Best Football Teams Ever: Club & International (2024)

The top contenders for the best football teams of all time are many and varied. There are the great international teams, who won multiple international tournaments, but also teams who did not. There are star-studded club teams from Europe and South America, who swept all before them. The contenders for the best football teams in the world is a never-ending debate. 

Historically, successful teams are lauded because of their manager’s visionary tactics and the team’s style of play. Like the greatest football players of all time debates, arguments always boil down to trophies and individual honours. However, some greatest teams do not win many trophies. Some won no silverware, but they inspired a revolution in tactics and playing philosophy still used by modern coaches and teams. 

But is success based on silverware or legacy? Substance or style? SportsBoom compiled a list of contenders of the best football teams in the world. SportsBoom assessed the trophies, style, legacy, and impact of the best football teams from different eras, and if they revolutionised the “Beautiful Game”.

Brazil: The Samba Kings and “O Jogo Bonito”

Some teams win it all, while others fall short of glory. Brazil is the most successful international team at the FIFA World Cup. They are the third-most successful country at the CONMEBOL Copa América tournament. The Selecao Canarinha have won five FIFA World Cups and nine Copa America championship titles. 

Pelé, Zico, Garrincha, Carlos Alberto, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Neymar, and many more in-between played the game to rhythms of the Samba beat. Pelé called it “O Jogo Bonito” (The Beautiful Game). Brazilian football is not only beautiful; it is successful. The pressure to win is immense.

Between 1950 and 1970, Brazil played in four of six World Cup finals, winning three. From 1994 to 2002, Brazil played in three successive World Cup finals, winning the 1994 and 2002 tournaments. Success continued during this decade of international dominance as Brazil won the Copa América three times, losing one final. 

Lionel Messi holding FIFA World Cup//Getty Images

Argentina: The Best Football Team in the World Right Now

Argentina have won the FIFA World Cup four times. La Albiceleste has also won 16 Copa América titles, seven more titles than Brazil. Lionel Messi, the greatest football player, led his nation to three successive international titles in four years.

La Albiceleste are the current back-to-back South American champions (2021 & 2024) and the current 2022 FIFA World Champions. Both teams are contenders for the best football team of all time. Brazil edges Argentina in World Cup titles, but Argentina is currently the best national football team in the world. 

Spain: Underachievers to the Best Football Team of the Twenty-First Century

For decades, Spain was one of Europe’s biggest underachievers in international football. They had never done well at World Cups, and only had one European Championship to show for all the country’s football talent. Before 2008, Spain had only won the 1968 European Championship and had lost to France in the 1984 European Championship final. Many tournament disappointments followed as Spain took 24 years to reach a major tournament final. 

Suddenly, during the mid-2000s, something clicked, and success followed. Spain bookended the 2010 FIFA World Cup title with two European Championships. They triumphed at UEFA EURO 2008 and 2012, beating Germany and Italy, respectively. La Furia Roja became the first team to win three consecutive international tournaments. 

Since then, they have won the UEFA Nations League in 2023 after being runners-up in 2021. La Roja followed the Nations League with their record fourth European Championship in 2024. Spain has been the most successful European football team in the world for the last 15 years, and one of the best-ever national teams to grace a football field. 

Andres Iniesta scoring versus Netherland in 2010 WC Final//Getty Images

Netherlands: The Pioneers of Total Football 

The Netherlands are the only team without a FIFA World Cup triumph included to fit SportsBoom’s criteria for best football teams in the world. The Dutch side of the 1970s is universally regarded as one of the greatest football teams. Revolutionary manager Rinus Michels and the great forward Johan Cruyff were the principal architects of “Total Football” for Holland and Ajax. 

Holland lost back-to-back World Cup finals to the host nations of West Germany (1974) and Argentina (1978), respectively. The Oranje also lost the 2010 World Cup final to Spain. Unfortunately for the Dutch, all three defeats came at the hands of the best teams in the world at the time, filled with the best players and managers. 

The Dutch did win the 1988 European Championship, which is their only major international honour. They did not reach another major tournament final until the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, despite having some of the best individual players. The Netherlands had to wait until 2019 to reach another final. However, they lost Nations League final to Portugal.

Michels and Cruyff also teamed up in Barcelona, changing the Catalan club forever. Pep Guardiola, who played under Cruyff in the “Dream Team”, adapted “Total Football” to his all-conquering Barcelona side. The quick pass-and-move style was perfect for Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, and Xavi Hernández .

The new style, dubbed “Tiki Taka”, was some of the most majestic football ever played. The Blaugrana dominated European football for a decade, even after Guardiola resigned. Cruyff , who was at one time the best player in the world, won the Ballon d’Or three times in four years playing for the Netherlands and Ajax. Cruyff and Michels’s legacy lives on through Guardiola, who is without a doubt, the greatest and most successful manager of his generation.

Head Coach and Players of Real Madrid Celebrating with the trophy//Getty Images

Real Madrid: The Kings of European Football 

Real Madrid is the best football club in the world. The most decorated team in the history of European football. Some of the best players have donned Madrid’s famous white kit. From Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, and Paco Gento in the mid-twentieth century, to the “Galácticos” of President Florentino Pérez. Under Pérez, Madrid signed the biggest global superstars.

In came original Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and David Beckham to name a few. In his second term as president, Pérez signed Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, and Karim Benzema. CR7 went on to become football’s all-time top scorer, and one of the game’s greatest players. Recently, the Spanish giants shifted their focus to signing young talents like Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappé.

Los Blancos have won the most La Liga titles (36), UEFA European Cup/Champions League titles (15), and a joint-record five UEFA Super Cups. The Spanish club also holds a record eight FIFA World Club World Championships. Madrid have won three European Cups/Champions Leagues in a row (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960 & 2016, 2017, 2018) twice.

This is a phenomenal record. It makes Real Madrid the best European and Spanish club of all time. They have collected silverware in most seasons since the turn of the century. The Spanish club won six Champions League (UCL), five La Liga, and Club World championship titles in the last decade. Carlo Ancelotti’s team are also the current 2023/24 La Liga and UCL winners. They are European Royalty, led by King Carlo. Hala Madrid!

FC Barcelona: Més que un club - The Tiki-Taka Revolution

Barcelona is more than a club. They are on half of El Clásico, and the most successful top-flight Spanish side. They have won more domestic trophies than Real Madrid. When Pep Guardiola was promoted to first-team manager in 2008, football changed forever with his  “Tiki-Taka” style of play. 

Continental and global success followed in a way that it had never done before at the Camp Nou. The Catalans won 14 major honours in four years, including four successive La Liga titles. They added two UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles to their domestic trophy haul. Between 2008 and 2019, Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or six times. 

Barcelona players celebrate beside their three trophys//Getty Images

He propelled Barca to eight La Liga titles, three Champions League, Club World Cups and European Super Cup triumphs. Messi added six Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cups to the cabinet. The diminutive Argentina legend cemented his greatness during those glorious 10 years. Messi racked up numerous records. He scored an incredible number of goals, which led to every piece of club silverware available filling the Camp Nou trophy cabinet. 

Messi edged rival Cristiano Ronaldo for individual records and team success for club and country. The South American maestro served under several managers during the height of the Blaugrana’s supremacy. It was under Guardiola that Messi became the best player in the world. Barcelona is more than a club, but they also became the best football club: Més que un club. 

Ajax Amsterdam: The Dutch Powerhouse

Ajax Amsterdam is Holland’s most decorated club, winning the most silverware in the country. Between 1969 and 1973, Ajax won three Eredivisie titles and three European Cups on the bounce. De Godenzonen also claimed three KNVB Cups and one European Super Cup during that epic run of trophy collecting. Ajax is one of only three clubs to win three European Cup/Champions League titles in a row. Real Madrid (twice) and Bayern Munich have also achieved this feat. 

Liverpool players and manager celebrating in the dressing room//Getty Images

Liverpool Football Club: You’ll Never Walk Alone

Liverpool Football Club has a long and storied history as one of the greatest football clubs in the world. They are England’s most successful club and the best football team in the United Kingdom. Like Barcelona and Ajax, Liverpool dominated English and European football multiple times in different eras.

Thanks to the Reds’ much-lauded and famous “Boot Room”, they dominated domestic and continental football for two decades. From 1972 to 1991, England’s most successful club won 11 English First Division titles, four European Cups, two UEFA Cups, four FA Cups and League Cups, and one UEFA Super Cup.

Bob Paisley, Liverpool’s most successful manager, led the Reds to 20 major honours. Liverpool won everything, including five league titles, three European Cups, three League Cups, and one UEFA Super Cup between 1975 and 1982. Paisley became the first – and only – UK manager to win three European Cups.

The Redmen are the only European club to win a rare treble of domestic and UEFA cup competitions in the same season (EFL League Cup, FA Cup & UEFA Cup, 2001). The Anfield side won the UEFA Cup in 1976 before winning back-to-back European Cups in 1977 and 1978. Although Celtic and Rangers are the most decorated clubs in Britain, they play in a weak Scottish Premiership, and both scoop up all the silverware every season.

Liverpool (19) is second to Manchester United (20) in top-flight league championships. The Merseyside club (13) has more total European trophies than United (6), including winning three more Champions League trophies (6) than the Manchester club (3). This firmly establishes Liverpool as the best British and English football team.

FC Bayern Munich: "Mia san Mia"

FC Bayern Munich is the most successful football club in Germany. The 16 principles of the club’s motto, “Mia san Mia” is ingrained in the culture of Bayern. “Mia san Mia” stands for the complete will to succeed,” explained Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller to the Bundesliga Official Website. “That's how we (Bayern) manage to turn games round so often. There's no middle ground, only wins.

“Mia san Mia” stands for a hardcore winning mentality with a good dose of self-belief, but without any arrogance. Whoever wants to win has to work hard for it. It's the same as for professional footballers.” The Bavarian winning machine has dominated German football. They have had sustained success through every decade since the 1970s, winning everything on offer in world football. 

Die Bayern, as they are fondly known by fans, has won 33 Bundesliga, 20 German Cup titles, and 10 German Super Cups. They have won the UEFA Champions League six times, the equal second-most with Liverpool. Munich has also two FIFA Club World Cups and Intercontinental Cups. 

Between 1971 and 1976, theBavarians clinched three Bundesliga championships, three European Cups, a German Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup. The club has several other domestic and European competition wins as well. All this success makes Bayern Munich one of the best-ever football clubs in the world. 

South America rivals Europe for great football clubs. Argentina and Brazil lead the way with continental titles. They are the dominant forces in South American club football. Argentina’s clubs have won more CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores, Intercontinental Cup, and Copa Sudamericana titles than any other nation. However, Brazil’s clubs have won the most FIFA Club World Cups and Recopa Sudamericana titles than any South American country.

Dario Benedetto is marked by Enzo Perez and Ignacio Fernandez//Getty Images

Who are the Best South American Football Clubs?

Club Atlético Peñarol has the most domestic league championships in South America. The Uruguayan club has won 51 Liga Profesional de Primera División titles. Peñarol has won the equal second-most Intercontinental Cups (3) and the third-most Copa Libertadores (5) titles by a South American club. 

However, they are not the best South American football club in the world. Club Atlético River Plate and Club Atlético Boca Juniors rule Argentina’s top-flight division. River Plate has 38 Primera División championships, four Copa Libertadores, and one Intercontinental Cup. Boca Juniors has 35 league championships, six Copa Libertadores and three Intercontinental Cup titles.

The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A is one of the most competitive football leagues. Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (12) has won the most Brazilian titles, four more than Santos Futebol Clube. Sport Club Corinthians Paulista and Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, have each won seven Serie A titles. São Paulo Futebol Clube six championships.

Palmeiras, São Paulo, Santos, and Flamengo each have three Copa Libertadores championships. São Paulo and Santos have each won two Intercontinental Cups. Corinthians have never won the Copa Libertadores, but they won two FIFA Club World Cups. São Paulo won one world championship title.