5 Ridiculously dominant football clubs you may not have heard of

Modified Jul 12, 2019 09:40 GMT

In football, the cream rises to the top. As fans of the beautiful game, we all know about the likes of Juventus steamrolling their way to eight successive titles in Italy, or the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona tearing it up in their respective leagues.

But in some of the world's lesser-known footballing nations, there are teams who have brought their dominance to a new level. These teams don't just win their leagues, they routinely beat the opposition by preposterous score lines, go for years without losing a game and make a clean sweep of trophies each year.

Access to prize money, along with a winning mentality, can allow these teams to consolidate their grip on power, growing stronger and stronger with each season that passes by. In smaller leagues, with lower attendances and less money in the game, it can be difficult for anyone to launch a serious challenge to the title holders, meaning this state of affairs can go on for decades. Here are five of the world's most dominant teams you may not have heard about.

#5 TNS (Wales)

The New Saints are the only fully professional side in the Welsh Premier League and it shows. Having won the Welsh top flight for the past eight seasons on the trot, the Shropshire based side is seemingly unassailable. In 2016, they broke Ajax's longstanding record for consecutive wins, racking up 27 victories in a row.

The Saints' success in the league has allowed them to compete in Champions League qualifiers season after season, with ties against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool improving their profile and revenue streams even further.

#4 Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova)

Tottenham Hotspur FC take on FC Sheriff in Europa League action

Moldova's FC Sheriff Tiraspol have the backing of the Sheriff Corporation, one of Moldova's largest companies. Thanks to an abundance of funding from their financiers, FC Sherriff have set a series of astonishing records in Moldovan football. In the past 18 years, Sherriff have failed to win the Moldovan top flight only once, in 2010-11. Added to their 17 titles are nine Moldovan Cup wins and seven Super Cup victories.

The funds at their disposal have allowed them to become the first club in the country to sign players from South America and Africa, and they've even managed to carry their success into European competition, making the Europa League group stages on four occasions.

#3 Glasgow City (Scotland)

You might think the most dominant club in Scotland is Celtic, who are firmly entrenched at the top of the Scottish Premier League. But Celtic do at least have Rangers to challenge them. In the Scottish Women's League, Glasgow City are head and shoulders above every team they come up against.

Having won their league 12 times in a row, the Petershill Park side are on course for a 13th, having won every game they've played so far this season. The club has also won the Scottish Women's Cup eight times, and reached the last 16 of the Women's Champions League last season, before going out to Barcelona.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of Glasgow City's dominance came in May 2010, when they beat Kilmarnock 29-0 in a league game.

#2 BATE Borisov (Belarus)

Belarussian outfit BATE Borisov may have only been founded in 1996, but they've already won 15 league titles, 13 of those consecutively. They began life by winning promotion from their country's third tier and haven't looked back.

BATE Borisov don't know what it means to fail. The worst season in the history of the club was in 2005 when they finished in 5th place in the top flight and were runners up in the national cup.

Although they're yet to manage a fully unbeaten season, BATE have managed to succeed in Europe despite having a squad made up mostly of domestic-based players, reaching the Europa League group stages on multiple occasions.

#1 Al Ahly (Egypt)

Al Ahly at the FIFA Club World Championships

Egypt's Al Ahly are of the best supported and most successful clubs in the whole of Africa. With no fewer than 40 league titles to their name, along with dozens of domestic and continental cups, Al Ahly is the most decorated football club in the world.

In 2006, the club pulled off one of the most amazing achievements in football history, remaining unbeaten for the season in all competitions, drawing two league games but winning every other game they took part in.

Since 2004, there have been only three seasons in which Al Ahly failed to win the title. Once, that honour went to bitter rivals Zamalek. On the only other occasion Al Ahly failed to win the league was cancelled due to political issues.

Edited by Raunak J