Best national teams of the last 20 years? ('98 - '18)

Discussion in 'The Beautiful Game' started by MPNumber9, Mar 25, 2019.

  1. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #1 MPNumber9, Mar 25, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2019
    With France winning WC'18, are they the best NT of the last 20 years? Here are my top 6 NTs of the last 20 years. Let me know if you agree or disagree. First, notes:
    • I did not include results from Olympics (which might boost the CONMEBOL teams)
    • France is the only team with two WC victories in the period, but it also is the most inconsistent, with three WC final appearances and two group stage exits in the same period
    • Even though Brazil has not won major titles in the more recent part of this period, they are still one of the most consistently good teams and the only team to never exit a WC earlier than the QFs in the period, which even the consistent Germans cannot say anymore.
    • Arguably, Germany is still the most consistently good team based purely on their record of WC finishes during this time, even with their surprise exit in WC18. Still I put Brazil ahead due to titles.
    • Spain (with France behind) experienced the longest "dynasty" in the period, as they felt unstoppable between '08 - '12, but have not been a major factor outside that period.
    • I put Argentina above Italy, as the latter's WC victory almost seems like an outlier in the period at this point, especially given WC results since then.

    1. FRANCE
    2x WC Champions (3x finalist)
    1x Euro Champions (2x finalist)
    Total Major Tournament victories: 3
    Total Major Tournament final apps: 5

    2. SPAIN
    1x WC Champions
    2x Euro Champions
    (1x Confed Cup Finalists)
    Total Major Tournament victories: 3
    Total Major Tournament final apps: 4

    3. BRAZIL

    1x WC Champions (2x finalist)
    3x Copa America Champions
    3x Confed Cup Champions (4x finalist)
    Total Major Tournament victories: 7
    Total Major Tournament final apps: 9

    4. GERMANY

    1x WC Champions (2x finalist)
    1x Confed Cup Champions
    (1x Euro Finalists)
    Total Major Tournament victories: 2
    Total Major Tournament final apps: 4

    5. ARGENTINA
    (1x WC Finalists)
    (4x Copa America Finalists)
    (1x Confed Cup Finalists)
    Total Major Tournament victories: 0
    Total Major Tournament final apps: 6

    6. ITALY
    1x WC Champions
    (2x Euro Finalists)
    Total Major Tournament victories: 1
    Total Major Tournament final apps: 3
     
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  2. annoyedbyneedoflogin

    Juventus Football Clube Ajax Mineiro de Deportes
    Jun 11, 2012
    Germany with:
    1 Neuer
    2 Kimmich
    3 Lahm
    4 Hummels
    5 Boateng
    6 Khedira
    7 Özil
    8 Kroos
    9 Klose
    10 Ballack
    11 Müller
     
  3. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That raises another question, which is what was the best team in the period at the height of its powers. I don't think a team has been more dominant than Spain '08 - '12.
     
  4. joudre

    joudre Member

    Jan 3, 2016
    Good post and I like the way you describe it
     

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