In brief
There have been times when Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Ajax have dominated club football.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who won four Super Bowls in six years, were the NFL’s best team in the 1970s.
The New York Yankees are the best sports team in history because of their dominance in the early 1950s.
Sports have the power to transform lives. It is the focus of attention everywhere in the world, whether it is by playing it or witnessing some of the best sportsmen in history perform their exquisite craft. Without it, there would be very little amusement and the world would be a much poorer place.
Sports, of course, have different rules and regulations. Baseball is the antithesis of basketball, while football is entirely different from rugby. Nonetheless, legends have existed in every discipline, solidifying their legacy through their perseverance, sometimes in the face of adversity.
As a result, we have chosen to list the top nine sports teams in history. It was quite difficult to choose this list, which demonstrates how cutthroat the world has become over time. They were all world-class, and each team on this list had a legitimate claim to the top spot as well.
Ranking Elements
Trophies and titles won: Only teams that took home significant accolades are shown.
Athlete quality: Do their former athletes now hold legendary status?
Play style: Did they have an entertaining style of play in their sport?
The Top 9 Greatest Sports Teams in History
Rank
Group
Athletics
Time Period
1.
The New York Yankees
Baseball
1949–1954
2.
Barcelona
Football
2008–2011
3.
The All Blacks of New Zealand
Union of Rugby
2011–2015
4.
Brazil
Football
1970
5.
Ajax
Football
From 1969 to 1972
6.
The Boston Celtics
Basketball
1956–1969
7.
Real Madrid
Football
1955–1960
8.
The Chicago Bulls
Basketball
1990–1998
9.
The Soviet Union
Hockey on Ice
From 1981 to 1984
10.
The Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL
1974–1980
10Pittsburgh Steelers (1974–1980)
NFL
Throughout the year, the NFL consistently ranks among the most popular sports. One of the most watched events is the Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers strangled the entire discipline in the 1970s, ignoring the fact that dominance is extremely unusual in sports.
No team in history has ever been able to duplicate their record-breaking four Super Bowl victories in six seasons. Although they were world-class from 2001 to 2017, the New England Patriots never truly achieved such a high level of dominance in a little period of time. The San Francisco 49ers from 1981 to 1985 are comparable.
Season of 1974
Note
10-3-1
MVP of the team
Glen Edwards’ Super Bowl victory
Minnesota Vikings, 16–6
9 Soviet Union Ice Hockey (1981–1984)
The Soviet Union and the United States of America have always been main rivals in the world of ice hockey. Although both countries were passionate about the sport, the Soviet Union was the dominant force for three years, from 1981 to 1984.
The Red Army squad won three consecutive world titles and an Olympic championship with a record of 94-4-9. They did this by defeating an NHL All-Stars squad 8-1 in an exhibition. The attacking trio of Sergei Makarov, Igor Larionov, and Vladimir Krutov, together with goalie Vladislav Tretyak, were frequently credited with the team’s success.
World Championships in 1981
First
The Soviet Union
10.
Second
Sweden
7.
Third
The Czech Republic
6.
8Chicago Bulls (1990-1998)
Basketball
The Chicago Bulls of the 1990s, one of the two basketball dynasties on this list, went beyond basketball and influenced contemporary pop culture. Dennis Rodman joined the world of professional wrestling through WCW, and Michael Jordan made appearances in Hollywood. On the court, though, their skills were unparalleled. In the late 1980s, after years of losing to the Detroit Pistons, a big three of the aforementioned Jordan, Rodman, and defensive stalwart Scottie Pippen dominated the decade.
The Bulls would go on to win two three-peats and six titles between 1991 and 1998. Under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson, the team achieved unheard-of success thanks to its creative triangle offence. The Bulls won a staggering 72 games in the 1995–1996 season, making them the first team to win more than 70 games in the regular season in addition to their amazing postseason triumph.
Details of 1995/96
Gains
72
Losses
10.
NBA Finals
Seattle SuperSonics, 4-2
7Real Madrid (1955–1960)
Football
Football, the most popular sport in the world, is featured four times on this list. Real Madrid was the side to beat between 1955 and 1960. The only reason it is ‘lower’ on this list is because the opposition was not as good. They won the European Cup five times in a row.
The most notable of these was when, in 1957, they won the European Cup and La Liga title jointly for the first time, primarily because of Alfredo Di Stefano, one of the greatest strikers of all time. Di Stefano’s goal helped them defeat Benfica 1-0 in the European Cup final that year. top-notch.
Details of 1956–1957
Honours
European Cup, La Liga
Supervisor
Villalonga, Jose
Leading scorer of goals
Di Stefano Alfredo (31)
6 Boston Celtics Basketball (1956–1969)
The Boston Celtics had unmatched success in the 1950s and 1960s after switching to basketball. In 13 seasons, they won 11 trophies, including eight consecutive ones. Under coach Red Auerbach, who went on to become the team’s president and general manager, they began to dominate.
It’s hardly surprising that they were superior than everyone else given that their team had players who would go on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame: Frank Ramsey, Ed Macauley, Bill Sharman, ball-handling whiz Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, and dominant centre Bill Russell. Most significantly, Russell received five awards for being the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Details of 1960–61
Gains
57
Losses
22
NBA Finals
St. Louis Hawks, 4-1
5 Ajax Football (1969–1972)
Early in the 1970s, football’s dynamic shifted. “Total football” was developed by Ajax and is currently one of the most well-known tactical concepts in the game. Every outfield player may play any position at any time during a game thanks to this offensive style of play.
The Dutch powerhouses perfected it, winning the league three times in four years and experiencing three consecutive years of European triumph. At its core was Johan Cruyff, one of the greatest Dutch footballers of all time. “We played a kind of football that was not normal at that time in Europe,” Cruyff recalled afterwards. “We played our own style – something you did not see in other countries, and that drew attention in Europe.”
Details of 1971–72
Honours
KNVB Cup, European Cup, and Eredivisie
Supervisor
Kovacs, Stefan
Leading scorer of goals
Cruyff, Johan (33)
4 Brazil Football (1970)
Club football and international football are entirely different. Teams find it difficult to get together, and it can be difficult for countries to win a tournament with such ease. Brazil, on the other hand, defied expectations in 1970 and became the greatest international team ever.
Two of the greatest Brazilian players of all time, Pele and Jairzinho, were a pleasure to watch as they dominated games in the last third. Since it was their third World Cup victory, they were permitted to keep the trophy after defeating Italy 4-1 in the championship match. Mario Zagallo’s team earned it following their dominance.
Details of the 1970 World Cup
Complete
Champions
Supervisor
Zagallo, Mario
Leading scorer of goals
Jairzinho (7)
Scored Goals
19.
Objectives Given Up
7.
3 New Zealand Rugby Union All Blacks (2011–2015)
New Zealand deserves every accolade imaginable because they are the only rugby team on this list. The 2010s saw the All Blacks, who are famous for their iconic Haka, achieve an unparalleled level of supremacy in the sport. They finished with a 55-3-2 overall record from 2011 to 2015, making them the first country in history to win consecutive Rugby World Cups.
Dan Carter, who dominated in 2015 after missing the most of the 2011 World Cup, was at the centre of everything. In addition to winning World Rugby Player of the Year, he was selected Player of the Tournament. He is currently regarded as one of the best rugby players of all time because of this.
2011 World Cup of Rugby
Stage of the Group
New Zealand 41–10 Tonga
Japan 83-7 New Zealand
France 37–17 New Zealand
Canada 79-15 New Zealand
The quarterfinal
Argentina 33-10 New Zealand
The semifinal
Australia 20-6 New Zealand
Lastly
France 8–7 New Zealand
2 Barcelona Football (2008–2011)
At their finest, they are unstoppable; at their worst, they are unplayable. From 2008 to 2011, Barcelona was the best club in football history under Pep Guardiola. They defeated Manchester United to win the Champions League twice, in 2009 and 2011.
Their ‘tiki-taka’ style was visually appealing, but players like Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta, who are now regarded as some of the best Barcelona players of all time, felt like a cheat code. With no ‘weak link’, they made watching football enjoyable, with each team succeeding like it was a piece of cake. The only drawback is that Guardiola left in 2012, thus it did not last longer.
Details of 2008/09
Honours
Copa del Rey, La Liga, and the Champions League
Supervisor
Guardiola, Pep
Leading scorer of goals
Eto’o, Samuel (30)
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1 1 Baseball, New York Yankees (1949–1954)
Lastly, according to some rankings, the New York Yankees are the best sports team ever. It is scarcely surprise that they are the first team in baseball history to win five consecutive World Series wins, especially considering their club had standout players Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Joe DiMaggio.
Gil McDougald was voted Rookie of the Year in 1951, Phil Rizzuto was named Most Valuable Player the year before, and Berra was named Most Valuable Player in 1951. Since everyone had a purpose, it seemed inevitable that they would win the crown five times in a row.
Details of the 1950 Season
Gains
98
Losses
56
Final of the World Series
Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0
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