The Spoiler’s 10 Greatest Ever Football Teams

Should this year's Barcelona manage to retain the Champions League, and keep Real from pipping them in La Liga, they might yet be considered one of the greatest sides of them all.

So, with that in mind, The Spoiler thought it high time to compile a little list of some wonderful teams from years gone by.

This post, written by Josh Burt, is republished with permission from The Spoiler. Go there often if you like soccer stuff.

Brazil, 1982 Valdir Peres, Leandro, Oscar, Luisinho, Cerezo, Junior, Socrates, Serginho, Zico, Eder, Falcao

A stunningly good football XI, Brazil 82 produced some masterful moments before crashing out of the World Cup after a dramatic 3-2 loss against Italy. The match still known as the "Sarrias Disaster" — named after the stadium where it all took place.

England, 1966 Banks, Cohen, J Charlton, Moore, Wilson, Stiles, Ball, B Charlton, Peters, Hurst, Hunt

Some argue that the 1970 England team was actually better than the World Cup winning one from 1966. Those people are wrong. At least six of this team would probably make the current England line up… were they not really really old/dead now.

Real Madrid, 1960 Dominguez, Marquitos, Santamari, Pachin, Vidal, Zarraga, Canario, Del Sol, Di Stefano, Puskas, Gento

It was a close call, with the Real Madrid 2002 team very nearly scraping it, but in the end the 1960 outfit proved impossible to ignore. Partly because they were amazing, and partly because their clip features some rather soothing classical music. Perfect for a Wednesday.

Liverpool, 1984 Grobbelaar, Neal, Kennedy, Hansen, Lawrenson, Whelan, Dalglish, Lee, Rush, Johnston, Souness

Liverpool produced loads of decent sides from around the mid-1970s to the 1990s, and The Spoiler will forever carry a torch for the 1990 team, featuring Barnes and Beardsley on top form. But the best of the bunch has to be the class of 1984, with Rush bashing them in, Dalglish zipping about, Souness smashing people up, and a couple of MOTD pundits doing what they always did best.

Holland, 1974 Jongbloed, Krol, Rijsbergen, Suurbier, Haan, Van Hanegem, Jansen, Neeskens, Cruyff, Rensenbrink, Rep

A magnificent side, famed for three things. Firstly, for inventing "total football". Secondly, for not winning the World Cup. And thirdly, for their gorgeous orange tops — very popular with ravers/acid heads at one stage.

AC Milan, 1989 Galli, Tassotti, Costacurta, Baresi, Maldini, Ancelotti, Rijkaard, Colombo, Donadoni, Gullit, Van Basten

Quite probably the finest football blend imaginable — mixing Italian defenders with Dutch attackers — AC Milan 1989 won lots of shiny silverware, and the majority of fashion fans would agree that Ruud Gullit was going through his most impressive dreadlock period. He's shaved it all off now.

France, 1984 Bats, Battiston, Le Roux, Bossis, Domergue, Giresse, Tigana, Fernandez, Platini, Lacombe, Genghini

It's easy to forget that Michel Platini was once an excellent footballer, but seriously, he was. Really good in fact. So good that, in 1984, he guided France to European glory, in a team featuring the androgynous electo-pop singer, Le Roux. Presumably there for a sing-song.

Celtic, 1967 Simpson , Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox

The first British team to ever become crowned the champions of Europe, Celtic fans still dine out on these heady times. In many ways, Jimmy Johnstone was their Lionel Messi.

Brazil, 1970 Felix, Brito, Piazza, Carlos Alberto, Everaldo, Clodoaldo, Gerson, Jairzinho, Tostao, Pele, Rivelino

Probably the most celebrated team of the lot, mainly because of that brilliant goal where everyone touched the ball, before finally smashing it in against Italy. They also wore iconic yellow shirts that became hugely popular with dope smoking students in the 1990s.

Man United, 1999 Schmeichel, Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Yorke, Cole

For not only winning the treble, but also for producing one of the greatest comebacks of all time, United had it all - a fledgling Beckham, Keane snarling like a rabbid pup, Schmeichel with tools like solid Glad Hands, Yorke and Cole dancing a merry dance up front. Not to mention a lucky charm on the bench all the way from Norway - a country where it's pretty much dark the whole time, fact fans.