Top 10 Greatest Countries For Soccer/Football of All Time

Jenny Lee August 27, 2023 | 07:17

In light of the current FIFA rating and the amount of titles each country has won at the World Cup, Confederation, Euro, Copa America, and Olympic games, let's analyze and rate the ten best footballing nations in history.

Best Soccer Countries In The World of All Time

The "king sport" with the most admirers is soccer, or football. Even though England invented soccer, its national team still lags well behind many other nations in terms of accomplishments.

Vote for the Top 10 best soccer-playing countries in history by visiting KnowInsiders.com and ranking them according to the titles they have won.

1. Brazil

Current FIFA Ranking: 2

Championships: 5 World Cups (11 semifinal appearances), 4 Confederations Cups, 8 Copa Americas

Top Club League: Brasileirão

Greatest Players: Pelé, Ronaldo, Garrincha, Zico, Jairzinho, Didi, Carlos Alberto, Romário, Rivaldo, Tostao, Gérson, Ronaldinho, Nílton Santos, Roberto Rivelino, Cafu, Vavá, Zizinho, Djalma Santos, Kaká, Leônidas, Falcão, Arthur Friedenreich, Roberto Carlos, Mario Zagallo.

Top 10+ Greatest Soccer Countries of All Time

Brazil - Greatest Soccer Country of All Time

No matter how you look at it, Brazil is the clear winner as the greatest World Cup team. The country has participated in the most variety of finals with 19 appearances overall, having attended every World Cup since Uruguay in 1930.

The Selecao, who are the hosts this time in 2014, will undoubtedly be one of the favorites to win their sixth championship and further solidify their position atop the all-time leaderboard.

Brazil is placed number 1 in the All-time table of the World Cup with more victories and less losses than any other team: 104 Matches, 70 Wins, 17 draws and only 17 losses.

That means: 227 points achieved (more than any other team) which represents 2.18 Average points per match (more than any other team)

So, Brazil is the best team for sure. Although their current team may not be the best, there is no other nation with more achievements in the world.

Facts About Brazil

Brazil, formally the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South and Latin America. Brazil, with its 8.5 million square km (3,300,000 square mile) total area, is the world's fifth biggest and sixth most populated country. Brasilia is the nation's capital, while São Paulo is its most populated city. The federation is composed of the Federal District and the union of the 26 states.

It is the largest country in the Americas and the only one where Portuguese is an official language, thanks to more than a century of extensive immigration from all over the globe. It is also the biggest country where Roman Catholics make up the majority.

2. Germany

Current FIFA Ranking: 1

Championships: 4 World Cups (13 semifinal appearances), 3 Euro Cups, 1 Olympic gold medal (East Germany), 1 Confederations Cup

Top Club League: Bundesliga

Greatest Players: Franz Beckenbauer, Lothar Matthäus, Gerd Müller, Paul Breitner, Gunter Netzer, Fritz Walter, Sepp Maier, Matthias Sammer, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger,Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Uwe Seeler, Oliver Kahn, Andreas Brehme, Helmut Rahn, Phillip Lahm, Miroslav Klose.

Germany entered the world of international football somewhat late. The country took part in just two of the first four World Cups, alternating between a respectable third-place finish in 1934 and a humiliating loss to Switzerland four years later as the threat of war descended upon Europe.

However, West Germany's triumph in 1954 put the sport back on the map of the country, and they have remained competitive ever since.

Germany or West Germany have advanced to the quarterfinals or further in every World Cup for the past 50 years, with the exception of the slightly modified format in 1978. No other country has accomplished this feat.

They have played 99 World Cup games, more than any other team, compared to Italy's 80 in the same number of tournaments, which is also explained by their consistency.

On Bismarck's initiative, Germany was formally united in 1871, with King Wilhelm of Prussia serving as the emperor. The previous "Holy Roman Empire," which was essentially a continuation of Karl der Grosse's/Charlemagne's empire, was disbanded in 1806.

After World War 1, some territory was lost, and a great deal more after World War 2, which was essentially started by Hitler's Nazi dictatorship. Then, until 1990, when the nation was reunited, the Soviets kept their region—the "DDR," or East Germany—separate with a wall cutting through the heart of Berlin.

German musicians like Beethoven and Bach and many other Renaissance artists like Dürer and Cranach are well-known. Hamburgers and Bratwurst are also popular, as are good coffee and cake. Although there are many subcultures due to Germany being one of the top countries for immigration and refugee flows, German is the primary language and is widely spoken in Eastern Europe. Over the past few decades, Germany has consistently ranked as the most admired nation in the world. German cities are understated in comparison to countries like the USA or Australia because they only show up as inner cities on maps.

Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart are major cities. Despite the effects of the war, there are many lovely cities and towns. With the best social mobility in the world, its social democracy ensures a moderate income gap. It is located in middle Europe, has a population of about 85 million, and a robust economy.

Germany is a great power in the twenty-first century and has the fourth- and fifth-largest economies in the world, respectively, based on nominal GDP and PPP. It is the third-largest exporter and importer of goods in the world and a leader in many industrial and technological sectors. Germany is a developed nation with a high standard of living supported by a knowledgeable and successful population. It supports social security, a system of universal health care, environmental protection, and free university tuition. The eighth-largest nuclear arsenal is in Germany.

German is the language of the nation and its official language.

3. Italy

Current FIFA Ranking: 20

Championships: 4 World Cups (8 semifinal appearances), 2 Euro Cups, 1 Olympic gold medal

Top Club League: Serie A

Greatest Players: Giuseppe Meazza, Giacinto Facchetti, Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon, Gaetano Scirea, Franco Baresi, Roberto Baggio, Dino Zoff, Paolo Rossi, Gianni Rivera, Fabio Cannavaro, Tarcisio Burgnich, Valentino Mazzola, Sandro Mazzola, Luigi Riva, Alessandro Del Piero, Giuseppe Bergomi.

With four Jules Rimet trophies, the Azzurri are Europe's most successful World Cup team, only Brazil having won more. Despite this success, Italy finished third overall due to its troubled competition history.

Despite Italian football in the 1960s being the richest on the planet in terms of talent and financial resources, the country's back-to-back victories in 1934 and 1938 were followed by 20 years of failing to advance past the first round.

Italy has proven to be more than capable of experiencing ups and downs that Germany and Brazil, their longtime rivals, have never experienced.

The size of Italy is 301,338 km2. The third most populous EU member state, with almost 62 million people, is this one. Its open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, and the Vatican City are located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Rome is the nation's capital and largest city. Milan, Naples, Turin, Venice, and Florence are some additional significant cities. Italian is the official tongue of Italy.

Italy has made a significant contribution to Western civilization. The Etruscan civilization, the Roman Empire, the Holy See, the Maritime Republics, Humanism, and the Renaissance all originated in Italy. It was a part of the Holy Roman Empire (25 December 800–6 August 1806) along with Germany and France.

Italy has been a unitary state since the Risorgimento (renaissance or resurrection) on March 17, 1861, and has been a republic since the 1946 referendum that ended the Italian monarchy.

Since the monarchy was abolished by a constitutional referendum on 2 June 1946, Italy has been a unitary parliamentary republic. Italy's head of state is the President of Italy (Presidente della Repubblica), currently Sergio Mattarella since 2015. The Italian Parliament meets in joint session to elect the President for a single term of seven years. A Constituent Assembly composed of the representatives of all the anti-fascist forces that helped to defeat Nazi and Fascist forces during the Civil War worked to create the written democratic constitution of Italy.

With its sixty-two million people and seventh- or eighth-largest economy, Italy is a significant player in the international scene in the twenty-first century.

4. Argentina

Current FIFA Ranking: 1

Championships: 3 World Cups (6 semifinal appearances), 1 Confederations Cup, 15 Copa Americas, 2 Olympic gold medals

Top Club League: Argentine Primera División

Greatest Players: Lionel Messi,Diego Maradona, Alfredo Di Stéfano (played much of international career for Spain), Mario Kempes, José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, Ángel Labruna, Gabriel Batistuta, Daniel Passarella, Silvio Marzolini, Omar Sívori, Sergio Batista.

Argentina has all the stars anyone could ever want, despite not having achieved the same level of global success as some of these top nations listed. The two men who get the most attention are Maradona and Lionel Messi, each of whom has a case to make that they are the greatest soccer player ever.

A few domestic teams are pretty good at keeping talent at home, but the best athletes typically play for foreign teams in Europe. They could legitimately contend to be the best soccer nation in the world if they can win a World Cup soon.

Few teams can rival the Rioplatense side's record of controversy and heart-stopping moments. But in addition to winning the World Cup twice, the Albiceleste also have one of the best records in history.

Despite being finalists in 1930, the country failed to have much of an impact on the competition and even withdrew for 20 years, from 1934 to 1954. However, they have emerged as one of football's most ardent supporters in the modern era, inspired by legendary creators like Diego Maradona, Juan Roman Riquelme, and currently Lionel Messi.

5. France

Current FIFA Ranking: 7

Championships: 2 World Cups (7 semifinal appearances), 2 Confederations Cups, 2 Euro Cups, 1 Olympic gold medal

Top Club League: Ligue 1

Greatest Players: Kylian Mbappé, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, Thierry Henry, Just Fontaine, Raymond Kopa, Marcel Desailly, Eric Cantona, Robert Jonquet, Frank Ribery, Lilian Thuram.

France - Greatest Soccer Country of All Time

As the current World Cup champions, France currently enjoys a lot of competitive advantages. There are many elite athletes, including Kylian Mbappe, and their domestic leagues are continually improving.

Given the addition of Lionel Messi to their roster and the signing of a new contract, Paris St. Germain may be the most talented team in the world right now.Of course, Jules Rimet, the organization's founder, was French, and in 1930, France was one of only four European teams to brave the voyage by steamer to Uruguay for the tournament's inaugural match.

For France, it has been extremely difficult to convert talent from golden generations into ongoing success. Following semi-final finishes in 1982 and 1986, two tournaments were held in the background as a result of the glaring hole left by the departure of luminaries like Michel Platini and Alain Giresse.

Similar to how that historic victory at home in 1998 was followed four years later by an embarrassing first-round exit, a final, and yet another group stage defeat.

France, also known as the French Republic, is a sovereign state that includes several overseas countries and regions in addition to its western European territory. Metropolitan France refers to the region of France that is located in Europe and stretches from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea as well as from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. France has a total area of 675,000 km2 (251,000 mi2) and 67 million people (as of 2017).

France has the largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world, covering 11,691,000 km2 (4,514,000 mi2), surpassing the EEZ of the United States, which is the second-largest (11,351,000 km2 / 4,382,000 mi2), thanks to its numerous overseas departments and territories that are dispersed across all oceans on the planet.

It is a unitary semi-presidential republic, with Paris serving as both the nation's capital and its largest city. Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Strasbourg, and Montpellier are a few other significant urban areas.

The French Constitution establishes the state as secular, democratic, and deriving its authority from the people.

6. Uruguay

Current FIFA Ranking: 17

Championships: 2 World Cups (5 semifinal appearances), 15 Copa Americas, 2 Olympic gold medals

Top Club League: Primera División Uruguaya

Greatest Players: Obdulio Varela, Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Enzo Francescoli, Jose Andrade, Héctor Scarone, Luis Cubilla, Diego Forlán, José Nasazzi, Roque Máspoli, Luis Suarez, Alcides Ghiggia.

The first dominant team in football was Uruguay. In the years before FIFA recognized the competition as a top trophy, the Charrua won two Olympic gold medals in addition to World Cup victories in 1930 and 1950.

But the country has been somewhat waning since those heydays. However, a semi-final appearance in 2010 signaled a return to the top level, and they continue to hold the record for being the smallest nation to ever win the Jules Rimet Trophy.

Although they have some strong players to demonstrate to the world that South America is not just about Argentina and Brazil, it is challenging to develop consistency in such a small nation.

Uruguay is a nation in South America and is formally known as the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. Its neighbors include Brazil to the north and northeast, Argentina to the west and southwest, the Ro de la Plata to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast. It is a piece of South America's Southern Cone. With a population of 3.51 million people and an area of 181,034 square kilometers (69,898 square miles), of which 2 million reside in the metropolitan area of the country's capital and largest city,

7. England

Current FIFA Ranking: 13

Championships: 1 World Cup (3 semifinal appearances), 3 Olympic gold medals

Top Club League: Premier League

Greatest Players: Bobby Charlton, Stanley Matthews, Bobby Moore, Dixie Dean, Kevin Keegan, Jimmy Greaves, Gordon Banks, Stephen Bloomer, David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Tom Finney, Wayne Rooney, Gary Lineker, Geoff Hurst, Paul Gascoigne.

England - Greatest Soccer Country of All Time

The fact that England is ranked so highly in the historical rankings is a little surprising. However, once the Three Lions do manage to make it to a World Cup, they turn into difficult opponents for most teams to deal with.

With 1.64 points per game on average, they are more efficient than countries like France and Uruguay. Consistency is important as well; in 13 World Cup appearances, England has only twice failed to advance past the first round, with the most recent failure occurring in 1958.

The Three Lions are renowned for being difficult to disassemble. England has lost less games than any other team with more than 50 World Cup games under their belt, with just 14 defeats.

In addition to having a devoted following, England is also where the Premier League is played. Many contend that it is the world's best and most equitable domestic league.

Along with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, England, formerly known as the Kingdom of England, is a member of the United Kingdom.

Although England's history can be traced back to the 10th century, it wasn't until the Norman Invasion in 1066 that modern England truly began. The annexation of Wales by England in 1535 and the sharing of a monarch with Scotland in 1603 eventually led to the unification of the two countries into "Great Britain." Ireland was incorporated into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801; however, six counties withdrew their allegiance in 1922, and the remainder of Ireland declared independence.

Northwest of continental Europe, on the island of Great Britain, is where you'll find England. Scotland to the north, Wales to the west, the Irish Sea to the north west, the North Sea to the east, and the English Channel to the south are its borders.

Its capital, London, is shared with the United Kingdom. Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle are some other major cities.

8. Spain

Current FIFA Ranking: 8

Championships: 1 World Cup (2 semifinal appearances), 3 Euro Cups, 1 Olympic gold medal

Top Club League: La Liga

Greatest Players: Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Emilio Butragueno, Telmo Zarra, Luis Suárez, Amancio, László Kubala, Francisco Gento, Iker Casillas, Ricardo Zamora, David Villa, Carlos Puyol

Spain was viewed as the World Cup football underachievers for a long time. Up until 2010 and the drama of South Africa, the Furia Roja had always been blessed with a team full of talent, but they had been unable to end their Jules Rimet drought.

However, that dry spell obscures a more than admirable record in the premier international football competition. Paradoxically, their worst run coincided with Real Madrid's hegemony in the 1950s and 1960s. Spain has qualified for and advanced to the knockout round of every competition since it served as host in 1982.

With teams like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid leading the way, La Liga has developed into one of the most fiercely competitive leagues in the world.

Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a nation in southwest Europe with a portion of its territory spanning the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Iberian Peninsula is where the majority of Spain is located, along with the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and a number of smaller overseas territories that are dispersed along the Moroccan coast of the Alboran Sea. The mainland of the nation is surrounded by Gibraltar to the south, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and east, France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay to the north, Portugal, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

9. Netherlands

Current FIFA Ranking: 19

Championships: 1 Euro Cup, 5 World Cup semifinal appearances

Top Club League: Eredivisie

Greatest Players: Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Ronald Koeman, Dennis Bergkamp, Johan Neeskens, Ruud Krol, Arie Haan, Frank Rijkaard, Johnny Rep, Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie, Frank de Boer, Wesley Sneijder

An unwanted record has a curse on the Oranje. No other team has participated in as many finals without ever winning the Jules Rimet Trophy, having placed second in 1974, 1978, and 2010.

Perhaps more than anything else, that failure helps to explain the Netherlands' tumultuous World Cup history. The Netherlands may no longer be in their prime, but they remain one of the most historically reliable teams in soccer. They are consistently very competitive on a global scale, and they also produce a few stars who play in leagues across Europe.

They have some teams that stand out as the best domestic clubs in the world on top of everything else. Ajax is the most recent illustration; over the past ten years, it has made a few attempts to advance through the Champions League. The Dutch are extremely proud of their achievements.

The Netherlands, also known as Holland, is a nation in northwest Europe that also has territories abroad in the Caribbean. Of the four nations that make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it is the largest. The Netherlands has twelve provinces and borders Belgium to the south, Germany to the east, and the coast of the North Sea to the north and west. In the North Sea, it has maritime borders with Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The official language of the nation is Dutch, and the province of Friesland also recognizes West Frisian as an official language. Dutch Sign Language, Sinte Romani, and Yiddish are recognized non-territorial languages, whereas Dutch Low Saxon and Limburgish are recognized regional languages. In the Caribbean, the three official languages are Dutch, English, and Papiamento.

10. Portugal

Current FIFA Ranking: 4

Championships: 1 Euro Cup, 2 World Cup semifinal appearances

Top Club League: Primiera Liga

Greatest Players: Eusébio, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luís Figo, Rui Costa, Mário Coluna

With the caliber of talent Portugal has possessed over the years, it is astounding to consider that they have only participated in five World Cups. Indeed, the Lusitanians might have been skipping Brazil 2014 as well if it weren't for Cristiano Ronaldo's magic.

The nation's future appears bright based on two semi-final appearances (1966 and 2006) and a run of four straight qualifications.

Portugal, officially known as the Portuguese Republic, was founded in 1152 and is primarily situated on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. The Atlantic Ocean borders it on the west and south, and Spain on the north and east, making it the most western nation on European soil. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, which are both independent regions with their own regional governments, are also part of its territory. Its native tongue, Portuguese, is the official language, and Mirandese is only spoken in a small region of the northeastern part of the country. Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism, is the most common religion.

10.29 million people make up the entire population as of 2017. Lisbon, which has a population of 505,526, is the capital. Porto, Sintra, Coimbra, Faro, and Funchal are a few other well-liked cities and regions.

Portugal is best known for playing a significant role in colonizing much of Africa, the Americas, and parts of South Asia during Europe's Age of Discovery, which lasted from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Brazil is its most well-known former colony. Additionally, it is praised for its cuisines, coastlines, Port wine, and national football team, which features Cristiano Ronaldo as its best player.

11. Russia

Given its size, the Russian team ought to perform better. While they did reach the World Cup quarterfinals in 2018, their National Team has struggled to compete with the continent's top nations.

Even worse, the women's national team hasn't exactly gelled or accomplished much of anything either. The hope is that Russia will one day become a major power, but for the time being, all they have are a few successful individuals.

This was even more true during the Soviet era, when the best of Ukraine, Belarus, and the various USSR constituents all served to represent the superpower.

In the 1960s, Soviet soccer was at its peak. The team won the 1960 European Championship, placed fourth in England in 1966, and qualified for four consecutive World Cups as one of the top eight teams. But despite having fantastic players, they were unable to maintain that level of play, and Russia has yet to advance past the group stage on its own.

12. Serbia

The 1990s saw the dissolution of Yugoslavia, which coincided with what was perhaps the worst period in the nation's soccer history. A squad that included the likes of Dragan Stojkovic, Davor Suker, Alen Boksic, Robert Prosinecki, and many more stars had qualified for the 1992 European Championship and had progressed to the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup before the crisis.

The nation reached two quarterfinals and the final four in 1962 during its earlier peak in the post-war decade. Nevertheless, Serbia has lost in the opening round of every one of its three World Cup participation, along with Montenegro and now Serbia.

The Serbian National Team deserves praise for turning into a somewhat dependable power in Europe in the short time they have existed. Although they do not yet have a genuinely defining moment on the international scene, they certainly possess the players to do so in the future.

Given that some of its players participated for the Yugoslav squad in the past, Serbia deserves some recognition for their achievements. Despite being a minor country, they are able to compete with powerful European nations.

Final Thoughts

Soccer rankings are always controversial. You are British, you will be based on the criteria to bring English soccer to the number 1 position in the world. You are Uruguayan you say that the team has won the World Cup twice and must always be above Spain. However, in other rankings, Uruguay even ranks at number 9 or 10.

The position of Spain, England, Uruguay is always the most controversial in the Top 10 greatest soccer countries on the planet in history.