BEST TEAMS



1. Brazil 1970
Often described as the best football team of all time. It had individual
world class players overall in midfield and attack. Pelé, Jairzinho, Tostao,
Rivelino, the list goes on and on. They won all their six games in the cup of
1970.
2. West Germany 1974
This was also a superb team. Beckenbauer as leader in defence and behind him
was Sepp Maier, one of the best goalkeepers of all time. Overath and Bonhof
also were quality players and of course the notorious Gerd Müller up front,
who averaged more than a goal a game for the Germans, and scored the winning
goal in the final itself.
3. Italy 1982
They started the tournament with three draws, but then found form and beat
Argentina, Brazil, Poland and West Germany in consecutive matches. They based
their team on defensive strength. 40 year old Dino Zoff was the captain and
goalkeeper and he had Gentile and Scirea as leaders in defence. Dangerous
winger Bruno Conti was instrumental as well as midfielder Tardelli. Up front
was Paolo Rossi in top form as the tournament progressed, and scored six
times in Italy's last three matches.
4. Brazil 1994
Brazil had in 1994 for once a solid defence, and that was the main reason why
they for the first time in 24 years managed to win the World Cup. Romario was
their outstanding player, and he had Bebeto as colleague up front. Other
great players were Leonardo, Dunga and Jorginho.
5. Holland 1974
They didn't win the World Cup, but they still deserve a place on the Top 10
list of great teams. They scored 15 goals in the cup and only let in one goal
on their way to the final and that was an own goal. Cruyff, Neeskens, Rep,
Rensenbrink and van Hanegem thrilled the world, and could with a little more
luck have won the cup. They had all the qualities.
6. West Germany 1990
Definitely a worthy champion of the dull tournament in Italy in 1990. They
were one of very few teams who relied on attacking skills, rather than
defensive safety and were rewarded with the cup. Matth?us was their great
player, alongside attacking left-back Brehme who scored the winning goal in
the final itself. Other great names were Klinsmann, V?ller and Kohler.
7. France 1998
The latest champions had their strength in a central line with Blanc and
Desailly in defence to Petit and Deschamp in midfield. The team was built
around those players. Attacking fullbacks Lizarazu and Thuram helped in
attack as France lacked world class strikers. This was tactically a very
strong team.
8. Hungary 1954
Another team who failed to win the cup, but had all the qualities. Scored an
incredible 27 goals in the 1954 cup. They beat both Brazil and defending
champions Uruguay 4-2, but lost 3-2 in the final to West Germany. This team
had legends like Puskas, Kocsis and Hidegkuti and hadn't lost in 30 games
before the final.
9. Argentina 1986
This team of course had Maradona and that made them automatically a great
team. But other players contributed as well, among them were Burruchaga,
Valdano and the great centerback Ruggeri. They helped Argentina win the cup
in 1986. This team was also the last team so far to become champions without
needing extra-time or penalty shoot-outs on their way.
10. Brazil 1958
This class of '58 invented the famous 4-2-4 system. It also saw Pelé emerge
as a 17 year old having started the tournament on the bench. Garrincha, Vava,
Didi and Zagallo were other famous names in Brazil's first ever World Cup
triumph.


  
     There are so many great teams who we also would have liked to see on the
list, but didn't quite make it. For instance, the great Brazilian team of
1982. But when you can't get past the second phase, do you really deserve a
place on the top 10 ranking of all time? Lots of quality players in midfield
and attack, but the defence was unstable to say the least.

     Another team in contention was Italy of 1990. In many ways the
counterpart of the Brazilian team I just mentioned. They kept a clean sheet
until the semifinal, but didn't quite have the edge in attack to win
tournaments. Schillaci was virtually the only offensive player who was
shining.

     Uruguay had teams who won the World Cup, but because it's now half a
century since they won, we decided not to add them. The game has changed a
lot, but we still respect and rate them highly. England of 1966 also was a
team we debated over, but suffered the same fate as Argentina in 1978, they
used the home advantage to a high degree of efficiency in years when
heavyweighters like Brazil, Italy and West Germany were rebuilding for the
future and appeared with some of their weaker teams.
  
  
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