This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
As the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the sports world was severely impacted, with major events like the Summer Olympics and the European Championship being postponed. The longest hiatus in individual national leagues in recent history left soccer clubs and leagues in a precarious financial situation.
With the public health crisis far from over, the resumption of soccer was met with caution and skepticism. However, Germany's Bundesliga was the first to resume operations in mid-May, with Bayern Munich going on to win the 2019-2020 season, led by captain Robert Lewandowski, who earned his third consecutive title as top goalscorer.
Other European leagues followed suit, with Hungary's National Football League allowing fans to attend matches in early June. By mid-June, most national soccer leagues had resumed their suspended seasons, except for France, which ended its season early, with Paris Saint-Germain F.C. being declared champion.
The decision to end the season early was met with controversy, with Lyon and Amiens considering legal action against the French soccer governing body. Meanwhile, the Spanish league's season is also coming to an end, with Real Madrid and Barcelona still competing for the championship.
While some argue that it is too soon to resume soccer, with the crisis far from over, the resumption of matches has so far been without major incident, with fans gathering around stadiums to cheer for their favorite teams.
