The World Cup trophy is the biggest accolade in international football and a dream title for every player on the planet. Only rare ones get a chance to lift it and even a smaller portion of the greatest ones play a big role in the process. It takes something special for any team to go all the way and claim World Cup glory. Out of them all, we have selected the top-ten greatest teams in the history of the competition.
10 – The Netherlands, 1978
‘The Netherlands are widely considered as the unluckiest team in the history of the World Cups’ said John Pentin, head of football at bettingtips4you.com. They have lost consecutive finals in 1974 and 1978. We have decided to start this article with the 1978 Oranje squad. The Dutch were stopped by the last obstacle at the hands of Argentina that year.
9 – Italy, 1938
Italy ruled global football in the 1930s. Azzurri went on to win a double crown in 1934 and 1938. We have selected the latter squad for this list. They generally say it is more difficult to defend the crown than win it. This Italian team managed to do it thanks namely to Giuseppe Meazza whose name now represents the home of Milan’s legendary San Siro stadium. The 1938 Azzurri have beaten Hungary 4-2 in the final.
8 – Brazil, 2002
The 2002 Brazilian team may not have been the very best in the history of the competition but it was certainly the only Selecao outfit to lift the title by winning all seven matches in the tournament. They have had an impressive 18-4 goal difference along the way. The fact they have shipped just one goal in the knockout phase while having the like of Ronaldo with eight goals in the tournament on the opposite end says enough about the team’s strength.
7 – Brazil, 1982
We stay with Brazil but go back two decades earlier. The 1982 Selecao was probably the best team to have failed to lift the World Cup trophy. They fell to Italy in the knockout phase but we will never forget the style and the beauty this team had with the likes of Socrates, Eder, and Zico.
6 – Hungary, 1954
The Magical Magyars were shockingly stopped at the last hurdle in the 1954 final against West Germany. This team had it all and were magnificently guided by the main star Ferenc Puskas. They have eliminated the likes of Brazil and Uruguay on the way to the final. The mentioned loss to West Germany was the team’s maiden defeat in 50 international affairs from 1950 to 1956.
5 – Brazil, 1962
This Brazilian generation won two subsequent World Cups. In 1962, they have even managed to do it without the injured Pele. In the absence of one of the best players in the history of the game, it was Garrincha who stood up with phenomenal displays, cementing this Brazilian side as one of the best teams in the history of the competition.
4 – Spain, 2010
Xavi and Iniesta have won everything with Barcelona and Spain. They represented the heart of the “tiki-taka” style that marked a whole era of European and world football. Their crown came in 2010 in South Africa where La Furia Roja dispatched the Netherlands in the final thanks to a late Andres Iniesta strike.
3 – Brazil, 1958
The 1958 tournament in Sweden gave birth to the legendary Pele. He has become the youngest player to feature in a World Cup final, the youngest scorer in the World Cup final, and the youngest player to take the World Cup trophy medal on the occasion. Pele starred as Selecao destroyed hosts Sweden 5-2 in the final.
2 – West Germany, 1974
Much like Spain did in the 2010s, West Germany dominated world football in the 1970s. Fresh off their 1972 EURO trophy, West Germany confirmed its dominance by conquering the world just two years later. Franz Beckenbauer commanded the team from the back, while Gerd Muller was lethal on the opposite end.
1 – Brazil, 1970
It is very hard to cherry-pick a single team out of all the aforementioned great squads. Since we had to do it, the choice went to the 1970 Brazilian side. In our modest opinion, this was the most dominant team ever. The manner in which they lifted the trophy was spectacular. Any true football fan should find the videos of 1970 Selecao and enjoy the purest, at moments supernatural plays.
