Best football teams in the world: Where do Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea rank?

Football’s greatest teams build a lasting legacy that supporters, players and managers want to be part of, and they cement their place in the sport’s history, whether it be for a brief moment or a prolonged period of time.

At all levels of the beautiful game, highs and lows are part of every club’s journey, but some teams - especially those with financial backing - manage to sustain their success more consistently than others, with many sides having had generations of glory through each era of football.

While some of football’s historic powerhouses are in decline and no longer carry the threat of yesteryear, grappling with mounting pressure as they attempt to navigate periods of instability, some of the world’s traditional giants have bounced back in recent seasons, while there are also a few ambitious newcomers who have begun to challenge the long-standing hierarchy.

Here, Sports Mole takes on the challenging task of selecting the current top 10 best teams in the world, taking into account short-term form and medium-term success, domestic and continental performance, and overall squad strength.

10. Atletico Madrid

A new addition to the top 10, Atletico Madrid have overtaken Chelsea in this list due to the struggles of the London club, especially throughout 2026.

Atletico, on the other hand, reached the semi-finals of the 2025-26 Champions League, with Diego Simeone's side narrowly knocked out by Arsenal.

The Red and Whites were also present in last season's Copa del Rey final, losing to Real Sociedad, while they confirmed a top-four spot in La Liga - the minimum requirement for a club of their ilk.

Atletico's flimsy pursuit of La Liga glory ended in failure, but the Rojiblancos still warrant a spot in this esteemed list.

9. Liverpool

After nine memorable years under Jurgen Klopp, winning eight trophies including the club's first Premier League title for 30 years, many predicted that Liverpool would experience a slight drop-off in Arne Slot's debut campaign at Anfield, but how wrong were they!

Slot seamlessly took the baton from his German predecessor and steered the Reds to a record-equalling 20th Premier League title last season, finishing 10 points clear of their nearest challengers Arsenal.

Liverpool have finished inside the top three in six of the last eight Premier League years and they have also thrived in Europe, reaching three Champions League finals in seven years before topping the 36-team League Phase table of the newly-expanded competition last season and losing to eventual champions PSG in the last 16.

Central to Slot's success at Liverpool was the form of star attacker Mohamed Salah, who elevated his game to a new level at the age of 32 and claimed more goals and assists than any other player in a 38-game Premier League season, with 47 in 2024-25. To the surprise of many, Ryan Gravenberch blossomed into a top-class midfielder under Slot, while captain colossus Virgil van Dijk and elite shot-stopper Alisson Becker remain integral to the Reds’ backline.

Liverpool’s success last season was achieved without spending an awful lot of money, but the cash splashed in the summer 2025 window is yet to yield the intended results. Florian Wirtz is gradually improving, but club-record signing Alexander Isak has been hit with several long-term injuries, while Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong are still finding their feet too.

What has transpired in 2025-26 was nothing short of nightmarish for the Kop, Slot and a demoted Salah, who is now donning the colours of Trabzonspor as he makes way for the next Merseyside generation.

Nevertheless, hopes are high for an exciting new era under Andoni Iraola, whose new employers remain a formidable force that no opponent wants to face.

8. Manchester United

A scarcely believable addition to some, but Manchester United's renaissance under Michael Carrick has suddenly thrust the Red Devils back to where they belong; the bright lights of the Champions League.

The Ruben Amorim experiment is best consigned to the back pages of history, but the board belatedly made a praiseworthy managerial decision in appointing Carrick, who led the club to an unexpected Premier League bronze in 2025-26.

Perpetually inspired by creative connoisseur Bruno Fernandes, who assisted a record 21 Premier League goals in the last campaign, Man United qualified for the Champions League for the first time in three seasons, but the challenge of juggling European and domestic commitments will be a true examination of their revival.

7. Inter Milan

Waving the flag for Italy on this list are Inter Milan, who endured an alarming downward spiral following their 2010 treble-winning season, marked by financial struggles and inconsistent performance, before lifting the 2020-21 Serie A title to end their decade-long trophy drought.

New ownership, strong leadership and smart transfer dealings have facilitated Inter’s return to prominence. The Nerazzurri have finished inside the top three in each of the last seven Serie A seasons, winning three Scudettos and narrowly missing out on a third to Napoli in 2024-25, while they have also celebrated three Coppa Italia and three Supercoppa Italiana triumphs in that time.

In addition, Inter have impressed in Europe, with former boss Simone Inzaghi leading to the club to two Champions League finals in the last three seasons, albeit losing on both occasions including a humbling 5-0 defeat to PSG in 2025 having previously beaten both Bayern Munich and Barcelona en route to the showpiece.

Inter also suffered a surprise last-16 exit to Fluminense at the FIFA Club World Cup, highlighting the lingering effects of their recent setbacks, but new head coach Cristian Chivu quickly galvanised the group and led the Nerazzurri to a warranted 2025-26 Serie A title triumph, 11 points clear of closest challengers Napoli.

6. Real Madrid

Widely regarded as one of, if not the, biggest and most successful club in football history, Real Madrid would probably be occupying a top-two position on this list had they not endured trophyless 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

Los Blancos had won three La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and one Copa del Rey over a five-year period before coming up short in all three competitions in 2024-26, most notably finishing four points behind La Liga champions Barca and suffering a 5-1 aggregate loss to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals following a turbulent League Phase campaign.

Real Madrid, who remain frightening in attack but have become vulnerable at the back, were strongly tipped to win the Club World Cup last summer, but the five-time winners were taught a footballing lesson in a heavy semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa's team experienced a humbling 2025-26 too, again failing to get their hands on a single piece of silverware and only progressing as far as the quarter-finals in the Champions League.

The Spanish giants demand trophies each year, so failing to lift any major honours will have hurt, especially after building an explosive and technically gifted squad that includes the likes of French superstar Kylian Mbappe, midfield maestro Jude Bellingham and 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up Vinicius Junior.

5. Manchester City

“City, City, the best team in the land and all the world!” A chant regularly heard at the Etihad Stadium and one deservedly sung by the Citizens following an impressive spell of dominance, particularly on the domestic front, under the tutelage of manager Pep Guardiola.

Man City have won six Premier League titles across the last nine seasons, breaking a plethora of records in the process, and one of those title triumphs was part of a historic treble in the 2022-23 campaign when they also lifted their first ever Champions League trophy. Not long after, they became Club World Cup champions for the first time before celebrating an unprecedented fourth consecutive PL title at the end of the 2023-24 season.

However, Man City’s incredibly high standards surprisingly slipped in 2024-25 when they failed to win a major trophy for the first time in eight years (not including the Community Shield). Not only did they finish 13 points behind Premier League winners Liverpool, they suffered early exits in the Champions League and EFL Cup before losing the FA Cup final for the second year running. They were also surprisingly beaten by Al-Hilal in the last 16 of the Club World Cup.

The biggest prizes in the shape of the Premier League and Champions League also eluded Man City in 2025-26, but Guardiola at least signed off with an FA Cup and EFL Cup double before handing the reins over to Enzo Maresca.

Seen as the most natural heir to the Guardiola throne, the Catalan's former disciple oversaw a chastening 3-0 Community Shield loss to Arsenal in his opening competitive game, raising a few alarm bells for the season ahead.

4. Barcelona

Barcelona’s financial situation leaves a lot to be desired and remains a cause for concern, but there is plenty to admire about the club’s resurgence on the pitch, firstly under club legend Xavi and now under head coach Hansi Flick.

After a three-year La Liga drought and a brief Europa League outing, the Catalan giants have since won three of the last four Spanish top-flight titles on offer, including one in Flick’s debut 2024-25 campaign at the club as part of a domestic treble, including the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana.

Barca fended off competition from Madrid-based rivals Real and Atletico to win their 28th La Liga title by four points, while they also impressed in the Champions League, finishing second in the 36-team League Phase standings before exiting at the semi-final stage to Inter in after enthralling goal-laden two-legged spectacular.

Barca’s backline, including breakout star Pau Curbasi, continues to be susceptible on the counter-attack, but Flick’s risk-and-reward, high-pressing philosophy has worked on the whole, with the German coach working with a mix of elite, experiences pros and highly-rated homegrown starlets.

Led by the indomitable - if now departed - Robert Lewandowski and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, Barcelona retained their La Liga title with relative ease in 2025-26, but Flick's Champions League box remains unticked.

3. Arsenal

Arsenal have made significant progress since head coach Mikel Arteta replaced Unai Emery at the end of 2019, transforming into a world-class outfit, underpinned by resilience and squad cohesion, that contends for silverware on a consistent basis.

The Gunners’ recent rise has been built on the firmest of foundations, with a rock-solid defence conceding just 27 Premier League goals last season - the lowest in the division - while their set-piece specialities, game management and deployment of the dark arts is detested by rivals but has helped Arteta’s side to grind out positive results.

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed a strong centre-back partnership in front of the commanding present of David Raya between the sticks. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard have established themselves as integral midfield assets, while starboy Bukayo Saka remains key for Arteta, even though his performances in 2025-26 were not always at the desired level.

It had been a tale of near misses for the Gunners since lifting their last major honour - the FA Cup - in 2020. Arsenal had won just two Community Shields across the last five seasons and had frustratingly finished second in each of the last three Premier League seasons, finishing 10 points behind champions Liverpool last term having previously pushed City all the way on two occasions.

However, Arteta finally ended their long-awaited hunt for the Premier League title in 2025-26, leading the Gunners to the trophy with one game to spare, and also taking the club to their first Champions League final in two decades.

Paris Saint-Germain inflicted penalty heartbreak on Arsenal in Budapest, but having already come so far in a short space of time, the Premier League champions are not far off becoming the globe's dominant force.

2. Bayern Munich

Eyebrows were raised when Bayern Munich endured their first trophyless campaign in 12 years under Thomas Tuchel in the 2023-24 campaign, but they have recovered well with Vincent Kompany at the helm and returned to the summit of German football in 2024-25 after knocking Bayer Leverkusen off their perch.

Indeed, Bayern reinforced their legacy of domestic success by reclaiming the Bundesliga title - their 12th top-flight triumph in 13 seasons - after collecting 82 points from 34 games (W25 D7 L2), finishing 10 points clear of their nearest challengers, Leverkusen, with the most goals scored (99) and fewest conceded (32).

A five-year drought without lifting the DFB-Pokal was also ended in the 2025-26 campaign, which saw Bayern collect three major titles in the Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

In Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz, Lennart Karl and Jamal Musiala, Bayern arguably boast the most fear-inducing attack the professional game has to offer, and Kompany's men plundered an outrageous 122 goals in the 2025-26 Bundesliga term.

1. Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain have transformed from a star-driven team that once boasted Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mbappe - a penny for his thoughts - into a disciplined, cohesive side under head coach Luis Enrique, built around youth and tactical flexibility rather than one, two or three marquee names.

PSG are enjoying their most successful era and remain the dominant force in France having won 12 of the last 14 Ligue 1 titles. They celebrated their fifth in a row last season, a campaign in which they coincidentally won five trophies in total, the biggest of the lot being a second straight Champions League honour.

In doing so, Les Parisiens became just the second team in history to win successive men's Champions League titles after the 2016-17 Real Madrid crop, while also coming up trumps in the UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and Trophee des Champions.

An early Coupe de France exit was the only blemish on an otherwise extraordinary 2025-26 campaign for the capital club, whose status as the best team on planet earth is not up for debate.