The best soccer teams of the past 25 years, ranked from 25 to 1

It took agelong enough, but Chelsea's triumph implicit Paris Saint-Germain successful the Club World Cup last marked the extremity of the 25th European shot play this century.

And arsenic my workfellow Bill Barnwell recognized past week, 25 is halfway to 50 and a 4th of the mode to 100. So, helium ranked the apical 25 NFL teams of the past 25 years, and present I'm present with your ranking of the apical 25 nine teams of the 21st century.

The mode the crippled is played has changed drastically since 2000. Think of it this way: Oleg Blokhin, Franz Beckenbauer, and Johan Cruyff finished one-two-three successful Ballon d'Or voting successful 1975. In 2000, the apical 3 were Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, and Andriy Shevchenko. If you ticker highlights from those 2 eras, the athletics hardly resembles itself -- and the aforesaid magnitude of clip has passed since this period began.

But that doesn't mean we can't comparison teams crossed the past 25 years. To bash so, I've looked astatine each play played crossed Europe's Big Five apical leagues since 2000. First, I ranked each of those teams by a operation of points per crippled and extremity differential per game, with a 60-40 weighting successful favour of points. Then, I adjusted for league difficulty, based connected the mean ratings for each league successful each of the past 25 seasons from the Club Elo ratings.

From there, I awarded teams with bonus points for winning the Champions League, reaching the final, reaching the semifinals, reaching the quarterfinals, and reaching the circular of 16. Based connected those points, the last standing comes retired to astir a 70% value for home show and a 30% value for Champions League performance. Given that home play isn't arsenic prone to random fluctuation arsenic the Champions League since the schedules are balanced and determination are 3 times arsenic galore games, that feels astir close to me.

Now, let's get to the apical 25 of the past 25 years ...

25. PSG, 2024-25

-Points per game: 2.47
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.68
-Champions League: winner

Fittingly, the 25th-best squad of the past 25 years is the champion squad of 2025. Two different PSG teams produced much points successful Ligue 1, and 4 outscored their opponents astatine a higher rate. But Luis Enrique's broadside recovered a mode to bash what nary different PSG broadside could bash and ore their excellence down into the astir important portion of the season: from March until May.

24. Real Madrid, 2023-24

-Points per game: 2.5
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.61
-Champions League: winner

Remember that full spiel astir methodology successful the intro? That was a lie. This is conscionable a database of the teams that won the past 25 Champions League titles, successful reverse chronological order.

OK, present that's a prevarication -- due to the fact that lone 12 Champions League winners adjacent made the list.

The comic happening astir Real Madrid is that they often triumph the Champions League without playing each that good successful LaLiga. In 2002, they won the European Cup contempt 66 points, a plus-25 extremity differential, and a third-place decorativeness successful Spain. That level of show successful LaLiga this past play would've enactment them successful the Europa League adjacent year.

As for the 2023-24 team, they were unspeakable successful the archetypal fractional of the last against Borussia Dortmund, but dissimilar successful years past, they didn't request smoke-and-mirrors-and-95th-minute goals to get there. Yes, they took down Manchester City successful a shootout and Bayern Munich with a precocious comeback, but they hung choky with City for astir of the matchup and importantly outplayed Bayern successful the semis. This besides was borne retired successful the league: They finished 10 points up of second, took location 95, and mislaid 1 crippled each season.

23. Barcelona, 2016-17

-Points per game: 2.37
-Goal differential per game: plus-2.1
-Champions League: quarterfinalist

This was the past twelvemonth of the Luis Enrique, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar era. It featured the celebrated comeback against PSG, but neither a European nor home league triumph. But this Barcelona squad reached 90 points successful the league and produced a plus-79 extremity differential, which was 14 goals amended than first-place Real Madrid. Most notably, they scored 116 goals successful LaLiga -- the 3rd astir of immoderate squad crossed the Big Five leagues this century.

This squad won everything with these players and this manager -- and it inactive feels arsenic if they won little than they should've.

22. Real Madrid, 2013-14

-Points per game: 2.29
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.74
-Champions League: winner

Yes, they finished 3rd successful LaLiga that year, but 87 points, a plus-66 extremity differential, and a Champions League rubric is an all-time large play for astir clubs.

Ángel Di María, successful particular, was unthinkable successful his past twelvemonth successful Spain. He played arsenic a benignant of hybrid winger/midfielder who covered each of the crushed that the beforehand 3 of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Gareth Bale wouldn't. His walk representation from the Champions League last is dissimilar thing I've ever seen before:

Di Maria was capable to beryllium a supporting glue-guy oregon a goal-scoring superstar. Manchester United signed him aft this lucifer -- and they inactive recovered a mode to screw it up.

21. Manchester City, 2022-23

-Points per game: 2.34
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.61
-Champions League: winner

Arguably the top Premier League squad of each clip is ... 21st?

This Man City squad was similar this season's PSG team: They yet figured retired a mode to crook it connected astatine the close time. But different City sides were mode much ascendant from commencement to decorativeness than this squad was. Five different City teams produced amended constituent totals and 8 different City sides produced amended extremity differentials. To triumph the Champions League, you don't request to triumph it erstwhile you're astatine your best. It's excessively random and chaotic for that. No, to triumph the Champions League, you person to either A) beryllium Real Madrid, oregon B) beryllium bully capable to triumph it, twelvemonth aft twelvemonth aft year.

20. Bayern Munich, 2015-16

-Points per game: 2.59
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.85
-Champions League: semifinalist

After losing the archetypal limb of the semifinals to Atletico successful Madrid 1-0, Bayern needed to triumph by aggregate goals astatine location to advance. And well, they surely did capable to get there:

They would've been up 2-0 aft 35 minutes, but Jan Oblak saved Thomas Müller's penalty, and Atletico yet precocious connected distant goals. All successful all, this was astir apt the champion Bayern squad of the Pep Guardiola era, adjacent if they're not our highest rated. And a missed punishment from a nine fable was each that kept them from being favored implicit Real Madrid successful the final.

19. Barcelona, 2008-09

-Points per game: 2.29
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.84
-Champions League: winner

This squad started Messi, Samuel Eto'o, and Thierry Henry up front. Dani Alves was successful his prime. The midfield stars, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, were conscionable entering theirs. Pep Guardiola inactive had hair. They outscored their opponents 105-35 successful LaLiga. And they easy dispatched the Ronaldo-Rooney-Tevez Manchester United broadside successful the Champions League final.

Somehow, this isn't adjacent adjacent to being the champion Barcelona squad of the 21st century.

18. Liverpool, 2021-22

-Points per game: 2.42
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.79
-Champions League: runner-up

To me, this was the champion Liverpool squad of the Jurgen Klopp era. The accomplishment of Ibrahima Konaté and the wellness of Joel Matip gave Liverpool a 2nd world-class halfway backmost adjacent to Virgil van Dijk. The 1 genuinely steadfast play of Thiago meant that the midfield was capable to support its antiaircraft solidity portion adding a world-class level of attacking creativity. And alternatively of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Roberto Firmino, it was those 3 positive the precocious Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz.

They were a mates kicks of the shot distant from becoming the lone English squad to ever triumph the quadruple. Instead, each they got were a mates home cupful trophies and this lousy 18th spot connected our list.

17. Manchester City, 2021-22

-Points per game: 2.45
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.92
-Champions League: semifinalist

To me, this besides might've been the champion City squad of the Guardiola era. He ever has secretly hated the restrictions that strikers enactment connected his tactics and this squad didn't request one, with Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündogan, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus each capable to lend elite-level attacking accumulation from elsewhere connected the field. Rodri truly recovered his footing successful this season, and João Cancelo enactment up an all-time large play astatine fullback. They were up 2-0 against Real Madrid 11 minutes into the tie, and they were up 5-3 with lone wounded clip to go. They, of course, someway mislaid the matchup 6-5.

16. Real Madrid, 2016-17

-Points per game: 2.45
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.71
-Champions League: winner

This is 1 of my favourite stats: As manager, Zinedine Zidane won much Champions League trophies (3) than LaLiga titles (2) with Real Madrid. This was the 1 play erstwhile helium did both.

15. Manchester City, 2018-19

-Points per game: 2.58
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.90
-Champions League: quarterfinalist

Take everything from that conception astir Bayern successful 2015-16 and use it here: much than capable chances, a fable missing a spot footwear and tiebreakers starring to elimination. City mislaid the archetypal limb of the Champions League quarterfinals successful London to Tottenham 1-0 aft Sergio Aguero missed a penalty. They needed to triumph the 2nd limb by 2 goals and conscionable astir did capable to get there:

But instead, a clump of shots went in, and they were eliminated via the away-goals regularisation by a squad that finished 28 points down them successful the Premier League table.

14. Barcelona, 2015-16

-Points per game: 2.39
-Goal differential per game: plus-2.18
-Champions League: quarterfinalist

Since 2000, lone 2 teams crossed Europe's Big Five leagues person scored much than 110 goals successful a play and fixed up less than 30. Luis Enrique's 2nd twelvemonth with Barcelona was 1 of them. Again, this three-year agelong was adjacent much awesome than anyone remembers.

13. Barcelona, 2009-10

-Points per game: 2.61
-Goal differential per game: 1.95
-Champions League: semifinalist

It's chaotic that this play is remembered arsenic thing of a failure. Barcelona swapped Samuel Eto'o for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but past mislaid to Eto'o and Inter Milan successful the Champions League semifinals contempt playing a antheral up for the last hr of the tie. Ibrahimovic scored 16 goals and added six assists successful the league, but helium was subbed disconnected with a half-hour near successful the Inter matchup and near the nine aft the season.

At the aforesaid time, Barcelona won 99 points successful LaLiga and conceded 24 goals successful 38 matches. Put different way: Real Madrid scored 102 goals, produced 96 points, and didn't adjacent triumph the league.

12. Bayern Munich, 2019-20

-Points per game: 2.41
-Goal differential per game: plus-2.0
-Champions League: winner

This was a weird play for 2 reasons: 1) Bayern fired their manager successful November, and 2) The whole, you know, COVID-19 pandemic.

But there's a tenable statement that this play should beryllium adjacent higher connected the list. I don't deliberation each Champions League wins are created equal. Some teams person harder schedules, and winning a crippled 5-0 is simply a batch antithetic than winning connected penalties. It each counts the same, sure, but erstwhile we're comparing teams crossed history, that worldly matters. Our level of investigation doesn't get down into rather that level of detail, but if it did, past this Bayern squad would benefit.

They played 11 games successful the Champions League, and astir of the knockout matches were astatine a neutral site, successful an bare stadium. The pandemic led UEFA to chopped each remaining knockout ties to a azygous match, truthful Bayern didn't extremity up playing arsenic galore matches arsenic astir winners do. But they did bash thing that nary Champions League squad has ever done: They won each azygous crippled they played successful the tournament.

11. Real Madrid, 2014-15

-Points per game: 2.42
-Goal differential per game: plus-2.11
-Champions League: semifinalist

While Bayern fired Niko Kovac and replaced him with Hansi Flik during the antecedently mentioned season, Real Madrid fired Carlo Ancelotti after the 2014-15 season.

In different words, helium won the Champions League -- the long-sought-after La Decima, Madrid's grounds 10th European Cup -- successful 2013-14. In the offseason, they replaced the team's linchpin, Angel Di Maria, with the flashy offense-first prima of the 2014 World Cup, James Rodríguez. And successful 2014-15, Ancelotti recovered a mode to integrate Rodríguez, arsenic his squad acceptable a Spanish grounds with 22 consecutive wins. They scored 118 goals -- the second-most for a squad this century. They reached 92 points. And they're 1 of lone 7 teams this period to enactment up a extremity differential of plus-80 oregon better.

Rather than receiving a beingness appointment, Carlo Ancelotti was, again, fired aft each of that happened.

10. Manchester City, 2017-18

-Points per game: 2.63
-Goal differential per game: plus-2.08
-Champions League: quarterfinalist

The squad with the champion extremity differential and astir points successful Premier League past lands lone successful 10th. The basal mentation for why: They mislaid to Liverpool successful the Champions League quarterfinals. The slightly-more-philosophical mentation for why: Fabian Delph started 21 games for this team.

Unfortunately, we ne'er truly got to spot this iteration of City spell up against 1 of the champion teams successful the world. And portion they decimated the Premier League, their performances successful the Champions League weren't peculiarly special. Their per-game expected-goal differential crossed their 10 matches was plus-0.46, conscionable the ninth-best among each the teams successful the competition.

9. Barcelona, 2011-12

-Points per game: 2.39
-Goal differential per game: plus-2.24
-Champions League: semifinalist

This was the lone play of Guardiola's four-year Barcelona vocation erstwhile the nine didn't triumph LaLiga. But they reached 91 points and enactment up a plus-85 extremity differential -- outscoring their opponents astatine a higher complaint than each but 3 different teams this century. They scored 114 goals and conceded 29. Those numbers don't marque immoderate sense! They're the highest-rated squad connected this database that didn't triumph either large trophy.

8. Barcelona, 2012-13

-Points per game: 2.63
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.98
-Champions League: semifinalist

In Tito Vilanova's lone play arsenic a nonrecreational manager, his squad tied the LaLiga grounds for points with 100 and became the archetypal Spanish squad to people successful each 38 top-flight matches. They ended the play with 115 goals, the 4th astir this century, and won the league implicit Real Madrid by 15 points.

Vilanova had been diagnosed with parotid gland crab successful November 2011. He underwent chemotherapy during the 2012-13 play but soon relapsed. Vilanova resigned from Barcelona successful the summertime of 2013. In April 2014, helium died astatine property 45.

7. Bayern Munich, 2013-14

-Points per game: 2.65
-Goal differential per game: plus-2.10
-Champions League: semifinalist

In Guardiola's archetypal play successful Germany, Bayern clinched the league rubric earlier the extremity of March. They averaged much points per crippled than his 100-point City squad and they outscored their opponents astatine a higher complaint than immoderate squad helium has coached extracurricular of the 2011-12 Barcelona side. Compared to each different team, they won much points per crippled than each but 2 teams this century, and their per-game extremity differential is the eighth-best people since 2000.

The lone large blemish: a 5-0 aggregate nonaccomplishment to Real Madrid successful the Champions League semifinals.

6. Real Madrid, 2015-16

-Points per game: 2.37
-Goal differential per game: plus-2.0
-Champions League: winner

They didn't triumph the league, but they outscored their opponents by 2 goals per crippled successful LaLiga and they won the Champions League. This was astir apt the champion combined play from the Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema trio. The erstwhile scored 39 goals and added six assists, and the different 2 ranked 3rd and fourth, respectively successful goals and assists per 90 minutes crossed Europe's Big Five leagues: 1.51 and 1.41.

And, ohio yeah, it was Zidane's archetypal play arsenic a first-division coach. Improbably, Rafa Benitez was hired to regenerate Ancelotti, and past helium was replaced by the nine fable successful January. The squad had go excessively lopsided with the summation of James Rodríguez and without the creativity of Ancellotti connected the sideline to fig it out.

The fans ne'er liked Benitez, and helium didn't person the cachet to seat an attacker successful favour of idiosyncratic who mightiness straighten retired the team. But Zidane did. He brought a young antiaircraft midfielder named Casemiro into the starting lineup and the squad ne'er looked back. They won 12 consecutive games to extremity the LaLiga play and lifted the archetypal of what would beryllium 3 consecutive European Cups.

5. Liverpool, 2018-19

-Points per game: 2.55
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.76
-Champions League: winner

Here's a database of Big Five teams that person produced astatine slightest 97 points and the Champions League successful the aforesaid season: Liverpool, 2018-19

That's it. That's the list.

4. Barcelona, 2010-11

-Points per game: 2.53
-Goal differential per game: plus-1.95
-Champions League: winner

Just to recap: Guardiola's Barcelona teams ranked 19th, 13th, 8th and 5th. Two of his Bayern teams ranked 20th and 7th. And 4 of his Manchester City teams ranked 21st, 17th, 15th and 10th. That means that 10 of the 25 teams connected this database (40%) were coached by the aforesaid guy.

This is the purist's favourite Barcelona team. The squad was finally, afloat built astir Messi's quality to dribble, tempo-set, make and people astatine a higher level than anyone other successful the world. David Villa transitioned from a halfway guardant to a benignant of box-crashing, goal-scoring winger. Pedro worked truly hard disconnected the shot and supported the different 2 strikers.

Xavi and Iniesta had conscionable finished 2nd and 3rd down Messi successful Ballon d'Or voting. Guardiola had yet moved the modern mentation of himself, Sergio Busquets, to the basal of midfield. No longer was Pep moving astir the endowment helium had disposable to him; this appeared to beryllium the nonstop endowment helium wanted.

Their 5-0 triumph implicit Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid mightiness beryllium the astir shocking and memorable idiosyncratic effect of this century. And aft their 3-1 triumph implicit Manchester United successful the Champions League final, Sir Alex Ferguson said of Barcelona, "In my clip arsenic manager, it's the champion squad I've faced."

3. Real Madrid, 2011-12

-Points per game: 2.63
-Goal differential per game: 2.34
-Champions League: semifinalist

For the nine that defines itself astir exclusively connected whether oregon not it wins the Champions League, it's ironic that possibly their champion broadside did not triumph the Champions League. It's doubly ironic erstwhile you retrieve that the squad was managed by Jose Mourinho, whose vocation is defined by the mates of times helium has lifted the European Cup.

For those reasons, I deliberation this is astir apt the astir underrated squad of the 21st century. For each of the suboptimal blimpish decisions made by Mourinho passim his career, helium got this squad perfectly right. Across 38 games, they scored a hardly believable 121 goals -- 3 much than immoderate squad this century.

With 32 goals conceded, they outscored their opponents by 89 goals -- tied for the champion people of immoderate squad since 2000. Oh, and they enactment up 100 points -- tied for the 2nd astir this period down the 102-point Juventus broadside from 2013-14 who didn't get retired of their radical successful the Champions League and didn't adjacent marque this list.

Benzema, Ronaldo, Di Maria, and Gonzalo Higuain each averaged astatine slightest 1.0 goals+assists per 90 minutes, portion Mesut Ozil added 4 goals and 18 assists. All of these guys were 26 oregon younger, past you had 22-year-old Marcelo astatine near backmost and 29-year-old Xabi Alonso pulling the strings successful midfield. Combine that with Mourinho's much passive tactical attack without the ball, and I don't deliberation determination has ever been a amended squad successful the unfastened tract than this Madrid side.

The main crushed nary 1 truly talks astir 2011-12 Madrid arsenic 1 of the all-time large teams: They mislaid a punishment shootout to Bayern Munich successful the Champions League semifinals.

2. Barcelona, 2014-15

-Points per game: 2.47
-Goal differential per game: 2.34
-Champions League: winner

Here's a database of Big Five teams that enactment up a extremity differential amended than plus-80 successful the aforesaid play they won the Champions League: Barcelona, 2014-15

That's it. That's the list.

If each of these teams played connected a neutral field, these guys would beryllium my prime to win. They enactment up these unthinkable season-long numbers (a tied-for-best-this-century plus-89 extremity differential) successful a play erstwhile immoderate Barcelona fans thought the squad was successful crisis midway done the campaign. In the Champions League, they bushed the winners of Ligue 1, the Bundesliga and Serie A. They besides eliminated the defending Premier League champs from the tournament, and bushed some Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid successful LaLiga.

While the Pep-era teams were cohesive possession machines that were afloat connected from backmost to front, Luis Enrique took a spot of a hazard and would often spot that his superstar beforehand 3 would beryllium capable to interruption down defenses connected their own. And the effect is wherefore I'm taking them implicit anyone else: They conceded 21 goals successful 38 games -- tied for lowest people of immoderate squad connected this database -- and past they had a 27-year-old Messi, a 27-year-old, and a 22-year-old Neymar playing up top.

1. Bayern Munich, 2012-13

-Points per game: 2.68
-Goal differential per game: 2.35
-Champions League: winner

While I bash deliberation 2014-15 Barcelona are the champion squad of the century, I don't deliberation there's an statement implicit which squad had the champion season. It, rather clearly, was Bayern Munich successful 2012-13 nether Jupp Heynckes.

If we instrumentality each azygous home play played crossed the Big Five leagues since 2000, determination is 1 squad unsocial atop the database of astir points per game. And determination is 1 squad unsocial atop the database of champion extremity differential per game. And those teams are the aforesaid team: 2012-13 Bayern Munich. The lone crushed they're not ranked higher successful immoderate of the totals I've mentioned is due to the fact that the Bundesliga plays lone 34 games.

And portion the deficiency of wide spot successful the Bundesliga would dampen those numbers successful caller years, Bayern did each of that erstwhile the German archetypal part was stronger than astatine immoderate different constituent this century, per the Club Elo ratings. But you don't adjacent request the ratings to recognize that. Under Jurgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund had conscionable won back-to-back Bundesliga titles successful the erstwhile 2 seasons, and they reached the Champions League last successful 2013. Bayern Munich, then, enactment unneurotic the astir ascendant home play of this period successful a twelvemonth erstwhile the second-best squad successful their league finished 2nd successful the Champions League.

Nowhere was Bayern's dominance clearer than successful the semifinals of the Champions League against Vilanova's Barcelona, the eighth-ranked squad connected this list. Bayern won the archetypal limb successful Germany 4-0, down a brace of goals from Thomas Muller and 1 apiece from Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez.

Then, successful the 2nd limb astatine Camp Nou, Robben scored aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional to widen the lead, earlier a Gerard Pique ain extremity and a capper from Muller finalized the aggregate scoreline astatine 7-0. Not lone did Bayern enactment up seven, but they held 1 of the top attacking teams of the period (115 league goals!) scoreless crossed 180 minutes.

But the astir shocking happening astir Bayern mightiness beryllium this: Robben was their champion player, and helium started lone 11 games successful the Bundesliga.