When PSG won the Champions League at the end of the 2024/2025 season in scintillating fashion - the Parisiens beat Inter Milan 5-0 in one of the most one-sided finals in history - there was real talk about them being one of the best European sides ever and suggestions they could go onto enjoy a real dynasty.
While the Ligue 1 side conquered all in France, and lifted the Champions League title too, they perhaps don't quite match up with some of the greatest teams in history - whether that be club or country. From the incredible Liverpool sides under Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley to the dominant Barcelona and Spain teams towards the late 2000s, some football clubs come along and completely write their own chapter in history. But throughout history, which ten sides can be considered the greatest of them all?
As always with a list like this, there is an element of subjectivity, and so we've decided to include a set of ranking factors to better come to a decision. A couple of Premier League sides do feature, as do some of the greatest international teams in history, but who can really claim to being the best ever? Find out below.
Ranking Factors
Trophies won
Quality of players and manager
Legacy in football
Style of play
10 France - 1998 to 2000
France 1998
To kick off this list of the best football teams of all-time, it's France's side from 1998-2000. Les Bleus would dominate international football in incredible fashion, winning not only the World Cup in 1998, but then the European Championships in 2000 too. Unsurprisingly, the team boasted some legendary names, including the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira in midfield, and an emerging Thierry Henry in the forward areas.
Their ability to come up clutch was perhaps their most defining feature, which was on full display in their Euros triumph, with the likes of Sylvain Wiltord and David Trezeguet rescuing them from despair.
9 Manchester United - 1999
Man Utd players after winning 1999 Champions League final
Man Utd players after winning 1999 Champions League final
Manchester United's treble-winning side of 1999 makes it onto this list of the greatest football teams in history. Sir Alex Ferguson's men were just minutes away from missing out on Champions League glory, but a dramatic ending that featured last-gasp goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer completed one of the most epic comebacks the game has ever seen.
From having plenty of academy stars become cornerstones of the team - not least the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers - to world-class stars players like Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel, United were a force to be reckoned with. And, having been the most dominant team in England during the 1990s, Ferguson's side conquered Europe in dramatic fashion.
8 Inter - 1962 to 1967
San Siro, home of AC MIlan and Inter.
San Siro, home of AC MIlan and Inter.
When you have a tactical genius like Helenio Herrera at the helm, you know you've always got a chance of being successful. Well, Inter had one of the sharpest minds in the game as their manager in the 1960s, and, unsurprisingly, delivered great success to the Nerazzurri during his spell in charge.
Having perfected the catenaccio system, Inter would go on to win three Serie A titles, two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups too. The Italian side featured some of the best players on the planet at the time, including the likes of Luis Suarez, Sandro Mazzola and Giacinto Facchetti. Indeed, it was Mazzola who perhaps best shed light on how Herrera operated.
He was light years ahead. He used to train our brains before our legs.
7 Barcelona - 2008 to 2012
Barcelona 2011
In terms of the modern era, perhaps no club team has ever hit a peak as high as Barcelona did between 2008 and 2012. Led by Pep Guardiola, the Catalan giants boasted arguably the greatest midfield in football history - Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta - and with it, implemented a tiki-taka style of play that had teams all over Europe scrambling to catch up.
In Guardiola's four years at the helm during this period, Barcelona would win 14 trophies in total, including multiple La Liga and Champions League titles - not to mention the fact that the Spanish boss helped to mould one of the greatest players of all-time in Lionel Messi.
6 Liverpool - 1975 to 1984
Bob-Paisley-Liverpool
It is a great testament to Bob Paisley's achievements at Liverpool that he followed on from one of the greatest managers the game has ever seen in Bill Shankly, and delivered yet more success to Anfield. The Reds' spine included the likes of Alan Hansen at the back, Graeme Souness in midfield, and a front two of Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish.
Liverpool would win four European Cups between 1975 and 1984, including back-to-back triumphs in 1977 and 1978. That's not to mention the seven First Division titles they would also pick up domestically, and unsurprisingly, remains one of the golden periods in Liverpool history.
5 Real Madrid - 1955 to 1960
Alfredo Di Stefano balancing a ball on his finger
To think that Real Madrid had both Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas during the 1950s was almost unfair to the rest of Europe. Los Blancos employed an aggressive three-at-the-back formation designed to get the best out of their mercurial attacking talents.
Puskas, Di Stefano, Raymond Kopa and Franco Gento all combined to great effect, with Madrid winning five consecutive European Cups, and Di Stefano scoring in every single one of those successful finals. Indeed, Gento even declared:
When you have talent like Raymond Kopa, Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo di Stéfano, you have to put them all in the team and as a result we were very attack-minded. We had so many great players in that team it's not surprising we won so many European Cups.
4 Milan - 1987 to 1991
AC Milan trio Frank Rijkaard, Franco Baresi and Ruud Gullit celebrate together.
Under legendary manager Arrigo Sacchi, Milan built one of the most impressive units - especially from a defensive point of view - in world football. The arrivals of iconic Dutch duo Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit added to an already impressive core that included the likes of Franco Baresi at the back.
Milan would win back-to-back European Cups to showcase their dominance on the continental stage, and led by Baresi and an emerging Paolo Maldini at the back, the Rossoneri were a tough nut to crack.
3 Brazil - 1970
Brazil 1970
Arguably the most entertaining side in football history, Brazil's World Cup winning side in 1970 featured some of the game's greatest ever players - not least the man who many considered the original GOAT, Pele. The Selecao also boasted the likes of Jairzinho, Rivelino and Tostao among some other legendary names, and they played a style of football that was attacking, vibrant and on the front foot.
Brazil's samba skill and flair was on show all tournament, and when you consider that the 1970 World Cup was the first ever to be shown on colour on television screens around the world, it's no surprise the team is revered so fondly even to this day.
2 Ajax - 1965 to 1973
johan-cruyff-ajax
When you think of a football team revolutionising the way the game is played, then Ajax's side from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s are perhaps number one on that list. Not only did they dominate Dutch football during this era, but they played a style of football that has since been emulated and imitated by some of the best teams and managers the game has ever seen.
Rinus Michels at the helm saw Ajax implement their now-famous 'Total Football' system - a footballing philosophy designed to emphasise technical skill, versatility and pressing from the front. Johan Cruyff was central to that vision being carried out on the pitch, winning the Ballon d'Or in 1971, 1973 and then in 1974 too.
1 Spain - 2008 to 2012
David Villa and Pepe Reina celebrate winning Euro 2008
A team who won two successive European Championships and a World Cup in between, Spain in that incredible four-year period showed the footballing world the kind of vision of what the beautiful game could be. Led by fearsome attack that included the likes of Fernando Torres and David Villa, their midfield trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets conquered all - not only at international level but of course with Barcelona too.
What perhaps made this iteration of Spain so good, was their strength in depth. Midfielders like Cesc Fabregas and Juan Mata could only make do with being squad options, although the former did pop up with the vital contribution of setting up Iniesta for the winner in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands.