The renowned British magazine FourFourTwo released its list of the top 50 football teams in history, including both clubs and national teams, with a focus on the periods during which these teams dominated football and left a clear impact on the world of the game.

European and Latin American clubs dominate the list, with Europe having the largest number of teams, including historic clubs like Ajax, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, and Manchester United. Meanwhile, South America is represented by strong teams such as Santos, Flamengo, Estudiantes, Boca Juniors, and River Plate. The magazine appears to have focused on the golden eras of each team, not just the titles they won, taking into account the tactical and technical impact of the team in its era.

The list includes 41 teams that are clubs and 9 teams that are national teams only, such as Brazil, Spain, Germany, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands. This reflects the magazine's tendency to highlight the continuous achievements of clubs over long seasons compared to national teams, which often have short periods of brilliance, despite their significant impact in major tournaments like the World Cup.

List of the top 50 football teams in history according to FourFourTwo magazine:

Ajax (1965–1973)

Brazil (1970)

Milan (1987–1991)

Real Madrid (1955–1960)

Barcelona (2008–2011)

Liverpool (1975–1984)

Spain (2007–2012)

Inter Milan (1962–1967)

Santos (1955–1968)

Hungary (1950–1956)

Benfica Portugal (1959–1968)

Bayern Munich (1967–1976)

Torino (1945–1949)

Celtic (1965–1974)

Manchester United (1995–2001)

Germany (1970–1976)

Independiente (1971–1975)

Juventus (1980–1986)

Netherlands (1974–1978)

Dynamo Kyiv (1985–1987)

Barcelona (1988–1994)

Estudiantes (1967–1971)

Boca Juniors (1998–2003)

Preston North End (1888–1889)

Juventus (1994–1998)

Borussia Mönchengladbach (1970–1979)

France (1996–2000)

Budapest Honvéd (1950–1955)

Nottingham Forest (1977–1980)

Flamengo (1980–1983)

Austria (1930–1936)

Real Madrid (1984–1990)

River Plate (1941–1947)

PSV Eindhoven (1985–1989)

France (1982–1986)

Feyenoord (1968–1971)

Manchester United (1965–1968)

Brazil (1982)

Ajax (1992–1996)

Arsenal (1930–1935)

Leeds United (1968–1975)

Steaua Bucharest (1984–1989)

Tottenham Hotspur (1960–1962)

Arsenal (2003–2004 – The "Invincibles" Team)

Marseille (1988–1993)

Hamburg (1977–1983)

Wolverhampton Wanderers (1953–1960)

Chelsea (2004–2006)

Saint-Étienne (1973–1977)

Leicester City (2015–2016)