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- ▲ In the 1950s, the New York Yankees, led by Yogi Berra, won five consecutive World Series titles. © Provided by Yonhap News
What is the greatest sports team in world history?
British sports media outlet ‘Give Me Sports’ selected and revealed the 15 best teams in history on the 24th (Korean time).
The media explained, “In every sport, there are legendary teams that have left their mark on history. We selected the 15 best sports teams of all time. Choosing this list was a huge challenge. It shows how fierce global sports competition has become. The teams on the list are well-deserving.”
Among the 15 teams, soccer produced the most teams (6).
AC Milan, a famous Italian team, was selected in 15th place. This is a team that won the UEFA Champions League (UCL) twice in a row in 1989 and 1990. It was a time when the Orange Three Musketeers, led by world-famous coach Arrigo Sacchi and including Marco van Basten, dominated Europe.
Spain’s Real Madrid, where ‘superstar’ Cristiano Ronaldo was at his peak, achieved three consecutive UCL titles from 2016 to 2018 for the first time in the 21st century. Real Madrid, led by coach Zinedine Zidane, ranked 13th.
Real Madrid reappeared in 7th place. The great Real Madrid achieved an unprecedented record of ‘5 consecutive wins’ from 1956 to 1960 in the European Cup, the predecessor of the UCL. ‘Respected heroes’ Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas led the team.
Fifth place is Ajax of the Netherlands. Ajax, led by ‘star of the century’ Johan Cruyff, succeeded in winning three consecutive UCL titles from 1971 to 1973. It was the time when Ajax’s ‘Total Football’ appeared, which changed the landscape of world soccer.
The Brazilian national team, led by ‘football emperor’ Pele, took fourth place. This is the Brazilian national team that won the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. It was an overwhelming team. In the World Cup finals, they defeated Italy, the country of defense, 4-1.
The highest ranking in soccer is Barcelona, Spain. The period is from 2008 to 2011. It is time for ‘God of Football’ Lionel Messi to reach his prime. Barcelona dominated world soccer with a revolutionary tactic called ‘Tiki Taka’. Glory followed, including the first ever 6 crowns and Spain’s first treble. Barcelona ranked first in soccer and second overall.
There are three clubs in the National Football League (NFL), a symbol of American sports. The 14th place New England Patriots, 12th place Miami Dolphins, and 10th place Pittsburgh Steelers took their places.
Three American professional basketball (NBA) teams were also included. Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors, which had the best regular season record of 73 wins and 9 losses in 2016, ranked 11th. The Chicago Bulls, whose ‘God of Basketball’ Michael Jordan made two three-peats, ranked 8th. Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics, who won eight consecutive championships and 11 championships in 13 seasons, ranked 6th.
The ‘absolutely strongest’ Soviet ice hockey team, which won a gold medal at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics and won three consecutive world championships, ranked 9th. The New Zealand All Blacks, the best rugby team in history, led by Dan Carter and winning two consecutive Rugby World Cups, ranked third.
Among the 15 teams, only one team from baseball was included, and that team was ranked ‘1st’. The New York Yankees are the ‘symbol’ of the American Major League Baseball (MLB). It is a historic team that won 5 consecutive World Series championships led by Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle.
The media emphasized, “In conclusion, the New York Yankees are the best sports team of all time. They are the only team in baseball history to win five consecutive World Series championships. They had many star players such as Berra, DiMaggio, and Mantle. It was inevitable that the Yankees won the championship for five years in a row.”
◇Top 15 greatest sports teams in history (country, sport, period)
15. AC Milan (Italy, soccer, 1989~1990)
14. New England Patriots (USA, American football, 2001~2017)
13. Real Madrid (Spain, soccer, 2016-2018)
12. Miami Dolphins (USA, American football, 1972)
11. Golden State Warriors (USA, basketball, 2014~2019)
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (USA, American football, 1974~1980)
9. Soviet Union ice hockey team (USSR, ice hockey, 1981~1984)
8. Chicago Bulls (USA, basketball, 1990-1998)
7. Real Madrid (Spain, soccer, 1955-1960)
6. Boston Celtics (USA, basketball, 1956-1969)
5. Ajax (Netherlands, soccer, 1969~1972)
4. Brazil national soccer team (Brazil, soccer, 1970)
3. New Zealand All Blacks (New Zealand Rugby, 2011~2015)
2. Barcelona (Spain, soccer, 2008~2011)
1. New York Yankees (USA, baseball, 1949~1954)
