The World Cup is often seen as the pinnacle of achievement in football. It only happens once every four years and has only been won by a handful of nations. This article will look at some of the best international teams of all time.
West Germany – 1972 – 1976
The West Germany team of the 1970s was one of the most dominant international sides to ever grace a pitch. They won the 1972 Euros, won the 1974 World Cup, and reached the final of the 1976 Euros. The team featured two of the all-time greats – Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller. Of course, they couldn’t have done it alone, and the whole West Germany team was full of amazing talent to back them up.
France – 1998 – 2000
France hosted the 1998 World Cup, and many people thought that this was finally going to be their year. However, they had to beat a talented Brazil side with Ronaldo at the helm. Fortunately for France, they had Zinedine Zidane, Laurent Blanc, Thierry Henry, Didier Deschamps, and more. They destroyed Brazil 3-0 in the final of the 1998 World Cup and went on to breeze through Euro 2000 as well.
Italy – 1934 -1938
The 1934 World Cup was only the second in the competition’s history. It took place in Italy, and the home-field advantage played a part because Italy went on to win the competition. They then repeated their success in the 1938 World Cup. Winning back-to-back World Cups is a pretty rare feat, so this Italian side has to be considered one of the best.
Brazil – 1970
The Brazil side of the 1970 World Cup is widely regarded as the best international team of all time. They not only won the competition, but they won it in amazing style, scoring beautiful goals and easily brushing teams aside. With players including Pelé, Carlos Alberto, Jairzinho, Rivellino, and Gérson, they played some of the most beautiful football ever known.
Spain – 2008 – 2012
The Spanish national team was known as the team that never quite made it all the way. In their history, they had some of the world’s best players, but they could never translate it into trophies. Until 2008, that is. The Spain side that won the 2008 Euros, 2010 World Cup, and 2012 Euros was the product of an amazing Barcelona side and the La Masia training academy. They had players like Iniesta, Xavi, and Puyol that made up the spine of the team. Plus, they had amazing squad depth with world-class players regularly assigned to the bench. Winning three major tournaments back-to-back, they could be the best international team of all time. During this four-year stretch, placing a bet on Spain winning was pretty much a sure thing.
Brazil – 1958 – 1962
The Brazil team of the 1970 World Cup is often thought of as the best international side of all time. But the Brazil team from a decade before was just as graceful and successful. The 1958 World Cup saw the introduction of Pelé to the world. At just 17, he led the Brazil side to an amazing victory in the final, becoming one of the world’s biggest stars.
