World Football Power Rankings: The Top 25 Sides

Barcelona or Real Madrid?

That's the question that dominates B/R's World Football Club Power Rankings these days. Ask 25 people for their top 25 clubs, and you'll get hundreds of responses.

Except at the top. Barca and Real are widely recognized as the top teams in the world today, and for good reason. So who did we pick?

Read on to find out.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeCummings37

25. APOEL Nicosia

Last week: Won 1-0 (4-3 on penalties) at home to Lyon (UCL).

This week: Home to Enosis, Monday; at Anagennisi Deryneia, Friday (both in league).

Comments: I know. I know. But come on. APOEL is a great story, and they're in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.

That has to count for something, even if they did only beat Lyon.

24. Chelsea

Last week: Won 2-0 at Birmingham (FA Cup); won 1-0 at home to Stoke (league).

This week: Home to Napoli, Wednesday (UCL); home to Leicester City, Sunday (FA Cup quarterfinal).

Comments: Are Chelsea back? It's hard to say.

Sure, they beat Birmingham in the FA Cup and Stoke in the league, but the Blues still have a long way to go. Plus, it took them way too long to score on 10-man Stoke this past weekend.

Time will tell with them in the post-AVB era.

23. Athletic Bilbao

Last week: Won 3-2 at Manchester United (Europa); lost 2-1 at Osasuna (league).

This week: Home to United, Thursday (Europa); home to Valencia, Sunday (league).

Comments: This is the most frustrating team in Europe.

Athletic Bilbao looked great against Manchester United midweek in the Europa League. Then they lost at Osasuna in the league. Now they're seventh in La Liga.

It makes no sense.

22. Corinthians

Last week: Won 2-0 at home to Nacional (Libertadores); drew 1-1 at home to Guarani SP (league).

This week: At Cruz Azul, Wednesday (Libertadores); at Comercial, Sunday (league)

Comments: Corinthians top the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A by one point and they're on course in continental competition. Next up is a trip to Mexico to play Group 6 leaders Cruz Azul in the Copa Libertadores.

21. Twente

Last week: Won 1-0 at home to Schalke (Europa); lost 3-1 away to NEC Nijmegen (league).

This week: At Schalke, Thursday (Europa); home to Feyenoord, Sunday (league).

Comments: The Dutch league is currently in chaos, and Twente are not immune. That 3-1 loss to NEC Nijmegen dropped Twente to third, though they're still only four points behind leaders AZ Alkmaar.

20. Valencia

Last week: Won 4-2 at home to PSV (Europa); drew 2-2 at home to Mallorca (league).

This week: At PSV, Thursday (Europa); at Athletic Bilbao, Sunday (league).

Comments: That 4-2 win over PSV looks good, but Valencia will have to be vigilant on the road in the return leg. In the league, they're still third behind Real and Barca.

19. CSKA Moscow

Last week: Drew 1-1 at home to Dinamo Moscow (league).

This week: At Real Madrid, Wednesday (UCL).

Comments: The domestic season is just restarting. The European campaign is about to end.

18. Borussia Monchengladbach

Last week: Drew 0-0 at home to SC Freiburg (league).

This week: At Bayer Leverkusen, Saturday (league).

Comments: Gladbach are still third in the Bundesliga, but they've hit a rough patch. Saturday's draw with second-to-bottom club Freiburg left Gladbach without a league win since Feb. 18.

17. Napoli

Last week: Won 6-3 at Cagliari (league).

This week: At Chelsea, Wednesday (UCL); at Udinese, Sunday (league).

Comments: This team is purring offensively. Napoli have won six straight matches in Serie A. Now it's finally time to see if they can finish off Chelsea.

16. Arsenal

Last week: Won 3-0 at home to AC Milan (UCL).

This week: Home to Newcastle, Monday (league).

Comments: If only Robin van Persie wouldn't have tried to chip Christian Abbiati, we might be talking about the greatest comeback in Champions League history. As it is, we're talking about a team that's currently in the middle of a memorable resurgence.

Can it last?

15. Tottenham Hotpsur

Last week: Won 3-1 at home to Stevenage (FA Cup); lost 1-0 at Everton (league).

This week: Home to Bolton, Saturday (league).

Comments: Spurs are falling fast. The loss to Everton was their third straight in the league, and now Arsenal and Chelsea are closing on third place. The next few weeks will be decisive.

14. Montpellier

Last week: Won 3-0 at home to Caen (league).

This week: At Nancy, Saturday (league).

Comments: Montpellier just won't go away in Ligue 1—or in these rankings.

One point back with 11 matches left. Anything can happen. Plus, Montpellier are still alive in the French Cup.

13. Benfica

Last week: Won 2-0 at home to Zenit St. Petersburg (UCL); won 2-1 at Ferreira (league).

This week: Home to Beira Mar, Sunday (league).

Comments: The Champions League quarterfinal draw looms on Friday. With the right draw, Benfica may fancy themselves to make the semifinals or beyond.

Meanwhile, Benfica are one point behind Porto in the league.

12. Porto

Last week: Drew 1-1 at home to Academica (league).

This week: At Nacional de Madeira, Sunday (league).

Comments: Porto hold a one-point lead in the Portuguese league, but they're out of Europe. Maybe that's just as well for the title run-in.

11. Basel

Last week: Won 2-0 at Grasshoppers (league).

This week: At Bayern Munich, Tuesday (UCL).

Comments: Basel are the champions-elect in Switzerland. In Europe, they have a huge chance to knock out a heavyweight when they carry a 1-0 lead to Bavaria this week.

That should be interesting.

10. AZ Alkmaar

Last week: Won 2-0 at home to Udinese (Europa); won 2-0 at home to De Graafschap (league).

This week: At Udinese, Thursday (Europa); home to NAC Breda, Sunday (league).

Comments: AZ Alkmaar have been the only constant in the topsy-turvy Eredivisie lately, winning each of the last two weeks to take the top spot. Their lead is now three points over Ajax.

How far will their Europa League run continue?

9. Juventus

Last week: Drew 0-0 at Genoa (league).

This week: At Fiorentina, Sunday (league).

Comments: Juventus don't ever lose, but they don't win enough either. Sunday's draw with Genoa was Juventus' fourth straight in the league. That makes 14 for the season—against 13 wins and zero losses.

An undefeated record is impressive, but Juventus fell four points behind AC Milan atop the Serie A table this past weekend. They have to pick up the pace.

8. PSG

Last week: Won 2-1 at Dijon (league).

This week: At Caen, Saturday (league).

Comments: PSG, the leaders in France by one point, are surely going to win the Ligue 1 title—right?

7. Bayern Munich

Last week: Won 7-1 at home to Hoffenheim (league).

This week: Home to Basel, Tuesday (UCL).

Comments: Bayern are back on track in the league thanks to the blowout win over Hoffenheim. Now they need to reverse their 1-0 deficit against Basel in the Champions League.

6. Manchester City

Last week: Lost 1-0 at Sporting Lisbon (Europa); lost 1-0 at Swansea (league).

This week: Home to Sporting Lisbon, Thursday (Europa).

Comments: It was a tough week for City, who lost consecutive games for the second time this season. Now one point behind Manchester United in the Premier League, City must get back to winning quickly.

5. Manchester United

Last week: Lost 3-2 at home to Athletic Bilbao (Europa); won 2-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion (league).

This week: At Athletic Bilbao, Thursday (Europa); at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sunday (league).

Comments: For all their European struggles this season—and there have been many—Manchester United are still formidable domestically. Sunday's 2-0 win over West Brom felt both easy and inevitable.

4. AC Milan

Last week: Lost 3-0 at Arsenal (UCL); won 2-0 at home to Lecce (league).

This week: At Parma, Saturday (league).

Comments: This team is hard to evaluate. First they destroy Arsenal, then they melt down against the same team. For now, let's just say that night at the Emirates was an aberration—or maybe something special from Arsenal.

3. Borussia Dortmund

Last week: Drew 0-0 at Augsburg (league).

This week: Home to Werder Bremen, Saturday (league).

Comments: That draw at Augsburg wasn't good, but Dortmund still hold a five-point lead over Bayern Munich atop the Bundesliga table.

2. Real Madrid

Last week: Won 3-2 at Real Betis (league).

This week: Home to CSKA Moscow, Wednesday (UCL); home to Malaga, Sunday (league).

Comments: Yes, Real hold a 10-point lead over Barcelona in the league. But we'll talk about moving them up once they demolish a Champions League opponent 7-1.

Actually, that may happen this week.

1. Barcelona

Last week: Won 7-1 at home to Bayer Leverkusen (UCL); won 2-0 at Racing Santander (league).

This week: At Sevilla, Saturday (league).

Comments: Still the best. Who else wins 7-1 in the Champions League knockout stage? Which other striker has ever scored five times in one Champions League match?

No one.