Ranking the top 6 most influential teams in world football

In sports, athletes push boundaries to try and achieve a decisive edge over their opponents. Much like in football, to achieve greatness there have to be great leaders and great individuals that cooperate to raise the overall performance of the team.

When ranking football clubs, it is very hard to place all great clubs into the top ten. History, collective achievements, team mentality, financial power, legacy, and competitiveness are the main criteria used to qualify teams as ‘football giants’.

As time has gone by, many great historic teams have been vanishing into the abyss of football memories. The football industry is one of the most competitive and least forgiving sports, where one big defeat or relegation can completely alter the course of the club. Only the strongest survive.

Bayern Munich was founded in 1900 by Franz John and since then, the German club is one of the most successful football clubs in the world. The Germain football giants did not enjoy much success during their early decades but then saw its greatest winning period during the 1970s, under the captaincy of Franz Beckenbauer.

Bayern is the most successful club in Germain football history, having won a total of 32 national titles! The Germain giant has won 10 consecutively titles since 2013, making them one of Europe's most efficient winners.

In the current 2022-23 season, Bayern Munich stands first in the Bundesliga and has reached the knockout stages for the Champions League.

Manchester City Football Club is one of England's most renowned Premiership clubs, known for its innovative football and financial superiority. The club was founded in 1880 and began competing in top-tier British football in 1892. The ‘Citizens’ enjoyed a major period of success throughout the late 1960s, winning both the league and the European Cup final.

Following their promotion to the Premiership in 2002 and the financial takeover from Abu Dhabi United Group, the club started to experience a new era of unprecedented success.

Under the management of Pep Guardiola, the club has enjoyed a series of domestic successes leading them to the top of British football. First club to attain 100 points in a single season in Premiership history.

‘Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli’, commonly referred to as Napoli is an Italian club based in Naples and plays for top-flight Italian football. The club was formed in 1926 following a merger of two local clubs.

Napoli saw very little success during its early years but won their first national trophy in 1962. The southern Italian team would go on to win two Seria A titles, one UEFA cup, and eight domestic titles.

Diego Armando Maradona joined the Italian club in the 1980s, during which the club saw great success. In later years, the Neapolitan club would see great success during the 2013-14 season, winning the Coppa Italia final.  The club is now back in Champions League spots and is enjoying great domestic success.

FC Barcelona was formed in 1899 by Joan Gamper. In 1910, the local Catalan club participated in its first European competition and has since amassed fourteen UEFA trophies and a historic sextuple.

In 1928, FC Barcelona co-founded La Liga and has never been relegated from top-tier Spanish football, a record shared with Athletic Bilbao and arch-rival Real Madrid.

Barcelona has changed its presidency and coaching staff multiple times but the team's DNA is present regardless of who is in charge. Now during the post-Messi era, Barcelona has brought back Laporta to re-stabilize the club's financial situation. The local Catalan club has won 17 European titles, for a combined total of 26 titles.

The Spanish football giant was founded in 1902, with the honorific title ‘real’ as for “royal”, a title bestowed to the club by the Kind Alfonso XIII in 1920. Unlike most European clubs, Real Madrid’s members have owned and operated the club throughout its history. A very unique model that represents the history and the values of the club. The great whites have been playing their games in Santiago Bernabeu since 1947.

Real Madrid is one of the founding members of La Liga, holding a long-standing rivalry with Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid. The Spanish club established itself as a major force in European football during the 1950s.

In domestic football, the club has won 68 trophies; 35 La Liga titles, and 31 domestic cups. ‘Los Blancos’ holds a record of 14 UEFA Champions League titles. Real Madrid was recognized as the FIFA Club of the 20th Century.

Liverpool Football Club was founded in 1892 and has been playing games at Anfield since its formation. Liverpool is one of Europe's oldest clubs with a very rich history. The club was founded following a dispute between the Everton committee, when John Houlding, club president and owner of Anfield decided to break off to form his team.

Liverpool was promoted to the first division in 1896, and five years later they won their first league title in 1901. The English club established itself as a major force in European football in the 1970s with Bill Shankly and Joe Fagan.

Domestically the club has won 19 league titles, eight FA cups, and 16 FA Community Shields. In international competitions, the club has won six European competitions and 3 UEFA Cups. Jürgen Klopp lead Liverpool to a Premiership title in 2020.

These top six European football clubs have been riding a long wave of success due to their legacy and competitive DNA. Other football giants like Juventus, PSG, Manchester United, Atletico de Madrid, and Arsenal are honorable mentions but fall slightly short in comparison to these great clubs.