Martin Odegaard lifted the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park on May 24, and on the surface, English football has never looked healthier. Arsenal's first title in 22 years. Three different champions in three seasons. European silverware across three competitions. The numbers are good. The narrative, though, is more complicated.
Arsenal's title — their 14th overall — came after Liverpool won in 2024-25 and Manchester City in 2023-24. That kind of rotation at the top doesn't happen in Spain, where Barcelona and Real Madrid have shared the La Liga title in 20 of the last 22 seasons. Or Germany, where Bayern Munich have won 13 of the last 14. Or France, where PSG have claimed eight of the last nine. By that measure, the Premier League isn't just England's competition — it's Europe's most genuinely contested one, with only Serie A offering comparable variety across the top.
A European Sweep That Almost Was
The continental picture is even more striking. Aston Villa and Crystal Palace won the Europa League and Europa Conference League respectively. Chelsea hold the Club World Cup. The only thing that stopped a complete English clean sweep was PSG winning on penalties against Arsenal in the Champions League final. One shootout away from owning every major trophy available.
That kind of collective strength reflects where the money sits. The Premier League generates more from TV rights — domestic and international combined — than any other football competition on earth. Deloitte's latest revenue ranking of the world's 30 richest clubs includes 15 English sides. Bournemouth, Brentford, and Brighton are on that list. Let that sink in.
The Talent Is Going the Other Way
So the clubs are richer than ever, the competition fiercer than ever, and the European record speaks for itself. And yet the players England actually produces are increasingly leaving for it.
Harry Kane is already in Munich. Last week, Anthony Gordon completed a move from Newcastle to Barcelona. That takes the number of England's World Cup squad playing outside the Premier League to six. The league is attracting the world's best — it's just not always keeping its own.
- Arsenal: Premier League champions, 2024-25
- Aston Villa: Europa League winners
- Crystal Palace: Europa Conference League winners
- Chelsea: Club World Cup holders
- PSG beat Arsenal on penalties in the Champions League final
- Six England World Cup squad members now play abroad
There's a real tension here that the trophy haul papers over. English clubs are dominant. English players are marketable enough to attract Barcelona. But the Premier League's financial gravity — which pulls in the best foreign talent — isn't pulling hard enough to keep its own. That's not a crisis. But it's not entirely a success story either.
