When it comes to creating championship-caliber squads, the World Cup is unrivaled. Reach the pinnacle of your profession, and you will be remembered forever.
Winning the tournament is the most blatant method to cement your name in history. This list, however, shows that one need not win the grand prize to achieve immortality.
Please go to the next slide to start counting down the top 20 teams in World Cup history.
In my opinion, the 1970 Brazil squad is the best World Cup team ever. There has never been a squad like the Selecao, who played that summer, who completely dominated a tournament.
Brazil accomplished more than winning the tournament. They served as role models for many.
The winning goal scored by Carlos Alberto in the final versus Italy was emblematic of a mystical quality that permeated their performance.
In perpetuity, this group and that performance will be remembered.
In 1974, West Germany had already established itself as a global power after winning the European Championships in 1972.
Franz Beckenbauer, the dashing sweeper and de facto team captain was the inspiration for this unit. They only had to call on him when they needed Gerd Mueller's predatory instincts at the top.
The 2010 Spanish squad was so dominant that they could have won any tournament they entered.
Their "tiki-taka" strategy strangled their opponents, tiring them out to the point where Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso could easily pick them off.
Brazil won the 1958 World Cup after a 5-2 victory against Sweden's hosts. Pele set three world records in one game: he scored the first goal in a World Cup final and became the youngest player to participate in a World Cup final and collect a World Cup winner's medal.
This team's success couldn't have been achieved without everyone on it, not only Pele when he was a teenager. All eleven members of this squad are considered national heroes and are now considered among the greatest of all time for winning the World Cup for Brazil.
There must be some pretty spectacular pieces on any squad that wins the World Cup twice. The fact that Brazil won the World Cup despite missing their star striker Pele due to injury shows how exceptional that team was.
Fears over Pele's unavailability in the latter rounds were put to rest by Garrincha's brilliant performance in the final, which helped Brazil solidify their place as the best side in the world.
There is a common belief that the 1982 Brazil squad is the best national team to win a World Cup.
This team exemplified the stereotypical Brazilian team, with tons of talent and memorable play. Thanks to players like Zico, Socrates, and Eder, the club proved itself a worthy successor to the legendary 1970 squad. While their shocking loss to Italy certainly dampened their star power, they are still undeniably talented.
The squad, captained by the great Ferenc Puskas, was known as "The Magical Magyars" worldwide.
Despite a stellar tournament run that included wins against Brazil and Uruguay, the Hungarians were eliminated by Western Germany in the 1954 finale.
From 1950 to 1956, they played 50 international matches, which was the only one in which they lost.
One of the best teams in tournament history has twice fallen short in the championship game.
The 1978 loss was particularly painful for the Dutch since it followed the 1974 loss to West Germany. This time it was the South Americans who bid them farewell.
It seems unfair that the Netherlands didn't win the World Cup in the 1970s.
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