for the usual audience.
Features
Another thing that makes people more interested in national football teams is the frequency of big competitions. There are only two major competitions where a national team can play: The World Cup and the continental cup, which are usually once every 4 years. So the interest for getting to a competition like that is big. The rest of the games they play are either friendly games or qualifying games for a major competition.
Usually, every country has three or four teams that fight for the internal competitions and the peoples support is divided between those teams and others. But when it comes to a national football team, all the people in the respective country unite to support that team. People are much more attracted to their own national colors than any other team in the world.
Tips and comments
The strongest competition with national football teams is, by far, The World Cup. It is the only competition that unites teams from all the continents of the world. After they play a series of groups and sometimes elimination matches, 32 teams align once every four years to play for the World Cup. The global interest is huge and generates billions of dollars from every competition.
The most successful national team is Brazil, with 5 trophies won over the course of the years. Next is Italy, with four, followed by Germany, winner of three. There are two teams with two trophies won, like Uruguay (that won the first World Cup ever, organized by the same country in 1930) and Argentina. There are a number of countries that have only one trophy, like France, Spain or England, Spain being the only one of the three that has not won it as a home team.
