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Best football team in the world by year

Location: View on MapWhen: on 17/5/25

The best teams don't always win the CL or World Cup, so who were the actual best teams in the world each year for the past 25 years, all things considered? Real Madrid won most of their recent CLs without being the best team in the world. Chelsea, Porto, Greece etc. all won major trophies without being the best. So who were the best team at the time?

2025 - PSG
2024 - Spain
2023 - Man City
2022 - Argentina
2021 - Man City
2020 - Bayern
2019 - Barcelona
2018 - Barcelona
2017 - Real Madrid
2016 - Barcelona
2015 - Barcelona
2014 - Atletico Madrid
2013 - Barcelona
2012 - Spain
2011 - Barcelona
2010 - Spain
2009 - Barcelona
2008 - Spain
2007 - AC Milan
2006 - Barcelona
2005 - AC Milan
2004 - Chelsea
2003 - Juventus
2002 - Brazil
2001 - Bayern
2000 - France


Open to changing the team from each year if strong enough argument.

The official list shows that hardly any English or England side has ever been the best team in the world, but they have won plenty of major trophies (well club teams have) with the help of foreign investment, foreign managers and foreign players.

Thoughts?

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

comment by Emile Matthew Yaw Nyamedom Acquah (U1734)
posted 12 minutes ago
Yeah I think winning every trophy in England in 2019, justifies Man City as the best team in England in 2019.

So more of an argument would be Man City or Barcelona for best team in the world.
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If you reckon winning the league cop is more prestige than winning any type of world or European cup, then fine.

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

Perhaps LFC can have 2001 for winning the FA cup, League cup and Uefa cup.

comment by 4zA (U22472)

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

comment by LordDowlias (U3236)
posted 8 minutes ago
Perhaps LFC can have 2001 for winning the FA cup, League cup and Uefa cup.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Gnough

comment by 4zA (U22472)

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

comment by 4zA (U22472)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by LordDowlias (U3236)
posted 8 minutes ago
Perhaps LFC can have 2001 for winning the FA cup, League cup and Uefa cup.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Gnough
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CL trumpz it

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

comment by LordDowlias (U3236)
posted 23 minutes ago
comment by Emile Matthew Yaw Nyamedom Acquah (U1734)
posted 12 minutes ago
Yeah I think winning every trophy in England in 2019, justifies Man City as the best team in England in 2019.

So more of an argument would be Man City or Barcelona for best team in the world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

If you reckon winning the league cop is more prestige than winning any type of world or European cup, then fine.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They won the PL, and FA Cup as well as the league cup. Shows that they were the best and most consistent team across all competitions in England.

Anyone can get a freak result in a CL match and then get lucky by playing Spurs in the final. Liverpool proved themselves in one match in 2019. Against Barcelona. That's not enough to be the greatest.

They therefore rank amongst the Greece, Porto, Leicester, Wigan of these worlds.

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

comment by Emile Matthew Yaw Nyamedom Acquah (U1734)
posted 23 hours, 30 minutes ago
comment by Ruben's Regenerating Reds (U22280)
posted 17 seconds ago
Because of your year range we miss out on 1999 Man Utd.
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I wasn't old enough to form a strong enough opinion pre 2000. From memory Bayern were probably the stronger team.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Nah, they had a better CL final, but that was a lot about game state, having scored early and then being able to hit United on the break. Also facing a United side without Scholes or Keane. There's a reasonable argument that Bayern were unlucky to lose the match, but we're talking about the better team across the whole year.

...and if you're going by calendar year, United were particularly on fire after new year in the 98/99 season. And went on to win the 99/00 league by 18 points.

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 55 seconds ago
comment by Emile Matthew Yaw Nyamedom Acquah (U1734)
posted 23 hours, 30 minutes ago
comment by Ruben's Regenerating Reds (U22280)
posted 17 seconds ago
Because of your year range we miss out on 1999 Man Utd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I wasn't old enough to form a strong enough opinion pre 2000. From memory Bayern were probably the stronger team.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Nah, they had a better CL final, but that was a lot about game state, having scored early and then being able to hit United on the break. Also facing a United side without Scholes or Keane. There's a reasonable argument that Bayern were unlucky to lose the match, but we're talking about the better team across the whole year.

...and if you're going by calendar year, United were particularly on fire after new year in the 98/99 season. And went on to win the 99/00 league by 18 points.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's go with Man U for 1999 then. Would the rest of the 90s be italian teams mainly then?

Can't be bothered going back all the way to the 70s and early 80s to have potential for being the only years Liverpool were ever the best team in the world.

Football moves on.

comment by 4zA (U22472)

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

comment by Emile Matthew Yaw Nyamedom Acquah (U1734)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 55 seconds ago
comment by Emile Matthew Yaw Nyamedom Acquah (U1734)
posted 23 hours, 30 minutes ago
comment by Ruben's Regenerating Reds (U22280)
posted 17 seconds ago
Because of your year range we miss out on 1999 Man Utd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I wasn't old enough to form a strong enough opinion pre 2000. From memory Bayern were probably the stronger team.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Nah, they had a better CL final, but that was a lot about game state, having scored early and then being able to hit United on the break. Also facing a United side without Scholes or Keane. There's a reasonable argument that Bayern were unlucky to lose the match, but we're talking about the better team across the whole year.

...and if you're going by calendar year, United were particularly on fire after new year in the 98/99 season. And went on to win the 99/00 league by 18 points.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let's go with Man U for 1999 then. Would the rest of the 90s be italian teams mainly then?

Can't be bothered going back all the way to the 70s and early 80s to have potential for being the only years Liverpool were ever the best team in the world.

Football moves on.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bessed teemz of 70s where Ajax n BeeMunchin

80s wuz varius german n italian teemz

comment by 4zA (U22472)

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

90s wuz misedly italian teemz
Maybee Ajax in 1995

comment by 4zA (U22472)

posted 3 weeks, 3 days ago

Liverpool where quiet good in 1984 butt Fance wuz mutch moor betterer

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