Top 10 best teams in the world – ranked 2024

Top 10 football teams globally – ranked

Premier League titans Man City and Arsenal are among the top teams worldwide.
Bayer Leverkusen and Inter coasted to league titles in Germany and Italy.
Real Madrid and Liverpool have relished remarkable historic success in Europe.

While every club in global football wants to be recognized as among the finest on the planet, a select few instead dominate the worldwide stage.

While teams like Real Madrid and Liverpool have long relished success domestically and across Europe, the rise of teams like Manchester City means a new hierarchy is being formed internationally.

Here are top 10 leading football teams worldwide.

1. Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s humbling at the Etihad in 2022/23 and Karim Benzema’s subsequent departure forced Carlo Ancelotti into a revision, but the club responded in a notable way last season.

Jude Bellingham was the star of the season’s opening segment, with Vinicius Junior flourishing after Christmas. Rodrygo excelled in his compatriot’s absence, while the well-balanced engine room brought sufficient consistency.

Ancelotti’s masterful enabling of his individual stars led Los Blancos to another La Liga title and a 15th Champions League prize, with Mbappe only likely to enhance the star-studded capital side in 2024/25.

2. Manchester City

Questions were raised regarding Man City’s motivation for 2023/24 having reached the summit in Istanbul.

However, doubters were swiftly quieted by another notable campaign from Pep Guardiola’s side, which somewhat surprisingly only ended with a fourth successive Premier League title – a new English football benchmark.

Arsenal are likely to challenge City all the way in what could reportedly be Guardiola’s final season at the helm, while there will be expectations of a second Champions League title.

3. Bayer Leverkusen

It was always going to take something exceptional to dethrone Bayern.

A pragmatic start to his tenure saw Xabi Alonso get Bayer Leverkusen out of the difficulty in 2022/23, and the Spaniard has since taken the club to new levels.

Leverkusen didn’t merely take advantage of Bayern’s downfall; they ended the 2023/24 Bundesliga season unbeaten as they won the title, also clinching the DFB Pokal and reaching the Europa League showdown.

Alonso’s flying wing-backs, balanced pivot, and masterful creators have combined to create an outstanding team.

4. Arsenal

Arsenal’s frustrating 2022/23 title bid was followed by an agonising race with Manchester City once again last season. The Cityzens proved too challenging to leapfrog down the stretch and left the Gunners licking their wounds following another close finish.

But this Arsenal team isn’t going anywhere under Mikel Arteta and are seemingly improving with each passing season. There is no doubt that they will find themselves contending with Man City in the latter stages of the 2024/25 season.

However, securing some form of silverware would be a welcome addition for Arteta, who still has just one major trophy to his name as Arsenal manager.

5. Inter Milan

Inter came within inches of winning the Champions League in 2022/23 but struggled to make an impact on the international stage last season. However, an exit at the round of 16 was compensated by an impressive Serie A campaign which ultimately resulted in a 20th championship.

Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram developed a near-perfect relationship up front, with the former finishing as the division’s top scorer, and Simone Inzaghi continued to command a well-organised and stubborn defensive squad.

Defending their title will be essential in 2024/25, as will an impressive run in Europe.

6. Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp’s last Liverpool team wasn’t as ruthless or defensively stable as their unit that won the Premier League and Champions League, but the Reds still proved strong enough for a third-place spot in 2023/24.

The Merseysiders ultimately sent the departing German boss off with victory in the Carabao Cup, with Arne Slot handed the unenviable task of replacing one of the club’s most-loved and successful leaders.

The Dutch coach has shrugged off the pressure to date, however, immediately building on the impressive basis left behind by Klopp and his team.

7. Barcelona

Barcelona’s La Liga title defence was ultimately a lackluster one in 2023/24 as legendary midfielder Xavi got the boot in the dugout, replaced by former Bayern and Germany manager Flick.

While the club continue to be a chaos off the pitch, Flick has made an immediate impact when it comes to outcomes and, most notably, performances.

A 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in his first Clasico went down well with supporters, and some exceptional attacking football has elevated La Blaugrana to a new level despite consistent injuries throughout the squad.

8. Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe era has drawn to a close, with manager Luis Enrique recognising the need to transition to a world without the French superstar.

Mbappe’s long goodbye included disappointment in the Champions League as they were defeated by Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, but there’s no denying the French side are as united collectively as they have been in years.

Again, PSG will be assessed on their European exploits rather than their domestic displays, with a strong run in the Champions League essential for Enrique’s squad in 2024/25.

9. Bayern Munich

The collective cohesion upon which Bayern Munich have thrived for decades has vanished in the latest iteration. Stability has ceased to exist in Bavaria since Hansi Flick left the club after winning the triple in 2020.

Now England boss Thomas Tuchel was unable to get the best out of Die Roten despite the presence of world-class talents such as Harry Kane, with Bayer Leverkusen’s impressive rise under Xabi Alonso ultimately unseating Bayern in the Bundesliga.

Vincent Kompany’s arrival has raised speculation but the Belgian’s attractive philosophy should be more suited to Bayern than Burnley.

10. Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League campaign carried the weight last season as they fell to another final defeat, this time at the hands of Real Madrid.

Edin Terzic’s side were woefully inconsistent domestically. A 1-0 home defeat to Stuttgart just a week after they secured their first win away at Bayern Munich in almost a decade summed up their frustrating season.

The young and promising former BVB midfielder Nuri Sahin was drafted in to replace Terzic in the hot seat, but it’s been a largely disappointing start to the 36-year-old’s tenure.