> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.sportmonks.com/v3/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.sportmonks.com/v3/tutorials-and-guides/tutorials/introduction.md).

# Introduction

Welcome to Sportmonks Football API 3.0 — your gateway to real-time and historical football data from around the world. This REST API lets you easily request structured data for leagues, teams, players

#### 🌍 Overview

Sportmonks Football API 3.0 is built for flexibility, accuracy, and speed.\
It offers:

* **Highly customisable requests** – filter, include, and select exactly what you need.
* **Fast livescores** – get near real-time updates from leagues worldwide.
* **Reliable, verified data** – trusted by thousands of developers and businesses.

In addition to the Football API, Sportmonks also offers:

* 🧠 **Prediction API** – machine learning–powered match probabilities and value bets.
* 🗞 **News API** – sports headlines and articles for enriched content.
* 🧩 **Football Widgets** – ready-made, embeddable components.
* 🏏 **Cricket API** and 🏎 **Formula 1 API** – part of our growing sports data suite.

#### 📈 Coverage

* Over **2,300 football leagues** covered.
* More than **1,350 leagues** included in the Prediction API.
* Every **continent, country, league, season, stage, round, venue, TV station, player, coach, referee, bookmaker, market, event, and fixture** has its own unique ID.
* Over **100 endpoints**, grouped under **15+ entities**, each with its own filters, includes, and examples.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Looking for a complete list of everything the API offers?** Rather than trying to get one answer that covers the entire API surface, browse the reference pages built for exactly that:

* [**Endpoints index**](https://docs.sportmonks.com/v3/endpoints-and-entities/endpoints) - every endpoint, grouped by entity
* [**Includes reference**](https://docs.sportmonks.com/v3/tutorials-and-guides/tutorials/includes) - every `include=` option available per endpoint

These are built to be browsed and searched, not summarised in a single response.
{% endhint %}

#### ⚙️ API Structure

Sportmonks API 3.0 is built around structured *entities*. Each entity represents a data type (like teams, fixtures, or players) and provides multiple endpoints for different operations.

Example entities include:

* **Fixtures** — match data, events, and statistics.
* **Teams** — squads, stats, and performance metrics.
* **Players** — personal data, stats, transfers, and more.
* **Standings** — league tables and rankings.

> 💡 Each entity has a rate limit calculated over all its endpoints.\
> You can read more in our [Rate Limit guide](https://docs.sportmonks.com/football/api/rate-limit).

<figure><img src="https://3469464275-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F9zsNGu3HAzSnl5DWBD3Y%2Fuploads%2FbZNf8RKajQMhw7nGHMaA%2FAPI%20Structure.png?alt=media&amp;token=19010526-bbe7-475c-b2b8-c96c31c07301" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 🧭 Getting Started

We’ve built tutorials and guides to help you quickly integrate the API into your project.\
Start with:

1. **Authentication** — learn how to authenticate using your API token.
2. **Making your first request** — see step-by-step examples of a live API call.
3. **Request Options** — customise your queries with filtering, sorting, and includes.

Example:

```bash
curl "https://api.sportmonks.com/v3/football/leagues?api_token=YOUR_TOKEN"
```

This request returns all leagues available in your subscription, including their names, IDs, and metadata.

#### 🧰 Developer Resources

* **Best Practices** — learn how to optimise calls and sync data efficiently.
* **Demo Response Files** — preview real JSON responses before integrating.
* **Guides & Tutorials** — deep dives into live data, statistics, and widgets.

#### 🚀 Ready to Build?

You can jump right in with our tutorials or Postman collection to start experimenting:

> 👉 [**Run in Postman**](mailto:undefined)


---

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