Since the very first World Cup all the way back in 1930 to the latest edition now in December of 2022, there have been some fantastic teams and players to grace the football pitch.
Some of the players, like Diego Maradona, Mesut Ozil, and Lionel Messi, will go down in folklore because of the amazing things they did on the field at these world-renowned tournaments. Picking the greatest of the great will be a tough ask because of the sheer number of iconic teams and players that graced the footballing field throughout the history of the World Cup.
But that’s exactly what we plan to do by providing you with the three best World Cup teams in history.
Italy, 1982
Italy has a great relationship with the World Cup whether that be in history or in the modern era. Of course, they remarkably failed to qualify for the latest edition in Qatar but that doesn’t take away from the achievements of some of the iconic teams that managed to go all the way in the past.
An argument can be made for the team that won the tournament in the early 2000s, but history will look back far more favorably on the 1982 World Cup-winning Italy side. Beating sides like Maradona’s Argentina, one of the most dangerous Brazil teams in history, and the monstrous West Germany side in the final. This Italy team has one of the best underdog stories in World Cup history.
France, 1998
This France team was all about one man – a footballing icon and one of the best players to have ever played the beautiful sport – Zinedine Zidane. The team around him was also one of the greatest ever but the responsibility fell on the shoulders of their Moroccan-born superstar.
Zidane looked at this World Cup, which was being played in his home country of France, and decided he needed to singlehandedly bring the trophy home to his people. The team was dominant from the first game to the last where they crushed Brazil in an emphatic 3-0 win to solidify their place in World Cup folklore.
Brazil, 1970
Many people consider the 1970 Brazil team to be the greatest footballing team in the history of the sport, across both international level and club level football. They played fluid, yet exciting football and their players were not afraid to show off their flair and love for the game. This team is rumored to be where the name “the beautiful sport” came from just because of the style they applied to their footballing greatness.
Players like Pele, Carlos Alberto, and Tostao are some of the most legendary the sport has ever seen. This was also the first time a World Cup had ever been televised in color, making it a monumental moment in football history. We’ve come a long way since then, with everything from live casino online action to live betting now on offer. But these players have cemented themselves in the annals of time.
