It took lengthy sufficient, however Chelsea‘s victory over Paris Saint-Germain within the Membership World Cup closing marked the tip of the Twenty fifth European soccer season this century.
And as my colleague Invoice Barnwell acknowledged final week, 25 is midway to 50 and 1 / 4 of the best way to 100. So, he ranked the highest 25 NFL groups of the previous 25 years, and now I am right here along with your rating of the highest 25 membership groups of the twenty first century.
The way in which the sport is performed has modified drastically since 2000. Consider it this manner: Oleg Blokhin, Franz Beckenbauer, and Johan Cruyff completed one-two-three in Ballon d’Or voting in 1975. In 2000, the highest three had been Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, and Andriy Shevchenko. In the event you watch highlights from these two eras, the game barely resembles itself — and the identical period of time has handed since this century started.
However that does not imply we will not evaluate groups throughout the previous 25 years. To take action, I’ve checked out each season performed throughout Europe’s Huge 5 prime leagues since 2000. First, I ranked all of these groups by a mixture of factors per sport and objective differential per sport, with a 60-40 weighting in favor of factors. Then, I adjusted for league issue, primarily based on the common scores for every league in every of the previous 25 seasons from the Membership Elo scores.
From there, I awarded groups with bonus factors for profitable the Champions League, reaching the ultimate, reaching the semifinals, reaching the quarterfinals, and reaching the spherical of 16. Based mostly on these factors, the ultimate ranking comes out to a couple of 70% weight for home efficiency and a 30% weight for Champions League efficiency. On condition that home play is not as susceptible to random fluctuation because the Champions League because the schedules are balanced and there are thrice as many video games, that feels about proper to me.
Now, let’s get to the highest 25 of the previous 25 years …
25. PSG, 2024-25
-Factors per sport: 2.47
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.68
-Champions League: winner
Fittingly, the Twenty fifth-best group of the previous 25 years is the perfect group of 2025. Two different PSG groups produced extra factors in Ligue 1, and 4 outscored their opponents at a better charge. However Luis Enrique’s facet discovered a method to do what no different PSG facet may do and focus their excellence down into an important a part of the season: from March till Could.
24. Actual Madrid, 2023-24
-Factors per sport: 2.5
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.61
-Champions League: winner
Do not forget that complete spiel about methodology within the intro? That was a lie. That is only a record of the groups that received the previous 25 Champions League titles, in reverse chronological order.
OK, now that is a lie — as a result of solely 12 Champions League winners even made the record.
The humorous factor about Actual Madrid is that they ceaselessly win the Champions League with out enjoying all that properly in LaLiga. In 2002, they received the European Cup regardless of 66 factors, a plus-25 objective differential, and a third-place end in Spain. That stage of efficiency in LaLiga this previous season would’ve put them within the Europa League subsequent yr.
As for the 2023-24 group, they had been horrible within the first half of the ultimate in opposition to Borussia Dortmund, however in contrast to in years previous, they did not want smoke-and-mirrors-and-Ninety fifth-minute objectives to get there. Sure, they took down Manchester Metropolis in a shootout and Bayern Munich with a late comeback, however they hung tight with Metropolis for many of the matchup and considerably outplayed Bayern within the semis. This additionally was borne out within the league: They completed 10 factors forward of second, took house 95, and misplaced one sport all season.
23. Barcelona, 2016-17
-Factors per sport: 2.37
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-2.1
-Champions League: quarterfinalist
This was the final yr of the Luis Enrique, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar period. It featured the well-known comeback in opposition to PSG, however neither a European nor home league triumph. However this Barcelona group reached 90 factors within the league and produced a plus-79 objective differential, which was 14 objectives higher than first-place Actual Madrid. Most notably, they scored 116 objectives in LaLiga — the third most of any group throughout the Huge 5 leagues this century.
This group received the whole lot with these gamers and this coach — and it nonetheless feels as in the event that they received lower than they need to’ve.
22. Actual Madrid, 2013-14
-Factors per sport: 2.29
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.74
-Champions League: winner
Sure, they completed third in LaLiga that yr, however 87 factors, a plus-66 objective differential, and a Champions League title is an all-time nice season for many golf equipment.
Ángel Di María, particularly, was unbelievable in his final yr in Spain. He performed as a type of hybrid winger/midfielder who coated all the floor that the entrance three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Gareth Bale would not. His move map from the Champions League closing is in contrast to something I’ve ever seen earlier than:
Di Maria was capable of be a supporting glue-guy or a goal-scoring famous person. Manchester United signed him after this match — and so they nonetheless discovered a method to screw it up.
21. Manchester Metropolis, 2022-23
-Factors per sport: 2.34
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.61
-Champions League: winner
Arguably the best Premier League group of all time is … twenty first?
This Man Metropolis group was like this season’s PSG group: They lastly discovered a method to flip it on on the proper time. However different Metropolis sides had been far more dominant from begin to end than this group was. 5 different Metropolis groups produced higher level totals and eight different Metropolis sides produced higher objective differentials. To win the Champions League, you need not win it whenever you’re at your finest. It is too random and chaotic for that. No, to win the Champions League, you need to both A) be Actual Madrid, or B) be adequate to win it, yr after yr after yr.
20. Bayern Munich, 2015-16
-Factors per sport: 2.59
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.85
-Champions League: semifinalist
After shedding the primary leg of the semifinals to Atletico in Madrid 1-0, Bayern wanted to win by a number of objectives at house to advance. And properly, they definitely did sufficient to get there:
They might’ve been up 2-0 after 35 minutes, however Jan Oblak saved Thomas Müller‘s penalty, and Atletico ultimately superior on away objectives. All in all, this was most likely the perfect Bayern group of the Pep Guardiola period, even when they are not our highest rated. And a missed penalty from a membership legend was all that saved them from being favored over Actual Madrid within the closing.
19. Barcelona, 2008-09
-Factors per sport: 2.29
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.84
-Champions League: winner
This group began Messi, Samuel Eto’o, and Thierry Henry up entrance. Dani Alves was in his prime. The midfield stars, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, had been simply coming into theirs. Pep Guardiola nonetheless had hair. They outscored their opponents 105-35 in LaLiga. And so they simply dispatched the Ronaldo-Rooney-Tevez Manchester United facet within the Champions League closing.
By some means, this is not even near being the perfect Barcelona group of the twenty first century.
18. Liverpool, 2021-22
-Factors per sport: 2.42
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.79
-Champions League: runner-up
To me, this was the perfect Liverpool group of the Jurgen Klopp period. The arrival of Ibrahima Konaté and the well being of Joel Matip gave Liverpool a second world-class heart again subsequent to Virgil van Dijk. The one actually wholesome season of Thiago meant that the midfield was capable of preserve its defensive solidity whereas including a world-class stage of attacking creativity. And as an alternative of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Roberto Firmino, it was these three plus the late Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz.
They had been a pair kicks of the ball away from changing into the one English group to ever win the quadruple. As a substitute, all they received had been a pair home cup trophies and this awful 18th spot on our record.
17. Manchester Metropolis, 2021-22
-Factors per sport: 2.45
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.92
-Champions League: semifinalist
To me, this additionally may’ve been the perfect Metropolis group of the Guardiola period. He at all times has secretly hated the restrictions that strikers placed on his ways and this group did not want one, with Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündogan, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus all capable of contribute elite-level attacking manufacturing from elsewhere on the sector. Rodri actually discovered his footing on this season, and João Cancelo put up an all-time nice season at fullback. They had been up 2-0 in opposition to Actual Madrid 11 minutes into the tie, and so they had been up 5-3 with solely damage time to go. They, after all, one way or the other misplaced the matchup 6-5.
16. Actual Madrid, 2016-17
-Factors per sport: 2.45
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.71
-Champions League: winner
That is one in all my favourite stats: As supervisor, Zinedine Zidane received extra Champions League trophies (3) than LaLiga titles (2) with Actual Madrid. This was the one season when he did each.
15. Manchester Metropolis, 2018-19
-Factors per sport: 2.58
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.90
-Champions League: quarterfinalist
Take the whole lot from that part about Bayern in 2015-16 and apply it right here: greater than sufficient possibilities, a legend lacking a spot kick and tiebreakers resulting in elimination. Metropolis misplaced the primary leg of the Champions League quarterfinals in London to Tottenham 1-0 after Sergio Aguero missed a penalty. They wanted to win the second leg by two objectives and nearly did sufficient to get there:
However as an alternative, a bunch of pictures went in, and so they had been eradicated through the away-goals rule by a group that completed 28 factors behind them within the Premier League desk.
14. Barcelona, 2015-16
-Factors per sport: 2.39
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-2.18
-Champions League: quarterfinalist
Since 2000, solely two groups throughout Europe’s Huge 5 leagues have scored greater than 110 objectives in a season and given up fewer than 30. Luis Enrique’s second yr with Barcelona was one in all them. Once more, this three-year stretch was much more spectacular than anybody remembers.
13. Barcelona, 2009-10
-Factors per sport: 2.61
-Purpose differential per sport: 1.95
-Champions League: semifinalist
It is wild that this season is remembered as one thing of a failure. Barcelona swapped Samuel Eto’o for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, however then misplaced to Eto’o and Inter Milan within the Champions League semifinals regardless of enjoying a person up for the ultimate hour of the tie. Ibrahimovic scored 16 objectives and added six assists within the league, however he was subbed off with a half-hour left within the Inter matchup and left the membership after the season.
On the identical time, Barcelona received 99 factors in LaLiga and conceded 24 objectives in 38 matches. Put one other manner: Actual Madrid scored 102 objectives, produced 96 factors, and did not even win the league.
12. Bayern Munich, 2019-20
-Factors per sport: 2.41
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-2.0
-Champions League: winner
This was a bizarre season for 2 causes: 1) Bayern fired their coach in November, and a pair of) The entire, , COVID-19 pandemic.
However there is a affordable argument that this season must be even greater on the record. I do not assume all Champions League wins are created equal. Some groups have more durable schedules, and profitable a sport 5-0 is rather a lot totally different than profitable on penalties. All of it counts the identical, positive, however once we’re evaluating groups throughout historical past, that stuff issues. Our stage of research would not get down into fairly that stage of element, but when it did, then this Bayern group would profit.
They performed 11 video games within the Champions League, and many of the knockout matches had been at a impartial web site, in an empty stadium. The pandemic led UEFA to chop all remaining knockout ties to a single match, so Bayern did not find yourself enjoying as many matches as most winners do. However they did do one thing that no Champions League group has ever performed: They received each single sport they performed within the event.
11. Actual Madrid, 2014-15
-Factors per sport: 2.42
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-2.11
-Champions League: semifinalist
Whereas Bayern fired Niko Kovac and changed him with Hansi Flik throughout the beforehand talked about season, Actual Madrid fired Carlo Ancelotti after the 2014-15 season.
In different phrases, he received the Champions League — the long-sought-after La Decima, Madrid’s report tenth European Cup — in 2013-14. Within the offseason, they changed the group’s linchpin, Angel Di Maria, with the flashy offense-first star of the 2014 World Cup, James Rodríguez. And in 2014-15, Ancelotti discovered a method to combine Rodríguez, as his group set a Spanish report with 22 consecutive wins. They scored 118 objectives — the second-most for a group this century. They reached 92 factors. And so they’re one in all solely seven groups this century to place up a objective differential of plus-80 or higher.
Reasonably than receiving a lifetime appointment, Carlo Ancelotti was, once more, fired in any case of that occurred.
10. Manchester Metropolis, 2017-18
-Factors per sport: 2.63
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-2.08
-Champions League: quarterfinalist
The group with the perfect objective differential and most factors in Premier League historical past lands solely in tenth. The essential clarification for why: They misplaced to Liverpool within the Champions League quarterfinals. The marginally-more-philosophical clarification for why: Fabian Delph began 21 video games for this group.
Sadly, we by no means actually received to see this iteration of Metropolis go up in opposition to the most effective groups on the earth. And whereas they decimated the Premier League, their performances within the Champions League weren’t notably particular. Their per-game expected-goal differential throughout their 10 matches was plus-0.46, simply the ninth-best amongst all of the groups within the competitors.
9. Barcelona, 2011-12
-Factors per sport: 2.39
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-2.24
-Champions League: semifinalist
This was the one season of Guardiola’s four-year Barcelona profession when the membership did not win LaLiga. However they reached 91 factors and put up a plus-85 objective differential — outscoring their opponents at a better charge than all however three different groups this century. They scored 114 objectives and conceded 29. These numbers do not make any sense! They’re the highest-rated group on this record that did not win both main trophy.
8. Barcelona, 2012-13
-Factors per sport: 2.63
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.98
-Champions League: semifinalist
In Tito Vilanova’s solely season as knowledgeable supervisor, his group tied the LaLiga report for factors with 100 and have become the primary Spanish group to attain in all 38 top-flight matches. They ended the season with 115 objectives, the fourth most this century, and received the league over Actual Madrid by 15 factors.
Vilanova had been identified with parotid gland most cancers in November 2011. He underwent chemotherapy in the course of the 2012-13 season however quickly relapsed. Vilanova resigned from Barcelona in the summertime of 2013. In April 2014, he died at age 45.
7. Bayern Munich, 2013-14
-Factors per sport: 2.65
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-2.10
-Champions League: semifinalist
In Guardiola’s first season in Germany, Bayern clinched the league title earlier than the tip of March. They averaged extra factors per sport than his 100-point Metropolis group and so they outscored their opponents at a better charge than any group he has coached exterior of the 2011-12 Barcelona facet. In comparison with each different group, they received extra factors per sport than all however two groups this century, and their per-game objective differential is the eighth-best mark since 2000.
The one main blemish: a 5-0 combination loss to Actual Madrid within the Champions League semifinals.
6. Actual Madrid, 2015-16
-Factors per sport: 2.37
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-2.0
-Champions League: winner
They did not win the league, however they outscored their opponents by two objectives per sport in LaLiga and so they received the Champions League. This was most likely the perfect mixed season from the Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema trio. The previous scored 39 objectives and added six assists, and the opposite two ranked third and fourth, respectively in objectives and assists per 90 minutes throughout Europe’s Huge 5 leagues: 1.51 and 1.41.
And, oh yeah, it was Zidane’s first season as a first-division coach. Improbably, Rafa Benitez was employed to exchange Ancelotti, after which he was changed by the membership legend in January. The group had develop into too lopsided with the addition of James Rodríguez and with out the creativity of Ancellotti on the sideline to determine it out.
The followers by no means preferred Benitez, and he did not have the cachet to bench an attacker in favor of somebody who may straighten out the group. However Zidane did. He introduced a younger defensive midfielder named Casemiro into the beginning lineup and the group by no means appeared again. They received 12 straight video games to finish the LaLiga season and lifted the primary of what can be three straight European Cups.
5. Liverpool, 2018-19
-Factors per sport: 2.55
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.76
-Champions League: winner
Here is a listing of Huge 5 groups which have produced no less than 97 factors and the Champions League in the identical season: Liverpool, 2018-19
That is it. That is the record.
4. Barcelona, 2010-11
-Factors per sport: 2.53
-Purpose differential per sport: plus-1.95
-Champions League: winner
Simply to recap: Guardiola’s Barcelona groups ranked nineteenth, thirteenth, eighth and fifth. Two of his Bayern groups ranked twentieth and seventh. And 4 of his Manchester Metropolis groups ranked twenty first, seventeenth, fifteenth and tenth. That implies that 10 of the 25 groups on this record (40%) had been coached by the identical man.
That is the purist’s favourite Barcelona group. The group was lastly, totally constructed round Messi’s potential to dribble, tempo-set, create and rating at a better stage than anybody else on the earth. David Villa transitioned from a middle ahead to a type of box-crashing, goal-scoring winger. Pedro labored actually laborious off the ball and supported the opposite two strikers.
Xavi and Iniesta had simply completed second and third behind Messi in Ballon d’Or voting. Guardiola had lastly moved the trendy model of himself, Sergio Busquets, to the bottom of midfield. Not was Pep working across the expertise he had obtainable to him; this seemed to be the precise expertise he wished.
Their 5-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s Actual Madrid may be probably the most surprising and memorable particular person results of this century. And after their 3-1 win over Manchester United within the Champions League closing, Sir Alex Ferguson mentioned of Barcelona, “In my time as supervisor, it is the perfect group I’ve confronted.”
3. Actual Madrid, 2011-12
-Factors per sport: 2.63
-Purpose differential per sport: 2.34
-Champions League: semifinalist
For the membership that defines itself nearly solely on whether or not or not it wins the Champions League, it is ironic that maybe their finest facet didn’t win the Champions League. It is doubly ironic whenever you do not forget that the group was managed by Jose Mourinho, whose profession is outlined by the couple of occasions he has lifted the European Cup.
For these causes, I feel that is most likely probably the most underrated group of the twenty first century. For all the suboptimal conservative selections made by Mourinho all through his profession, he received this group completely proper. Throughout 38 video games, they scored a barely plausible 121 objectives — three greater than any group this century.
With 32 objectives conceded, they outscored their opponents by 89 objectives — tied for the perfect mark of any group since 2000. Oh, and so they put up 100 factors — tied for the second most this century behind the 102-point Juventus facet from 2013-14 who did not get out of their group within the Champions League and did not even make this record.
Benzema, Ronaldo, Di Maria, and Gonzalo Higuain all averaged no less than 1.0 objectives+assists per 90 minutes, whereas Mesut Ozil added 4 objectives and 18 assists. All of those guys had been 26 or youthful, then you definitely had 22-year-old Marcelo at left again and 29-year-old Xabi Alonso pulling the strings in midfield. Mix that with Mourinho’s extra passive tactical method with out the ball, and I do not assume there has ever been a greater group within the open discipline than this Madrid facet.
The principle purpose nobody actually talks about 2011-12 Madrid as one of many all-time nice groups: They misplaced a penalty shootout to Bayern Munich within the Champions League semifinals.
2. Barcelona, 2014-15
-Factors per sport: 2.47
-Purpose differential per sport: 2.34
-Champions League: winner
Here is a listing of Huge 5 groups that put up a objective differential higher than plus-80 in the identical season they received the Champions League: Barcelona, 2014-15
That is it. That is the record.
If all of those groups performed on a impartial discipline, these guys can be my decide to win. They put up these unbelievable season-long numbers (a tied-for-best-this-century plus-89 objective differential) in a season when some Barcelona followers thought the group was in disaster halfway by means of the marketing campaign. Within the Champions League, they beat the winners of Ligue 1, the Bundesliga and Serie A. In addition they eradicated the defending Premier League champs from the event, and beat each Actual Madrid and Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.
Whereas the Pep-era groups had been cohesive possession machines that had been totally related from again to entrance, Luis Enrique took a little bit of a threat and would ceaselessly belief that his famous person entrance three would be capable to break down defenses on their very own. And the result’s why I am taking them over anybody else: They conceded 21 objectives in 38 video games — tied for lowest mark of any group on this record — after which they’d a 27-year-old Messi, a 27-year-old, and a 22-year-old Neymar enjoying up prime.
1. Bayern Munich, 2012-13
-Factors per sport: 2.68
-Purpose differential per sport: 2.35
-Champions League: winner
Whereas I do assume 2014-15 Barcelona are the perfect group of the century, I do not assume there’s an argument over which group had the perfect season. It, fairly clearly, was Bayern Munich in 2012-13 below Jupp Heynckes.
If we take each single home season performed throughout the Huge 5 leagues since 2000, there may be one group alone atop the record of most factors per sport. And there may be one group alone atop the record of finest objective differential per sport. And people groups are the identical group: 2012-13 Bayern Munich. The one purpose they are not ranked greater in any of the totals I’ve talked about is as a result of the Bundesliga performs solely 34 video games.
And whereas the shortage of general energy within the Bundesliga would dampen these numbers lately, Bayern did all of that when the German first division was stronger than at every other level this century, per the Membership Elo scores. However you do not even want the scores to grasp that. Below Jurgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund had simply received back-to-back Bundesliga titles within the earlier two seasons, and so they reached the Champions League closing in 2013. Bayern Munich, then, put collectively probably the most dominant home season of this century in a yr when the second-best group of their league completed second within the Champions League.
Nowhere was Bayern’s dominance clearer than within the semifinals of the Champions League in opposition to Vilanova’s Barcelona, the eighth-ranked group on this record. Bayern received the primary leg in Germany 4-0, behind a pair of objectives from Thomas Muller and one apiece from Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez.
Then, within the second leg at Camp Nou, Robben scored early within the second half to increase the lead, earlier than a Gerard Pique personal objective and a capper from Muller finalized the combination scoreline at 7-0. Not solely did Bayern put up seven, however they held one of many biggest attacking groups of the century (115 league objectives!) scoreless throughout 180 minutes.
However probably the most surprising factor about Bayern may be this: Robben was their finest participant, and he began solely 11 video games within the Bundesliga.
