The Greatest Tournament National Teams Ever


10. France : 2000 UEFA Euro

GK : Fabien Barthez
DF : Bixente Lizarazu, Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desailly
MF : Didier Deschamp (Captain), Patrice Vieira, Zinedine Zidane, Youri Djorkaeff
FW : Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka
Manager : Roger Lemerre
Tournament Stats : Won 3 Drew 2 Lost 1, GF 13 GA 7
Line Rating : Defensive : 8.75, Midfielder : 8.5, Forward : 8


The 2000 France Euro team is more completed than the 1998 FIFA World Cup team when the brilliant forwards like Henry and Trezeguet fulfill expectation of scoring capability, had got star players in every position. The team beat the opponents in extra time both semi-final and finalist.
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9. Netherlands : 1988 UEFA Euro
GK : Hans Van Breukelen
DF : Berry Van Arle, Adri Van Tiggelen, Ronald Koeman, Frank Rijkaard
MF : Jans Wouter, Arnold Mouhren, Gerald Vanenburg, Erwin Koeman
FW : Ruud Gullit (Captain), Marco Van Basten
Manager : Rinus Michels
Tournament Stats : Won 4 Lost 1, GF 8 GA 3
Line Rating : Defensive  8, Midfielder 8.5, Forward : 9

The team was led by the famous Tri-O “Gullit-Rijkaard-Van Basten” includes Koeman as a leader in the back-line. With traditional total football of Rinus Michels who returned to take in charge Holland once again, the team won t tournament by attractive style of play
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8. Argentina : 1946 Copa America
GK : Claudio Vacca
DF : Jose Salomon, Juan Carlos Sobrero , Carlos Sosa
MF:, Juan Carlos Salvani, Natalio Pescia, Vicente De La Mata, Felix Loustau, Adolfo Pedernera (Captain)
FW : Norberto Mendez, Angel Labruna
Manager :  Guillermo Stabile
Tournament Stats : Won all five games, GF 17 GA 3
Line Rating : Defensive 7.5, Midfielder  8.75, Forward 9

Argentina in the 1940s had an overwhelming number of superstars especially from a legendary team “La Maquina” in the golden era of Argentinean football. Although Jose Manuel Moreno didn’t participate in the team, Argentina was still unbeatable and made the best record in history of Copa America in both games won and goal different ratio.
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 7. France : 1984 European Championship


GK : Joel Bats
DF : Maxime Bossis, Patrick Battiston, Yvon De Roux, J.F.Domergue
MF : L. Fernandez, Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse, Michel Platini
FW : Didier Six, Bernard Lacombe
Manager : Michel Hidalgo
Tournament Stats : Won all five games, GF 14 GA 4
Line Rating : Defensive 8, Midfielder 9.4, Forward 8

France in 1984 Euro is the only team to win all games and also produced the highest goal difference record in history of the tournament since 1980 that started 8 teams-format in final tournament. The notable midfield known as "Magic Square" led by Michel Platini, is one of the best midfielder lines of all-time with a dominance of the game creativity. 
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6. Italy : 1982 FIFA World Cup
GK : Dino Zoff, (Captain)
DF : Antonio Cabrini, Claudio Gentile, Gaeatano Scirea, Fulvio Collovati, Giuseppe Bergomi
MF : Marco Tardelli, Giancarlo Antognoni, Bruno Conti
FW : Francesco Graziani, Paolo Rossi
Manager : Enzo Bearzot
Tournament Stats : Won 4 Drew 3, GF 12 GA 6
Line Rating : Defensive 9.5, Midfielder 8.25, Forward 8.5

Italy in the 1982 World Cup has a clear different part of story. They drew all three matches in the first group round and it then incredibly transformed its status to be one of the best performances in history of world cup in the next rounds. Italy beat all strongest opponents like Brazil, Argentina and Germany.
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 5. West Germany : 1990 FIFA World Cup
GK : Bodo Illigner
DF : Klaus Augenthaler, Guido Buchwald, Jurgen Kohler, Stefan Reuter, Andreas Brehme
MF : Lothar Matthaeus (Captain), Thomas Haessler,
Pierre Littbartski
FW : Jurgen Klinsmann, Rudi Voller
Manager : Franz Beckenbauer
Tournament Stats : Won 5 Drew 2, GF 15 GA 5
Line Rating : Defensive 8.75, Midfielder 8.75, Forward 8.5

The 1990 Germany World Cup team is one of the strongest and the most effective national teams of all-time. The team was full of energy combined with systematic comprehend, seems difficult to imagine how it would be beaten even it was not specialist to win the opponents by many goals.
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 4. Netherlands : 1974 FIFA World Cup
GK : Jan Jonbloed
DF : Ruud Krol, Wim Suubier, Win Rijsbergen, Arie Haan
MF : Wim Jansen, Willem Van Hanegem, Johan Neeskens
FW Johan Cruyff (Captain), Rob Rensenbrink, Johnny Rep
Manager : Rinus Michels
Tournament Stats : Won 5 Drew 1 Lost 1, GF 15 GA 3
Line Rating : Defensive 7.75, Midfielder 8.75, Forward 9.25 

The team is one of the most attractive football styles of play when the total football strategy was applied to the team system properly. Its offensive line was unstoppable until the weak point of the system in defensive line prevents them from reaching victory in the tournament.
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3. West Germany : 1972 UEFA Euro
GK : Sepp Maier
DF : Paul Breitner, Berti Vogts, Hans Georg Schwarzenbeck, Franz Beckenbauer (Captain)
MF : Herbert Wimmer, Uli Hoeness, Gunther Netzer, Jurgen Grabowski
FW : Jupp Heynckes, Gerd Muller
Manager : Helmut Schoen
Tournament Stats :  Won 4 Drew 2, GF 11 GA 3
Line Rating : Defensive 8.8, Midfielder 8.7, Forward 9   


It has long been regarded as the greatest Euro national team of all-time, is stem from the coincident of superstar’s peak in all line of position in that period. However, their opponents are considered in average in history of Euro tournament.
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2. Brazil : 1958 FIFA World Cup
GK : Gilmar
DF : Nilton Santos, Djalma Santos, Bellini (Captain), Orlando
MF :  Zito, Didi, Mario Zagallo
FW : Garrincha, Pele, Vava
Manager : Vicente Feola
Tournament Stats : Won 5 Drew 1, GF 16 GA 4
Functional Line Rating : Defensive 8.4, Midfielder 9.1, Forward 9.2     


 The greatest Tri-O of all-time “Pele-Garrincha-Didi” combined with the greatest by of back-line in history of Brazil national team, constitutes this team to meet the balance system. In the final match of the tournament, there were six players available in traditional Brazil all-time XI.

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1. Brazil : 1970 FIFA World Cup
GK : Felix
DF : Everaldo, Carlos Alberto, Piazza, Brito
MF : Clodoaldo, Gerson, Rivelino 
FW : Jairzinho, Tostao, Pele (Captain)
Manager : Mario Zagallo
Tournament Stats :  Won all six games, GF 19 GA 7
Line Rating : Defensive 7.5, Midfielder 9.5, Forward 9.25

The 1970 Brazil is considered by many as the greatest NT offensive lines of all-time and by some as the greatest team in history of World Cup. It performs incredible advance co-ordination by the compatibility of superstars with beautiful propulsion of the game. Such a perfect offensive line led anyone forget about its average level of defensive capability.






Honorable Mention



Hungary : 1954 FIFA World Cup
GK : Gyula Grosics
DF : Mihaly Lantos, Jeno Buzanszky, Gyula Lorant, Jozef Zakarias
MF : Jozsef Bozsik, Nandor Hidegkuti, Zoltan Czibor, Laszlo Budai
FW : Ferenc Puskas (Captain), Sandor Kocsis
Manager : Gustav Sebes
Tournament Stats : Won 3 Drew 1 Lost 1, GF 27 GA 9
Line Rating : Defensive 7, Midfielder 8.5, Forward 9.25


At the peak of Hungary in the first half 1950s, no opponent desire to play against them as it was known very difficult to stop a world-class line of attackers in which usually scored a large number of goals. However, the injury of Puskas saw his disappearances after the second game and return in final match with incomplete body condition largely impacted on Hungary performance  and its tactics and strategy of play were not flexible enough to take the throne in the 1954 World Cup. They could not win Uruguay in 90 minute and lost West Germany in the final.


9 comments:

  1. Anonymous15/3/15

    It's not logical to me to put '54 Hungary as the 7. best NT of all time and they did'nt win the world cup, Germany did and they are nowhere to be found on this list (not that they should be).

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    1. The best tournament team is basically rated based on performance through the tournament not only final match. The 1954 Hungary was just slightly beaten in the final and it phenomenally played in the previous rounds. Also, in the final referee highly mistook to decide on Puskas’ offside. I’m not rate for only result of the game in conclusion.

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  2. Anonymous30/7/16

    Brazil 82 and 2002 are better than Hungary 54

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    Replies
    1. Brazil 82 played in more attractive way but not effective enough. 2002 ? I think Ronaldo and Ronaldinho was not in his peak while the Hungarian forward was sustaining their peak in the 1954 tournament.

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    2. Anonymous4/8/16

      Hungary 54 never win the Brazil of Scolari 2002

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  3. Anonymous11/8/17

    Why you changed the first place? (before Brazil 1958 was in the first place I think)

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  4. Previously I thought the 1958 squad is more complete as they have tougher defenders while the attackers level are similar but I became thought the 1970 is actually clearly better in over team compatibility particularly in term of creative coordination.

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  5. Anonymous2/4/20

    I am surprised not seeing Spain 08-12 since many relative lists include them at top-3. Nevertheless I deeply appreciate your work.

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  6. Hungary 1954 belongs into th Top 10!! Best national side of the 1950th with players like Puskas, Hidegkuti, Czibor. One of the best sides ever.
    Brazil 1982 was better than Italy 1982, although they lost to Italy in that world cup.
    Spain in the area of 2008 to 2012 dominated the football world. I think in 2010 was the peak of the team after including players like Pique and Busquets.

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