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Throughout football’s rich history, many dominant European clubs have etched their legacy as the best ever. But what was the best season for these great clubs? 

In this post, I’ll look into the lineups of these superior teams, their key players, and the trophies they’ve won during their most lucrative season. 

Best Football Teams Of All Time:

• Arsenal 
• Barcelona
• Ajax
• AC Milan
• Real Madrid
• Bayern Munich
• Liverpool FC
• S.L. Benfica
• Manchester United
• Porto

Related: Best European Football Players Of All Time – Starting XI By Position

Arsenal – 2003/04

Starting XI : GK – Lehmann, CB – Campbell, CB – Toure, RB – Lauren, LB – Cole, DM – Vieira, DM – Silva, LM – Pires , RM – Ljunberg, SS – Bergkamp, ST – Henry  

The Arsenal squad of the 2003/04 season, called “The Invincibles,” won the Premier League title. They ended the season on top of the table, unbeaten in 38 games with 90 points. The Invincibles, along with the legendary French manager Arsene Wenger, had 26 wins as well as 12 draws. 

The key players for the Gunners were, first and foremost, the elite striker Thierry Henry, who scored 30 goals thanks to his super-sharp finishes and lightning-fast pace. The midfielder, Patrick Vieira, has been crucial to the team with his precise passes and immense leadership. Also, Dennis Bergkamp was a magician with the ball, scoring goals and giving assists.

Their perfect run sets a great example that nothing is impossible in the game of football. 

Barcelona – 2008/09

Starting XI : GK – Valdes, CB – Pique, CB – Puyol, RB – Alves, LB – Abidal, DM – Toure, CM – Xavi, CM – Iniesta , RW – Messi, LW – Henry, ST – Eto’o

The 2008/09 season was the most memorable in the history of FC Barcelona. They’ve won the treble: UEFA Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey. Their “tiki-taka” style of play was very helpful in winning those titles. Regarding how this became the trademark of Barca’s play, the head coach, Pep Guardiola, drew inspiration from Ajax’s “Total Football” style.

All members of the Barcelona 2008/2009 team were impressive, but a couple of incredible players stood out.

For example, this was the breakthrough season of the goat of football, Lionel Messi. With 38 goals and 19 assists, Messi was the star of the team. His crucial header against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League will never be forgotten. 

Besides Leo, the captain center-back, Carles Puyol was the team’s backbone. Also, the midfield Duo, Xavi, and Iniesta, were important players of them. They controlled the ball perfectly in all their games and gave flawless passes.

The 2008/09 Barca lineup will go down as one of the best football teams in the world. 

Ajax – 1971/1972

Starting XI : GK – Stuy, CB – Blankenburg, CB – Hulshoff, RB – Suurbier, LB – Krol, DM – Haan, CM – Neeskens, LM – Mühren, AM – Cruyff, RW – Swart, LW – Keizer

At the beginning of the 1970s, Ajax was a force to be reckoned with and one of the best teams in Europe. The 1971/72 season was wildly successful, and they won the treble: the Eredivisie, the European Cup (now UEFA Champions League), and the KNVB Cup. Ajax won three European cups in a row, in 1971, 1972, and 1973. 

The “Total Football” style, which promoted teamwork and quick position switches, was a major factor in their success. They used the super flexible 4-3-3 formation, which caused problems for many of their opponents. 

Rinus Michaels left the head coach position, but Stefan Kovacs was equally as good as him and didn’t change the team’s formation, which was the right move.

All football enthusiasts know who was the superstar of the team. Johan Cruyff was as brilliant as always as the playmaker, scoring 33 goals and providing 26 assists in all competitions that season. The brilliant Johan Neeskens was the midfield general, and the right winger Sjaak Swart was the maestro in the attack. 

This Ajax generation is probably the best one since this Dutch club was founded in 1900. 

AC Milan – 1993/94

Starting XI : GK – Rossi, CB – Costacurta, CB – Baresi , RB – Tassotti, LB – Maldini, CM – Desailly, CM – Albertini, AM – Savićević , RM- Donadoni, ST – Massaro, ST – Papin

AC Milan had a truly exceptional 1993/94 season by winning the treble: Seria A, Supercoppa Italiana, and the Champions League. Fabio Capello’s team only managed to score 36 goals in only 34 matches in the league, but they only conceded 15 goals. 

In the UEFA Champions League final versus Barcelona, AC Milan destroyed them 4-0. 

One of the main reasons why AC Milan had that fantastic was its two defenders. Two AC Milan legends, Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi, made an impenetrable fortress of their defense. 

As for other memorable players, Desailly and Albertini controlled the midfield, while Jean Pierre Papin was the club’s striker in the absence of Marco Van Basten. 

The whole season was tremendous for the Rossoneri, and they’re undoubtedly one of the top 10 football teams ever to grace the pitch.

Real Madrid – 2016/17

Starting XI : GK – Navas, CB – Ramos, CB – Pepe, RB – Carvajal, LB – Marcelo, DM – Casemiro, CM – Modrić, CM – Kroos , RW – Bale, LW – Ronaldo, ST – Benzema

Having such a rich history as a club, Real Madrid was superb in many different eras of modern football, but their best season has to be 2016/17. Zinedine Zidane’s team won four trophies in that season: Champions League, La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and the Club World Cup. 

The race with Barca for the La Liga title was nail-biting, but Real Madrid prevailed by having 3 points more than the Catalans. In the final of the Champions League, Real showed pure dominance against Juventus, beating them 4 -1. 

Zidane knew how to make a complete team. 

Pepe and Ramos were unstoppable in the defense, and the left-back Marcelo could efficiently run the flank from one end of the pitch to another. The midfield was steady, with Modrić and Kroos. One of the football GOATs, Cristiano Ronaldo, led the attack, scoring 42 goals alongside 12 assists in all competitions. Benzema, being the team’s striker, bagged 19 goals as well as eight assists. 

No one can deny that the 2016/17 Real Madrid season was one of the best in the Galacticos’ history or in all football history. 

Bayern Munich – 2012/13

Starting XI : GK – Neuer, CB – Dante, CB – Boateng, RB – Lahm, LB – Alaba, CM – Schweinsteiger , CM – Kroos, AM – Müller , RW – Ribèry, LW – Robben, ST – Mandžukić

Bayern Munich is by far the best German football club ever. There have been many prosperous seasons in the club’s history, but the one that stands out is the 2012/13 season. Under coach Yupp Heynckess, Bayern won four titles in that season: the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, DFL Supercup, and the UEFA Champions League. 

They won the Bundesliga impressively, 19 points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, the runner-up. In the Champions League final, they also faced their Bundesliga rival, Borussia Dortmund, and beat them by 2 -1. 

Bayern had a team that had no flaws. Between the posts, there was the incredible shot-stopper Manuel Neuer. In the defense were the giant center-back Boateng and the captain Phillip Lahm, who was always consistent and light on his feet. 

In the midfield, Toni Kroos was the one giving perfect both short and long passes. There were super-fast Dutchman Arjen Robben and Frenchman Franck Ribery on the wings. The team’s prolific strikers, Mario Mandzukic and Mario Gomez scored more than 40 goals together in Bayern’s 2012/13 season. 

Bayern Munich 2012/13 was no joke, and this team will be remembered as one of the greatest in European football. 

Liverpool FC – 1983/84

Starting XI: GK – Grobbelaar, CB – Lawrenson, CB – Hansen, RB – Neal, LB – Kennedy, CM – Souness, CM – Lee, LM – Whelan, RM – Johnston, ST – Dalglish, ST – Rush

Liverpool’s legacy as one of the biggest football clubs in the world is huge. Since their founding in 1892, the Reds have amassed many trophies and had many illustrious seasons.

Their best one was the 1983/84 season when they succeeded in winning the treble: the European Cup, the League title, and also the League Cup. The title was won by three points, with Southampton as the second team on the table. In the European Cup, Liverpool beat Roma in a penalty shootout.

With Joe Fagan as their manager, Liverpool ensured the treble for the first time ever in the club’s history. 

The Liverpool club’s legendary forward, Ian Rush, scored a record-breaking 47 goals in all tournaments. Alongside him played another Liverpool football icon, striker Kenny Dalglish, who scored 12 goals and gave out 12 assists during that season. 

The 1983/84 season was a year of Liverpool’s complete and utter domination domestically and in European tournaments, too. 

S.L. Benfica – 1960/1961

Starting XI : GK – Pereira, CB – Germano, RB – Joao LB – Angelo, DM – Cruz, CM – Neto, CM – Coluna AM – Santana , RW – Augusto, LW – Cavem, ST – Aguas

S.L. Benfica is one of the most respectable clubs in European football history. 

Even though Benfica won the treble in their league in 2013/14, this Portuguese football giant’s best season was the 1960/61. The tactical genius head coach, Bella Guttmann, put them in a rare formation of 4-2-4. 

That turned out to be one of the best moves Guttmann made since players were thriving in that formation. S.L. Benfica won the title in the domestic league dominantly, losing only twice during the whole season. They won the European Cup, beating Barcelona with 3-2.

This Benfica era was remembered for having one of the best strikers ever, Eusebio. The 1960/61 was his debut season, as he only played at the end of it. Nevertheless, Eusebio scored 715 goals in 727 appearances. Almost a goal per match! 

The 60/61 Benfica striker was Jose Aguas, who netted 43 goals in all tournaments throughout the season. Besides him, one of the key figures of the teams was Mario Coluna, Eusebio’s fellow countrymen and central midfielder from Mozambique. His trademarks were his left-foot rocket shots, incredible passing, and leadership on the field.

S.L. Benfica in 1960/1961 was one of the finest teams in the whole world. 

Manchester United – 1998/99

Starting XI: GK – Schmeichel, CB – Johnsen, CB – Stam, RB – Neville, LB – Irwin, DM – Keane, CM – Scholes, LM- Giggs, RM – Beckham, ST – Cole, ST – Yorke

The Manchester United 1998/99 season was packed with trophies. They became the first English club to win the treble: the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and the FA Cup.

As for the Premier League title, they claimed the spot at the top of the table with 79 points, leaving Arsenal in second place with 78 points. They almost lost the Champions League final to Bayern München, but goals of Solskjaer and Sheringham in stoppage time secured the late win.

Before mentioning the crucial players of the Red Devils, I have to take the hat off to the legendary coach, Sir Alex Ferguson, who was the mastermind behind United’s success. 

The goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, was remarkable in stopping shots from any range. Regarding the players, the defense of United was rock solid, thanks to Jaap Stam, Gary Neville, and Steve Irwin. The midfield quartet made of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, and Ryan Giggs was perfect throughout the season. The forwards Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke scored 53 goals combined in all competitions. 

Manchester United 1998/99 has to be one of Europe’s most complete football teams ever. 

Porto – 2003/04

Starting XI : GK –  Baia, CB –  Costa, CB –  Carvalho, RB – Ferreira, LB –  Valente, DM – Costinha, CM – Mendes, CM – Maniche, AM – Deco , ST – Alberto, ST – McCarthy

The season of dreams for FC Porto was 2013/14. Under the legendary coach Jose Mourinho, Porto won multiple trophies, including the Primeira Liga, the domestic Supercup, and the biggest trophy of them all—the UEFA Champions League. As the champions of Portugal, Porto amassed 12 points more than the runners-up Benfica.

The memorable night of Porto’s season was the Champions League final, when they defeated Monaco 3 – 0. 

This team’s best players were the defensive duo that stopped attackers with their sheer tenacity and strength, Richardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira. Behind them was the goalkeeper of FC Porto, legend Vitor Baia. 

In the midfield, the talented playmaker Deco gave out 29 assists during the season, while the prolific attacker Benni McCarthy scored 26 goals in all competitions.

FC Porto had superb teams throughout different eras of modern football, but the 2003/04 one has to go down in history as one of the best. 

Featured image taken from YouTube.

Football has existed for ages, especially in Europe, and many players will go down in the annals of this sport’s history as great. But who are the best of the best, and what does the best starting lineup of European players look like? 

In this post, I’ll discuss the starting XI lineup, which includes the best footballers from that continent. 

This selection might spark some controversy among football fans. Nevertheless, I have carefully chosen the GOATs of European football based on their skills, overall contribution to the team, leadership ability, and the number of trophies they won during their lucrative careers. 

Football lovers, get ready!

Related: Best Football Teams Of All Time – Clubs That Dominated in Europe 

#GK – Gianluigi Buffon

The legendary Italian shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon has to go on this list as the best footballer in the goalkeeper position. Buffon has been saving goals since his debut in 1995 when he played for Parma. 

After six years at Parma, in 2001, he transferred to Juventus, and the club had big expectations since they signed him for a record-breaking sum of almost €53m. As we know, the rest is history. Buffon just became better as time passed by. 

He had no flaws as a goalkeeper. Given his lightning-fast reactions, he could save long-range shots and penalties and catch the ball from every position. Also, he proved himself to be a crucial figure in many matches. A great example was his memorable match in the 2006 World Cup against France when he made important saves.

In his long and successful career, Gianluigi has won a fair share of trophies: 1x World Cup winner, 10-time Serie A champion with Juventus, one Ligue 1 trophy with PSG, 1x UEFA Best Player, and many more. 

After almost three decades as a professional goalkeeper, Buffon retired in 2023 as a player of his boyhood club, Parma. 

#CB – Franz Beckenbauer

The starting XI of the best European footballers of all time wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t include “Der Kaiser” – Franz Beckenbauer. 

Some rare players possessed such an elite level of playing at multiple positions on the field. Franz started his career as a midfielder but was soon moved to being a center-back at Bayern Munchen. 

He basically introduced the role of the modern sweeper or libero to modern football. Being so quick and light on his feet with the ball allowed him to switch from the midfield to defense. 

Beckenbauer’s accolades speak for themselves. His most outstanding achievement was winning two World Cups. The first time was in 1974 when he led Germany as a player, and the second time was in 1990 as a German international football team manager. He also won the Bundesliga five times and the DFB Pokal four times. 

He was among the best Bayern Munchen football players ever, bagging 60 goals in 427 appearances from 1964 to 1977. He also played for Hamburg and retired as a New York Cosmos player in 1983. 

#CB – Franco Baresi

The position of the most superior center-back in Europe goes to another AC Milan player – Franco Baresi. He spent 20 years only playing for AC Milan. 

Baresi captained his club for over 15 years and was a captain for three years as a member of the Italy squad. Simply, he was the backbone of both teams. 

His immense leadership skills shined both through the club, AC Milan, and in Italy. Franco had an advanced comprehension of the game, where he could easily predict the attackers’ moves. It was very hard to get past him, as he could also intercept and tackle the ball with ease. Technically, he was the perfect center-back.

When it comes to his accomplishments, Franco has won the World Cup one time, the Champions League 1x, 6x Serie A champion, and much more. In 1997, Baresi retired as one of the best players of AC Milan. 

#RB – Lillian Thuram

On the right-back position, I’ve gone with one of the toughest French football players of all time – Lillian Thuram. His career began in 1991 when he started to play for Monaco. After five successful years, he was transferred to the Italian Serie A club Parma. 

He proved himself a consistent and reliable defender when Juventus picked him as their next right-back in 2001. Along with his teammates Cannavaro, Zebina, and Zambrotta, Juventus had one of the most feared defenses in Europe. 

With this robust build and technical prowess, Lillian effectively attacked and defended. 

Thuram was a key figure in the success of all the teams he played for. During his time with France, he won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 UEFA EURO. 

As for the accolades as a club player, he won 1 UEFA Cup, 2x Serie A titles, 1 x Copa Italia, 1x Copa de France, etc. 

He retired in 2008 as a Barca player and is remembered as one of the best right-backs in European football history. 

#LB – Paolo Maldini

AC Milan and Italy football icon Paolo Maldini will go down as the greatest left-back ever to grace the football pitch. From the time he was in the youth squad to retiring as the only AC Milan player, Paolo “Il Capitano” Maldini has earned himself the status of a club legend. 

No one can deny that since he spent 25 years at Milan and had 647 appearances. Maldini is definitely the epitome of loyalty in football. 

Besides being a captain for Rossoneri, he demonstrated incredible leadership abilities that helped his team develop an impenetrable defense. He possessed great technique and tackling skills and was a nightmare for many opposing attackers. 

Paolo was also successful as a part of his team’s attacking side, scoring 29 goals as an AC Milan player. 

Paolo also played for Italy’s national football team, making 126 appearances and scoring seven goals. He lifted a plethora of trophies during his career. “Il Capitano” won the UEFA Champions League 5x, Serie A 7x, and numerous individual trophies for being the best defender. 

In 2009, Maldini retired; in his honor, AC Milan retired his shirt’s number – 3.

#DM -Lothar Matthäus

One of the most skillful and best football players in German history is Lothar Matthäus. He was a box-to-box midfielder who could both defend and attack with the ball. 

Matthäus was famous for his incredible stamina, passing skills, and ability to score goals from afar. He was just a tireless midfielder who could tackle in one moment and then go across the field and score a goal. In his career, he had scored more than 200 goals. 

He played for Bayern Munich and FC Herzoganauch in two different timelines. Lothar also spent time of his career in clubs like Inter Milan, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and New York MetroStars. He won a plethora of awards like 2x UEFA Cup, 7x Bundesliga, 2x DFB Pokal, etc.

He was captain for almost half of his total appearances as a part of the German national football team. Lothar appeared in five World Cups. He won the World Cup in 1990 and earned 150 caps for this team.  

Lothar also managed a couple of clubs like Rapid Wien, Partizan, Bulgaria’s, and Hungary’s national teams. 

#CM – Zinedine Zidane

A master of his craft, the well-known Zinedine Zidane deserved the spot in the best XI European football players. His precise passes and flawless skills with the ball presented an enigma for his opponents. Before Juventus, he had memorable stints at two French clubs, Cannes and Bordeaux. 

As a Juve player, he was just masterful in the midfield, helping the team win many awards like 2x Serie A championships and 1x Supercoppa.

After Juventus, Real Madrid snatched him for a whopping sum of €77.5m, and he was worth every cent. In his first season with the Galacticos, he scored the legendary volley goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League final. Real won by 2-1.

While playing for France, Zidane was also successful. He scored two headers in the final against Brazil in 1998. France destroyed Brazil 3-0 and won the World Cup. Two years later, France won the EURO 2000, with Zidane being named the UEFA Player of the tournament. 

He retired in 2006 after France’s defeat against Italy in the World Cup. That night, he headbutted Marco Materazzi and got sent off. 

Besides his accolades as a player, his accomplishments as a coach were absolutely incredible. “Zizou” helped Real to win 3x Champions League titles, 2x Spanish League titles, 2x Spanish Super Cups, and much more.

Zidane is certainly among the best midfielders in football’s history. 

#AM – Johan Cruyff

The attacking midfielder position has to go to the Dutch football genius – Johan Cruyff. 

Widely regarded as one of the best European footballers and the greatest Dutch player that ever stepped on the football pitch, Cruyff has been a vital figure in his clubs and when he played for the Netherlands. 

He was considered a revolutionary of football and implemented the “Total Football” philosophy into his style of play. Mainly, it relied on the flow of movement and collaboration. The tiki-taka that Guardiola used while coaching Barcelona drew inspiration from Cruyff Total Football. 

Also, the well-known Cruyff Turn has been used in Barca’s senior and youth squads. Elegance and fluidity were Johan Cruyff’s signature characteristics on the pitch. 

Let’s get back to Johan’s career path. His first club was Ajax, where he won many awards, like 9x Eredivisie and 6x Dutch Cup winner. He won the European Champion Club’s Cup with Ajax three years in a row, from 1971 to 1973. 

After 11 years at Ajax, he went to Barcelona, where he played from 1973 to 1978. He was both Barcelona’s and Ajax’s best footballer at the time. His accolades at the club were 1x La Liga champion and 1x Spanish Cup winner.

When we talk about what he accomplished for the national team, Cruyff won the award for being the best football player of the World Cup in 1974. The Netherlands won the 2nd place. He scored 33 goals in 48 appearances for the team. 

He was a manager at Ajax and Barca, where he won multiple trophies. Unfortunately, Johan Cruyff died in 2016, and football fans will always remember him as a football superstar who influenced the game greatly. 

#RW – George Best

As his last name suggests, George Best can be considered one of the biggest superstars of European football. This football icon from Northern Ireland caused more than a few headaches for the defenders on the opposing side. 

His talent for scoring goals was unmatched, bagging over 250 goals in almost 700 matches. In his prime, he was unstoppable with his dribbling skills and lightning-fast runs. 

He was one of the most famous football players when he was a part of Manchester United, winning the European Cup once and 2x league titles. Besides playing for the Red Devils, he had various stints at clubs such as Hibernian, AFC Bournemouth, Fulham, Los Angeles Aztecs, etc.  

When it comes to him playing for Northern Ireland, there haven’t been any accolades. 

Best struggled with alcoholism, which led to the downfall of his career and the waste of his one-of-a-kind talent.

George Best passed away in 2005. 

#LW – Cristiano Ronaldo

The only active football player on this list is the Portuguese legend – Cristiano Ronaldo. He deserves to be a part of the football GOAT debate with players like Messi, Maradona, and Pele. 

Football lovers around the planet, like yourself, know that Ronaldo reached great heights because of his discipline, hard work, competitiveness, and not just his talent. He possesses superb aerial skills, powerful shots, and high-level dribbling. 

Manchester United brought a young, promising Ronaldo from Sporting CP to their team in 2003. He had spent great six years with the Red Devils, scoring 103 goals in 236 appearances. He returned to United in the 2021/22 season and scored 19 goals.

In, 2009 Ronaldo transferred to Real Madrid for a giant sum of €94m. He spent 11 years at the club, scoring 311 goals in 292 appearances. During his time at Real, the rivalry between Messi and him will always be among the biggest in football history. 

From 2018 to 2021, he played for Juventus, scoring 81 times in 98 matches. No one can deny that Cristiano scores goals whenever he wants to. 

During his career, he amassed many trophies. Here are some:

• 5x Ballon d’Or winner
• 5x Champions League winner
• 2x La Liga winner
• 2x Serie A winner
• 3x Premier League winner

With the Portugal national football team, he won the EURO 2016. Since his 2003 debut for Portugal, Cristiano scored 128 goals in 205 caps with no signs of retiring.

Currently, he is a player of Al Ahli. Even though he has nothing to prove, CR7 still has a lot in his tank, as he is already one of the best football players of all time. 

#ST – Gerd Müller

The biggest name in European football when it comes to strikers has to go to the German goal-scoring machine – Gerd Müller. Nicknamed “Der Bomber,” he had a high football IQ and a knack for close-range finishes. 

Few players can go toe-to-toe with Gerd regarding the number of goals scored for the club and the national team. When it comes to the clubs, he scored 568 goals in 611 matches for Bayern Munich while bagging 68 goals in 62 matches for West Germany’s national football team. 

While playing for Bayern, he won many trophies, including four Bundesliga, four DFB Pokal, and three European Cups. He also won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. 

Müller passed away in 2021 and is widely regarded as one of the best football strikers ever seen.