The 25 Greatest National Teams Of All Time
Quick, who are the three most successful national teams of all time?
Most of us would have similar responses, mostly within just five or six teams all together.
I decided to figure out exactly who has a legit claim to the top 25 and although I do not agree with all of the results and rankings they all came from the same formula.
Taking into account top four placement in the FIFA u-17 and u-20 World Cups, results from the Olympics, each continental championship, the FIFA Confederations Cup and of course the FIFA World Cup, with bonus points to qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup.
There are a few rules I laid out before I started, one was that only records in a teams own continental region count, so in the cases Mexico and Japan played in the Copa America it doesn't factor in.
I also did not include Czechoslovakia because it is no longer a country and it isn't fair to either count both new countries as champions or choose one over the order. I decided to take the easy way out and remove them from contention, despite factoring in the top ten.
25. New Zealand
1 of 25
World Cup
2 Qualifications
OFC Championships
4x Champion
1x Second Place
2x Third Place
24. Sweden
2 of 25
World Cup
11 Qualifications
1x Second Place
2x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
European Championships
1x Fourth Place
Olympics
1x Gold
2x Bronze
23. Japan
3 of 25
World Cup
4 Qualifications
Asian Championships
3x Champions
1x Fourth Place
Confederations Cup
1x Second Place
Olympics
1x Bronze
Under-20 World Cup
1x 2nd Place
22. Costa Rica
4 of 25
World Cup
3 Qualifications
CONCACAF Championships
3x Champions
1x Runner Up
4x Third Place
Under-20 World Cup
1x Fourth Place
21. Saudi Arabia
5 of 25
World Cup
4 Qualifications
Asian Championships
3x Champions
3x Runner Up
Under-17 World Cup
1x Champions
Confederations Cup
1x Runner Up
1x Fourth Place
20. Australia
6 of 25
World Cup
3 Qualifications
OFC Championships
4x Champion
2x 2nd place
Confederations Cup
1x Runner Up
1x Third Place
Under-17 World Cup
1x Runner Up
Under-20 World Cup
2x Fourth Place
19. South Korea
7 of 25
World Cup
8 Qualifications
Asian Championships
2x Champions
3x Runner Up
3x Third Place
Under-20 World Cup
1x 4th Place
18. Ghana
8 of 25
World Cup
2 Qualifications
African Cup of Nations
4x Champions
4x Runner Up
Olympics
1x Bronze
Under-17 World Cup
2x Champions
2x Runner Up
1x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
Under-20 World Cup
1x Champions
2x Runner Up
1x Fourth Place
17. Cameroon
9 of 25
World Cup
6 Qualifications
Confederations Cup
1x Runner Up
African Cup of Nations
4x Champions
2x Runner Up
1x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
Olympics
1x Gold
16. Hungary
10 of 25
World Cup
9 Qualifications
2x Runner Up
European Championships
1x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
Olympics
3x Gold
1x Silver
1x Bronze
Under-20 World Cup
1x Fourth Place
15. Russia
11 of 25
World Cup
9 Qualifications
1x Fourth Place
European Championships
1x Champion
3x Runner Up
1x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
Olympics
2x Gold
3x Bronze
Under-17 World Cup
1x Champion
Under-20 World Cup
1x Champion
1x Runner Up
1x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
14. Paraguay
12 of 25
World Cup
8 Qualifications
Copa America
2x Champions
5x Runner Up
7x Third Place
6x Fourth Place
Under-20 World Cup
1x Fourth Place
Olympics
1x Silver
13. Egypt
13 of 25
World Cup
2 Qualifications
African Cup of Nations
7x Champions
1x Runner Up
Under-20 World Cup
1x Third Place
12. Nigeria
14 of 25
World Cup
4 Qualifications
African Cup of Nations
2x Champions
4x Runner Up
Olympics
1x Gold
1x Silver
Under-17 World Cup
3x Champions
3x Runner Up
Under-20 World Cup
2x Runner Up
1x Third Place
11. England
15 of 25
World Cup
13 Qualifications
1x Champions
1x Fourth Place
European Championships
2x Third Place
Olympics
3x Gold
Under-20 World Cup
1x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
10. Spain
16 of 25
World Cup
13 Qualifications
1x Champion
1x Fourth Place
European Championships
2x Champion
1x Runner Up
Olympics
1x Gold
2x Silver
Under-17 World Cup
3x Runner Up
2x Third Place
Under-20 World Cup
1x Champion
2x Runner Up
1x Fourth Place
Confederations Cup
1x Third Place
9. Holland
17 of 25
World Cup
9 Qualifications
3x Runner Up
1x Fourth Place
European Championships
1x Champion
Olympics
3x Bronze
Under-17 World Cup
1x Third Place
8. United States
18 of 25
World Cup
9 Qualifications
1x Third Place
CONCACAF Championships
4x Champions
4x Runner Up
2x Third Place
Under-17 World Cup
1x Fourth Place
Under-20 World Cup
1x Fourth Place
Confederations Cup
1x Runner Up
2x Third Place
Olympics
2x Silver
7. Mexico
19 of 25
World Cup
14 Qualifications
CONCACAF Championships
8x Champions
2x Runner Up
3x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
Under-17 World Cup
1x Champion
Under-20 World Cup
1x Runner Up
Confederations Cup
1x Champion
1x Third Place
6. France
20 of 25
World Cup
13 Qualifications
1x Champion
1x Runner Up
2x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
European Championships
2x Champion
Olympics
1x Gold
1x Silver
Under-17 World Cup
1x Champion
Confederations Cup
2x Champions
5. Italy
21 of 25
World Cup
17 Qualifications
4x Champion
2x Runner Up
1x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
European Championships
1x Champion
1x Runner Up
Olympics
1x Gold
2x Bronze
Under-17 World Cup
1x Fourth Place
4. Germany
22 of 25
World Cup
17 Qualifications
3x Champion
4x Runner Up
4x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
European Championships
3x Champion
3x Runner Up
Olympics
1x Gold
1x Silver
2x Bronze
Under-17 World Cup
1x Runner Up
1x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
Under-20 World Cup
1x Champion
1x Runner Up
1x Third Place
Confederations Cup
1x Third Place
3. Uruguay
23 of 25
World Cup
11 Qualifications
2x Champion
3x Fourth Place
Copa America
14x Champions
6x Runner Up
9x Third Place
5x Fourth Place
Under-20 World Cup
1x Runner Up
1x Third Place
2x Fourth Place
Olympics
2x Gold
2. Argentina
24 of 25
World Cup
15 Qualifications
2x Champion
2x Runner Up
Copa America
14x Champions
12x Runner Up
4x Third Place
2x Fourth Place
Under-20 World Cup
6x Champion
1x Runner Up
1x Fourth Place
Under-17 World Cup
3x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
Olympics
2x Gold
2x Silver
Confederations Cup
1x Champion
2x Runner Up
1. Brazil
25 of 25
World Cup
19 Qualifications
5x Champion
2x Runner Up
2x Third Place
1x Fourth Place
Copa America
8x Champions
11x Runner Up
7x Third Place
3x Fourth Place
Under-20 World Cup
4x Champion
3x Runner Up
3x Third Place
Under-17 World Cup
3x Champion
2x Runner Up
1x Third Place
Olympics
2x Silver
2x Bronze
Confederations Cup
3x Champion
1x Runner Up
