Best football teams ever - ranked

Greatness. 

It's an word constantly used in conversation by football fans. Who was the best team of all-time? Would they beat the best defensive team of all-time? Would an unbeaten team have enjoyed such a streak if they came up against 'insert preferred team name'? 

In an effort to rank greatness and bring clarity to your conversations, 90min has put together a list of the 30 greatest football teams of all-time. 

Here they are - ranked!

30. England (1966)

This iconic side were not only successful in winning the Jules Rimet trophy, but also in building up the expectations of every English football fan ever since.  

Now, every two years, Three Lions fans get convinced the national team will win the tournament that comes around during those summers.

Regardless, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst and Gordon Banks cemented themselves as legends in 1966, alongside a bunch of their teammates.

29. Liverpool (2019/20)

Liverpool were pipped to the post by an all-conquering Man City outfit in 2018/19, but they came again in some style the following year.

While Pep Guardiola's Cityzens fell away during the Covid-hit 2019/20 season, Jurgen Klopp's Reds started the campaign like a house on fire and never relented.

Their margin was mammoth by the time the Premier League was halted due to the pandemic, and they wrapped up their maiden triumph in the competition over the summer.

They ended with a whopping 99 points having won 26 of their opening 27 league encounters.

28. Bayer Leverkusen (2023/24)

Bayer Leverkusen were one game away from enjoying the most remarkable of seasons, but a convincing defeat in the Europa League final will only be remembered as a minor stain.

It was always going to take something special to dethrone Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and Leverkusen's season was certainly that. They became the first German side ever to enjoy an unbeaten league campaign before wrapping up their season by beating Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final.

27. Tottenham (1960-62)

This great north London side of the '60s can be compared to a great north London band of the '80s, linked by one word: madness.

Much like a Suggs-led single, Spurs' season was brilliantly chaotic. Scoring an astonishing 115 goals in 42 games on a charge to the title, Tottenham became the first team of the 20th century to win a coveted double.

26. Ajax (1994/95)

This Ajax side were so dominant throughout the year of 1995 that they went 12 months without losing a single game.

Winners of the Eredivisie and the European Cup, the men from Amsterdam went an unbelievable 48 games unbeaten, creating a piece of footballing history.

25. Flamengo (1980/81)

Captained by the legendary Zico, Flamengo enjoyed one of Brazilian football's most memorable seasons of all time. 

Epitomising the ethos of Joga Bonito, this star-studded team won three trophies in the space of 21 days: a Campeonato Carioca, Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup with a famous 3-0 victory over European champions Liverpool. 

24. Arsenal (2003/04)

Arsène Wenger was ridiculed in 2002/03 when he suggested Arsenal could go the entire campaign unbeaten.

Ridiculously, he managed to do so just a year later, leading the Gunners to a title that they sealed at White Hart Lane, ending the campaign as without defeat with a 2-1 at home to Leicester on the final day. 

Played 38, Won 26, Drawn 12, Lost 0. 

Invincibles.

23. Chelsea (2004-06)

This side was vintage José Mourinho. No bus parking, no nonsense, just an iron curtain of a defence that helped Chelsea amass a colossal 95 points in 2004/05.

Spearheaded by the now iconic duo of John Terry and Frank Lampard, credit must also go to Claude Makélélé for being the first player in the Premier League era to demonstrate the importance of the holding midfielder. 

22. Nottingham Forest (1978-80)

First off, props to the suits from Clough and co. on the bench. Suits should be made to stay in football, except for Sam Allardyce. Big Sam should be able to wear what he wants and chew as much gum as he pleases. Extra should sign him as a lead sponsor. 

Back to Forest, their achievements are now easily forgotten for a club stuck in the Championship, but they won the First Division in 1977/78 just a year after being promoted before their infamous run to becoming Kings of Europe with victory over Malmo in 1979.

21. Juventus (2011-13)

Left in disarray followed by the infamous Calciopoli scandal of 2006 and subsequent relegation to Serie B, Juventus went from zeroes to heroes in 2011/12.

They went the entire season unbeaten thanks to an impenetrable defence that conceded only 20 goals in 38 games. 

20. Barcelona (1991/92)

One of the best Barcelona sides of all time, a team featuring the likes of Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman will be most fondly remembered for bringing the Blaugrana their first European Cup. 

They also won La Liga on the final day of the season when Real Madrid suffered a shock 3-0 loss to Tenerife, completing a remarkable double for the men from Camp Nou.

19. Juventus (1980-86)

Juventus have enjoyed their fair share of dominant eras, but none quite combined traditional catenaccio grit with va-va-voom elegance quite the Bianconeri of the 80s.

Led by genius man-manager Giovanni Trapattoni, Juve boasted an immense balance of steel and guile, with Michel Platini establishing himself as the world's best during his time in Turin.

The Old Lady lifted four Scudetti and were crowned European champions in 1985.

18. Bayern Munich (1968/69)

Spearheaded in attack by the great Gerd Muller, Bayern secured a historic double in the 1968/69 season thanks to 30 goals from their talismanic striker. 

This will undoubtedly go down as one of the great German teams, what could have been if the Bavarians were competitors in Europe that year?

17. West Germany (1972-74)

Crowned world champions after a memorable final at the Olympiastadion, West Germany became the first European champions to win the World Cup thanks to a second-half winner from the great Gerd Muller. 

The vastly underrated Gunter Netzer was the star of West Germany's 1972 Euros success before the likes of Muller and Franz Beckenbauer inspired the country's World Cup success on home soil.

16. Man Utd (1998/99)

This Manchester United team accomplished a feat that many thought would never be repeated as they became the first English team to complete the treble.

Featuring arguably the single-greatest group of academy graduates, the Class of '92 were influential in snatching victory in the final seconds in Barcelona. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought United to the top of the world in 1999, a position they could not seem further from in 2024. 

15. Torino (1945-49)

The Grande Torino side that perished in the 1949 Superga air disaster stands among one of the all-time great Italian teams.

Torino were Italy's swashbuckling force in a post-World War Two climate, dominating the Italian top-flight up until they met their tragic end.

They were revolutionaries in more ways than one - on and off the field - but their exploits on it saw them gain an esteemed reputation. Torino claimed five Scudetti in the 40s, and their 1947/48 side, one that won the title by 16 points in a pre-three-point-for-a-win era, is regarded among the very best seen on Italian shores.

14. Man City (2017-19)

Expectations were sky-high for Pep Guardiola after taking the Manchester City job in 2016, but there were initial growing pains.

A third-place finish in year one was seen as a disappointment, but the Spaniard was merely laying the foundations for the reign of dominance that'd ensue. His first two title-winning City teams were utterly outstanding.

The Cityzens became the Premier League's first 'Centurions' in 2017/18 and were forced to hold off a rampant Liverpool to secure back-to-back titles the following year.

198 points over two seasons certainly wasn't a bad return.

13. Benfica (1960-69)

Led by the great Eusebio, the only player to win a Ballon d'Or for a Portuguese club - doing so in 1965 - Benfica enjoyed one of the best decades in football.

The men from Lisbon won eight Primeira Liga titles, three Taça de Portugal and two European Cups in an unprecedented span of success.

12. Hungary (1950-56)

The Magnificent Magyars were ahead of their time in so many facets. The first sweeper-keeper in Gyula Grosics, the first team to popularise the now-universal concept of Total Football and the first team to have sustained success with a false-9 centre-forward.

It's no wonder therefore, that this side lost once in 50 matches over a six-year spell, including the 'Match of the Century' that saw them defeat England 6-3 at Wembley with a hat-trick from Nándor Hidegkuti.

11. Santos (1958-74)

Another team that were revolutionaries from a tactical perspective, the Os Santásticos won an unmatched 25 titles between 1959-74, including two Copa Libertadores. 

This included the first-ever treble in world football in 1962, Pélé's 1,0000th goal in 1969 as well as, oddly, a 48-hour ceasefire in the 1967 Nigerian Civil War so that the two factions could watch Pélé take part in an exhibition match in Lagos. 

10. Man City (2022/23)

Guardiola's City had evolved considerably from their early title-winning iterations by the time they became just the second English team to win the treble in 2022/23.

The days of flying wingers were gone. This side was all about ruthless control, and the deadly relationship between new signing Erling Haaland and Premier League great Kevin De Bruyne.

The Cityzens took some time to hit their stride, but their groove was imperious once Guardiola stumbled upon his optimal formula. Ilkay Gundogan's goals down the stretch helped City to the Premier League title and FA Cup, while Rodri's strike in Istanbul saw them lift their maiden Champions League to crown a historic season.

9. Spain (2008-12)

A joy to watch at international tournaments for four years between 2008 and 2012, Spain conquered all before them on the way to World Cup glory and two European Championships. 

The 2010 World Cup final was one of the ugliest in recent memory, as 14 yellow cards were dished out and Nigel de Jong avoided red despite performing his best Bruce Lee impression on Xabi Alonso.

Spain overcame Dutch brutality to become world champions and would retain their European crown two years later following a dominant performance in the final against Italy.

8. Inter (1963-65)

Led by the catenaccio pioneering of Helenio Herrera, this Grande Inter side of the 1960s were one of the first to have success with a 5-3-2 system, comprising of clinical counter-attacks often led by the captain Armando Picchi.

Treble winners in 1965, Inter lost only twice in Serie A all season to win the title before Zair scored the only goal over a Eusebio-led Benfica in the European Cup final. 

7. Celtic (1966/67)

The famous 'Lisbon Lions' pulled off one of the greatest upsets of all time when they defeated Inter in the 1967 European Cup final, who had won the tournament in two of the past three seasons.

Celtic became the first British team to conquer Europe as a result, but what makes the feat all the more admirable is the fact that 14 of the 15 squad members were born within a 10-mile radius of Celtic Park. Local legends.

6. Liverpool (1975-84)

Liverpool were more than a football team throughout the 70s and 80s. They were a symbol and representation of the city's maverick yet unified culture in the face of the desolate political landscape of the era.

Containing greatness from back to front with the likes of Graeme Souness, Alan Hansen, Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish, the Reds dominated English football for a decade and had their fair share of success in Europe, too.

Liverpool lifted seven First Division titles between 1975 and 1984 as well as four European Cups.

5. Milan (1988-94)

Silvio Berlusconi's appointment of a little-known former shoemaker in 1987 was perhaps the greatest risk the longtime Milan president took, but Arrigo Sacchi certainly vindicated Berlusconi's bold faith.

Sacchi would inspire the most drastic of tactical revolutions and spark a fierce ideological debate in Italy, all while overseeing Milan's rise to the very top of the European game.

His Rossoneri outfits, inspired by a majestic Dutch triumvirate, were unlike anything Catenaccio sympathisers had ever seen. The rest of Europe was caught off guard, too, and Fabio Capello did a stellar job of evolving Sacchi's Milan to ensure they remained at the summit of the continent.

Between 1988 and 1994 under Sacchi and Capello, Milan won four Scudetti and three European Cups; enjoying an unbeaten season in 1991/92.

4. Ajax (1965-73)

You might argue that the birth of modern football was overseen in the liberal sphere of post-war Amsterdam.

Dutch 'Total Football' underpins almost everything the sport has to offer in contemporary times, with Rinus Michels' school of thought permeating through generations.

This Ajax team were much more than mere tactical novelty, however. Their 4-3-3 and chaotic positional interchanges allowed them to flummox opponents in ways previously unseen.

Their collective synergy was enhanced by the mastery of individuals such as Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens, with Michels' less robust successor, Stefan Kovacs, overseeing the first two of three consecutive European Cup triumphs between 1971 and 1973.

3. Real Madrid (1955-60)

Before any reader gets hot under the collar about this team being the number one choice on the list, just remember that Alfredo Di Stefano's Madrid won the European Cup five times in six seasons. 

This group of players paved the way for football's biggest club, Real Madrid, to sign the best players, the 'Galacticos', and build the 'Yé-yé' team that conquered Spanish football throughout the 1960s, so-called because of the refrain in The Beatles' 'She Loves You'. 

An ode to Di Stefano and Madrid: 'with as many cups as that, you know you should be glad'. 

2. Brazil (1970)

This Brazil team was an example of absolute perfection that ticks every box to such an extent that you cannot stop watching them. 

So good that you cannot stop yourself gushing about it at every opportunity.

Pele's last World Cup, the iconic samba strip, Carlos Alberto's perfect goal. Goated.

1. Barcelona (2008-11)

The Guardiola era at Barcelona was able to capture a generation like no other.

The Cruyff disciple was tasked with realigning Barca with their 'DNA' having lost their way towards the end of Frank Rijkaard's tenure. However, Guardiola was no sure thing. His sole experience in senior management had arrived with the reserve side. Very few, if any, foreshadowed Pep's emergence as an outright managerial genius.

His first Barcelona team was all-conquering as they became the first of two teams to win the sextuple. Their style ensured they snatched hearts and minds, with Guardiola's 4-3-3 transcending anything that had come before it thanks to his meticulous coaching, supremely balanced engine room, and the presence of the greatest footballer ever.

While 2008/09 Barca won the lot, the 2010/11 team lives fonder in the hearts of many. With Lionel Messi proving untouchable in a central position, Barcelona produced one of the all-time great performances to sink Manchester United in the Champions League final at Wembley.

READ MORE ON THE BEST 25 PLAYERS FOR EVERY POSITION IN WORLD FOOTBALL