5 greatest football teams of all time

Football is the most popular game in the world, and continues to enjoy tremendous fanfare worldwide. The great club teams in the world like Real Madrid, Manchester United and Barcelona have supporters all around the world.

Moreover, even national teams like those of Brazil, Germany, Spain, Argentina and the Netherlands boast worldwide support.

The success of a football team should primarily be measured by its overall title triumphs. However, the playing style of a team should also be kept in mind, as it provides ample entertainment to the viewers as well.

We have taken both club teams as well as national teams into consideration to prepare our list. It is not very easy to do so, because the club teams usually play a lot more matches than the national ones. Still, the quality of a top team is always evident, and it was not very difficult to select the top 5 teams ever.

Let's have a look at the top 5 football teams of all time:

5. AC Milan (1989 to 1994)

AC Milan of the late 80s and early 90s set the benchmark for excellence in world football. They combined the defensive dourness of Italy with the silken grace of the Netherlands, and their coach Arrigo Sacchi's tactical acumen supplemented it.

Milan won 3 European Cups and 3 Serie A titles during that period, and beat clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona quite comfortably in the continental competition.

Milan had some players, who would be serious contenders for selection in an all-time world eleven. Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and Marco Van Basten were outstanding players, and they were ably supported by the likes of Marcel Desailly, Carlo Ancelotti, Ruud Gullit and Alessandro Costacurta.

After Sacchi stepped down as their manager in 1991, Fabio Capello took charge of Milan, and led them to domestic as well as continental glory.

Milan quite possibly had the greatest back 4 of all time, and also a very creative and solid midfield. They beat Cruyff's great Barcelona side 4-0 in the Champions League final, and that performance was quite possibly the pinnacle for that wonderful side.

4. Barcelona (2008 to 2011)

The team that made the word "tiki taka" fashionable in football, also managed to win a lot of trophies. They won 2 Champions League and 2 LaLiga titles in a span of 3 years, and dominated world football completely.

Coached by their former player Pep Guardiola, Barca played possession-based football, stringing one pass after another. They gave emphasis on high-press and short passes, played all over the park. Players like Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Charles Puyol made them almost invincible for several seasons.

Barca beat Manchester United quite comfortably in the Champions League finals of 2008-09 and 2010-11. They also thrashed Real Madrid 6-2 in a LaLiga match.

Guardiola left for Bayern Munich in 2012, and Barca have not quite been able to reproduce the magic since then. However, their legacy of "tiki taka" continues to live on and inspire many other football teams.

3. Real Madrid (1998 to 2003)

Real Madrid of the late 1980s and early 1990s was a galaxy comprising of the biggest stars in world football. They had home-grown stars like Iker Casillas and Raul, two brilliant midfielders in Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane, and a great attack consisting of Brazil's Ronaldo, the then greatest footballer in the world. They also had solid players like Guti, Ivan Helguera, Santiago Solari and Michel Salgado in their squad.

Real won 3 Champions League titles and finished runners-up once during that period. They also won 2 LaLiga titles from 1997-98 to 2002-03. They beat Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich quite comfortably during the said period.

Real also had solid defensive players like Fernando Hierro and Claude Makelele during that period, and that is why their team was referred to as 'the Galacticos'. Very few teams in the history of the game can actually match their overall quality and achievements.

2. Spain (2008 to 2012)

Spanish football rose to prominence in the late 2010 and early 2012, and the meteoric rise of Barcelona in club football was largely responsible for the same.

Spain used to have at least 7-8 Barca players in their starting eleven in most of their matches during that period. Players like Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, David Villa, Gerard Pique and Busquets made Spain an indomitable force in world football.

Spain won 2 European Championships and 1 World Cup title during that period. No other team in the history has managed to win 3 major competitions. They beat teams like Italy, Germany and the Netherlands in various competitions. They also won the World Cup without losing any match.

Their 4-0 annihilation of Italy in the final of Euro 2012 has to be one of the most scintillating displays by any team in a major final.

1. Brazil (1969 to 1970)

The Brazilian team in the 1970 World Cup

Any team consisting of Pele starts with the advantage of having the greatest footballer of all time at their disposal, but there was more to the Brazilian national team of 1970 World Cup. They also had some other great players like Tostao, Rivellino, Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho and Clodoaldo in their squad.

Coached by 2-time World Cup winner Mario Zagallo, the Brazil team played football of the highest quality in that tournament. They beat England, Uruguay and Italy en route to their 3rd World Cup trophy, and made the Jules Rimet trophy their own.

Pele scored a brilliant header in the 4-1 win over Italy in the final, and then set another one up for Carlos Alberto with an inch-perfect pass. He also had a header saved brilliantly by England's goalie Gordon Banks and played a wonderful dummy that almost led to a goal against Uruguay.

Moreover, Jairzinho scored in every match Brazil played in that tournament, and that record has not been equalled yet. Tostao and Rivellino also enthralled the spectators with their outstanding skills, as Brazil reaffirmed their status as the strongest footballing nation in the world.

Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee