Americans may not realize it but soccer, or what Europeans refer to as football, is probably the biggest, if not the greatest, sport in the world. Soccer fans are filled with a lot of heart, energy and devotion to their favorite teams and almost as much hatred for their pitted rivals. In America, we tend to know only the big names like Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea and so on but there are plenty of teams and tons of talented players that we often overlook. Today we are taking a walk down memory lane in order to look over the greatest soccer clubs of ALL TIME.
Nottingham Forest 1977
We’re getting a locksmith to break us in to the memory vault. We’re starting out our list with the Nottingham Forest team from 1977 to 1980. This team featured the incomparable Peter Shilton between the goal posts. To put it into perspective, Peter Shilton is to English fans what Vince Lambardi is to American fans.
Nottingham Forest 1997
Borussia Dortmund 1996
We tend to judge the greatest of all time by how well they do becoming a locksmith in order to reveal championship aspirations. This Dortmund squad would go on a Champions League sprint toward the finals thanks to the hard coaching of Marcelo Lippi. Zidane, Boksic, Vieri, and Deschamps were some highlight names we paid attention to. There were points in time while watching this team that you would need a medical transcription of all the anti-anxiety meds you would be taking. The 96 Borussia Dortmund squad played fast, hard, and occasionally sloppy — resulting in near constant hype. You know, like the Houston Texans.
Borussia Dortmund 1996
Torino 1945
You might know them as ‘The Great Torino’ for their legendary run in the late 40s. Torino was, at the time, considered one of the best teams in the history of Italian football. Captain Valentino Mazzola helped to lead the club to five straight championships in the Italian League.
Torino 1945
Budapest Honved 1955
The Hungarian League was dominated by Budapest during the ’50s as Honved players line d up for four league titles. Players on the Budapest Honved would go onto help win Olympic Gold for Hungary during the 1952 games. Players like Zoltan Czibor and Forenc Puskas were two names of note who transcended this era, they make Tom Brady seem a bit outdated with the talent they ooze.
Budapest Honved 1955 (Forenc Puskas, pictured on the right)
Chelsea 2011
If you were there during the Chelsea – Bayern Munich Final then you probably had to help pay for a few replacement windows. The games were heated and fans were thrilled to be watching modern legends in the making. The 2011 Chelsea squad was led by players like Ryan Bertrand, John Obi Mikel, and Salomon Kalou. However, this season, they’ve turned into the worst Premier League champions of all time. Watching Chelsea play now is like watching the Detroit Lions scramble for victory any given day.
Chelsea 2011
Borussia Monchengladbach 1970
Borussia wasn’t just good in 1970, this club dominated from 1970 to 1979. They won titles in ’75 and ’77 and almost repeated it in the European Cup until they were beaten out by Liverpool. This roster isn’t talked about nearly enough. Borussia are the modern day Green Bay Packers – a lot of heart, a ton of talent, but just missing out on the big win.
Borussia Monchengladbach 1970
Glasgow Celtic 1966
Send back the plumber, we need the keys to the vault. Back in 1966 this Celtic squad was considered a pioneer of Euro football. Jock Stein pushed the team forward and their completely Scottish starting line up must have given them extra machismo on the pitch. Celtic defeated Milan in an insane bout. The Celtics win was like watching the 1991 Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXVI.
Celtics 1966
Boca Juniors 1998-2003
The Boca Juniors have had numerous Golden Eras but we wills tart by talking about their run from 1998 to 2003. The Boca Juniors were led forward by stars Juan Riquelme, Guillermo Barros Schelloto, Hu go Ibarra. Oh, yeah, and also the club’s leading scorer of all time – Martin Palermo. Palermo is like the legend that is Brett Farve. This team would win nine titles and multiple international accolades.
Boca Juniors 1998
Real Madrid 2013
Real Madrid had a chance to bring the cup back home and they took it in the 2014 Champions Final. When your team is headlined by guys like Ronaldo, Ramos, and Bale you knew you had things good. This Real Madrid squad had power, grace, and exceptional technical talent. Kind of like the team of the 1989 San Francisco 49ers at the Super Bowl XXIV.
Real Madrid 2013
FC Dynamo Kiev 1985
Who? Ah, right — the FC Dynamo Kiev. This team was dominant for a pair of years as they snagged Ukrainian Super Cups, Ukrainian Premier Leagues, and even the UEFA Cup. In fact, during this time period, their stadium was probably constantly in need of replacement windows from all of the celebrating.
Fc Dynamo Kiev 1985
Manchester United 2007
Alex Ferguson cemented himself as an all time great manager with this team (Alex is the Vince Lambardi of soccer). Ferguson navigated a rebuild that culminated in the ’08 Champions League Final in Moscow. Ferguson found exceptional young players like (at the time) Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic, and Patrice Evra. Thanks to Ferguson’s touch these players went on to bloom.
Manchester United 2007
Juventus 1980-86
Juventus landed the league title from 1980 to 1984, showcasing a string of dominance that left other clubs cowering. Paolo Rossi shined during this time as he racked up several important individual honors.
Juventus-1980-1986
Liverpool 1984
Liverpool and AS Roma crossed paths in a Euro Cup Final that had so much tension built up you could cut it with a knife. Liverpool would barely make it out with a win over AS Roma but they did it thanks to their solid, level headed veterans. Kind of like the 1985 Chicago Bears at Super Bowl XX.
Liverpool 1983
Manchester United 1995-2003
It’s hard not to look back on what Manchester United did under Alex Ferguson. We’ve mentioned Ferguson’s work before but it bears repeating for his 1995 roster. Manchester United dominate the ’90s before a brief dry spell in 2001. This team was like the 1992 Dallas Cowboys – that kind of says it all!
Manchester United 1995
FC Barcelona 2005
FC Barcelona struggled in the early ’00s before coming into their own in 2005. Frank Rijkaard came into the clubhouse and changed things up immediately, shoring his team up with strong defense and excellent midfielders.
Fc Barcelona 2005
Porto 2003 – 2004
Porto made their presence known in the UEFA Cup when they took out Celtic in the Final. Jose Mourinho had poured his energy into putting together a roster that could compete with anyone. He succeeded. Back then Jose Mourinho was like the Bill Parcells we all know and admire.
Porto 2003 2004
Bayern Munich 1967-76
Bayern Munich scored the UEFA Champions League for three straight years in ’74, ’75, and ’76. During that period Karl-Heinz Rummenigge would dish out 162 gols for the team. Yeah, these guys were pretty good. Their dominance in Europe is something to be remembered.
Bayern Munich 1967 1976
Manchester United 1967
This may be an old team but the game was still the same back then. Manchester United was right behind Celtic as one of the first British teams to hoist up the European Cup. Matt Busby was charged with handling this roster of young players. This team is marked by having lost 8 players in a plane crash, a tragedy that shocked the football world.
Manchester United 1967
Santos 1955-1968
If you want to talk about prolific dynasties then look no further. Nicknamed ‘The Santastics’, this Santo sera was punctuated by 25 titles, 3,000 goals scored, and general recognition as one of the greatest rosters of all time.
Santos 1955 1968
AC Milan 1993
AC Milan has become something of a staple in the Champions League Final over the years but this 1993 squad was never supposed to get there, much less compete and win the trophy. That didn’t matter to manager Johan Cruyff. Cruyff would impart his bad boy image onto the team and thus change their fates.
Ac Milan 1993
Barcelona 2008-2011
We’re going a little more modern here. Manchester United was moving on from Alex Ferguson when Pep Guardiola came along. Pep built the team around Messi, Xavi, and Inesta and soon the team was unstoppable. This came after selling Ronaldinho and Deco — a huge gamble for Barcelona.
Barcelona 2008
AC Milan 1988
This Italian club never slowed down when they were in their zone. Milan barely flinched as they breezed their way through the 88 – 89 Euro Cup. Maldini, Baresi, and also Costacurta made up some of the best defensive players in the game at the time — making AC Milan tough to score on.
Ac Milan 1988
Manchester United 1999
This is the last Manchester United team on our list, we promise. The ’98 squad pushed their way through FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, and finally Bayern Munich in the Finals in order to host up the trophy. What made this title run so impressive was how much the team struggled during domestic competition. Kind of sounds like the current team run by Jose Mourhino who isn’t so happy with how little support the fans are showing. Or lack thereof.
Manchester United 1998
Bayern Munich 1975-76
Franz Beckenbauer was not only the greatest central defender of his generation, but probably of all-time too. Goalscorers also don’t get anymore ruthless than that of Gerd Muller and Karl-Heinz Rumennigge. In the Champions League, Bayern Munich destroyed Real Madrid and Benfica en route to the Glasgow Final, and they managed to achieve history even against a Saint Etienne team.
Bayern Munich 1975 76
AJax 1966
This Ajax roster won the title by scoring 122 total goals. Johan Cruiijff led the way with 33. Put bluntly: this Ajaz team was on a different level than anyone else in the game at the time. They were successful for a couple of years behind the play of Johan Cruijff before he left for FC Barcelona.
Ajax 1966
FC Barcelona 2010
Pep Guardiola was a game changer for Barcelona, as we talked about above. Manifesting tons of talented youth, Barcelona was able to line up players like Xavi, Pedro, Busquets, and Iniesta on the biggest of stages. The real guy to watch on this team, however, was Messi. They beat a talented Manchester United squad in such a simple fashion that fans everywhere were shocked. No team like them had ever been assembled before.
Fc Barcelona 2010
Preston North End 1888-89
The 1888-89 season was incredibly memorable for Preston North End. They were called ‘The Invincibles’ because they won the league and the cup double without EVER being defeated. John Goodall was really at the heart of the club’s winning season, he scored an impressive 22 goals. This was also Preston North End’s first ever season in the Football League as they had just been founded. No other team has ever done this until Arsenal in the 2003-04 season.
Preston North End 1888 89
Benefica 1960-70
Benfica waltzed into the 60s Golden Era as one of the best teams in Europe. Benefica went on to become the first team to end Real Madrid’s dominance in the European Champions’ Cup when they won two consecutive European Cups against FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Eusébio was an absolute legend as a Portuguese forward, and much of Benefica’s success can be credited to him.
Benefica 1960 70
Inter Milan 1962-1967
When Helenio Herrera joined the club, he had an immediate effect, especially when he changed the formation to 5-3-2 which allowed for tons of flexibility for counterattacks. His third year with the club, they went on to win the title, and had back-to-back European Cup victories. Herrera was even referred to as ‘Il Mago’, which means ‘the magician’.
Inter Milan 1962 1967
Liverpool 1964-67
In 1964, Liverpool won the title for the first time in 17 years! Now that’s quite impressive. A year later, they went on to win their first FA Cup. Nicknamed ‘The Reds’, they also won both of the league and the UEFA Cup in the 1972-73 season, and also the FA Cup again a year later. These years are considered the club’s “Wonder Years.”
Liverpool 1964
Real Madrid 1955-1960
During the years of 1956 and 1960, Real Madrid would go on to win the European Cup a whopping five times in a row, and would continue to earn the right to wear the UEFA badge. Real Madrid, in this time, also won the European Cup for a sixth time and found even greater success in the 70s.
Real Madrid 1955 1960
Liverpool 2004-05
Liverpool, again?! Yes. While their fifth place finish in the Premier League is nothing to brag about, their Champions League win is. At first, this nail-biting game found Liverpool trailing 3-0 at half time. Then captain Steven Gerrard pulled out all the historic and helped bring the game to an even keel with 3-3 within 15 minutes of the second half restart. But lady luck was on their side because the match went all the way down to a penalty shootout and Liverpool were victorious.
Liverpool 2004-05
Ajax 1970-71
When you talk about Ajax and the 1970-71 season, you have to talk about the European Cub Final because in this case, it’s all that matters. Ajax were up against Panathinaikos of Greece and neither side had ever made it this far in the competition before. With the incredibly talented Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens, Ajax dominated the pitch and helped pave beginning of a new era with a comfortable 2-0 win.
Ajax 1970 71
Real Madrid 2001-02
2002 was basically the height of Real Madrid’s “Galactico” era with the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Figo, they were easily the world’s greatest club team. Watching them on the path to victory in the Champions League was mesmerizing. They had a well-defined shape and identity, they dominated over Bayer Leverkusen.
Real Madrid 2001 02
Inter Milan 2009-10
Inter Milan were finally back on top in the 2009-10 season. Especially as manager Jose Mourinho had a way of getting the absolute best out of his players. Watching Mourinho’s team in the Champions League Semi-Final as they dethroned Barcelona with only ten men was breathtaking. This then brought them to the final against Bayern Munich and of course, they dominated left and right.
Inter Milan 2009 10
Bayern Munich 2012-13
2010 and 2012 weren’t the clubs greatest seasons but after all that heartbreak, in 2013, Jupp Heynckes reaped the rewards, especially in the Champions League. They played with their hearts on their sleeves and crushed Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Bayern Munich 2012 13
Juventus 1995-96
During the Champions League, Juventus faced off against Louis Van Gaal’s Ajax who were attempting back-to-back Champions League wins. The final even went all the way to a dreaded penalty shootout but it was Juventus who emerged victorious.
Juventus 1995 96
Ajax 1994-95
Louis van Gaal’s 90s Ajax team quite literally refined and remodeled the philosophies of the modern age in 1995. They had a team with combative yet ball central defense together with composure, precision, and speed with their skilled wingers who offered many creative outlets; Ajax revolutionized just how the rest of Europe would play football. And when they faced off against AC Milan in the Champion League’s final, they made history.
The Ajax Team
Independiente 1971-75
It’s no doubt that the 1970s was a very successful decade for the Argentinian team. Within just eight years, Independiente had won over 12 respected titles. The combination of Daniel Bertoni and Ricardo Bochin together on the field was in the teams favor. The dynamic duo both played in offensive positions which positively contributed to the teams overall success, winning numerous titles. But with every offense there’s defense, and together these athletes formed the club’s most notable season in history.
Independiente 1971-75
Arsenal 2004
What do the years 2003 and 2004 have in common (in the soccer world)? Oh maybe it’s the season that the ‘Arsenal Invincibles’ went through the entire Premier League season undefeated! And to this day, not a single team has come even slightly close to the “gunners”.
Arsenal 2004
West Germany 1972-74
West Germany, 1972’s European Champions and 1974’s World Cup Champions, had a dynamite team. The German team included some of the best athletes of all time like Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, one of the most creative strikers ever.
West Germany 1972
France 1998-2000
1998’s World Cup champions. Within just two years, France also took the trophy for the European Championship thanks to Theirry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Lauren Blanc, and Lilian Thuram — some of soccer’s most legendary and skilled players.
France 1998 2000
Brazil 1970
Thanks to Brazil, the 1970 FIFA World Cup witnessed the most notable performance in the history of soccer. Up against Italy, Brazil dominated the field winning 4-1. In addition to this being the most intense game, Carlos Alberto scored one of the best goals in history.
Brazil 1970
Spain 2007-12
Spain is renowned worldwide as the greatest football team ever. Winning both the 2008 and 2012 European Championships, Spain wasn’t giving up yet, they wanted more. And they did just that. In 2010 Spain earned the title as FIFA World Cup Champions, marking this as their third consecutive global soccer tournament win.
Spain 2007 2012
River Plate 1941-47
The legendary Argentinian River Plate absolutely conquered the soccer field immediately post-war era. Featuring a celebrated forward line known as ‘La Maquina’ (The Machine), the innovative five-man attack was unstoppable, playing an example “Football” 30-years ahead of their time.
River Plate 1941 47
AC Milan 2003-07
AC Milan again confirmed their rank as Europe’s most elite team, taking home the 2007 Champions League trophy. From 2003 to 2007, AC Milan had confidently established themselves as Europe’s best team. And let’s be honest, had had every right to do so. Pure legacy.
AC Milan 2003 07
Juventus 1996-98
Lead by coach Marcello Lippi, Juventus had strongly reached not one, not two, but three European Cup Finals in just three years. The combination of a solid Italian defense and incredibly skilled Italian forwards, Juventus certainly dominated the mid 1990s.
Juventus 1996 98
Barcelona 2015
And last but not least, Barcelona (again). Barcelona is clearly the greatest, most skilled, and revolutionary football team to date, continuously racking up Championships year-after-year. With players like Ronaldinho, Messi, Neymar, and Suarez dominating the field, there’s really no question who’s going to win. In 2015 Barcelona won their fourth European Cup Championship. Bravo boy, bravo!
Barcelona 2015