Top 10 Best Football Clubs in Europe (Ranked)

The 2024/25 season is finally about to end. After 10 months of gruelling action, the ongoing Club World Cup will act as the season finale. Like any other season of football, this one produced some special moments as well. Paris Saint-Germain have won a long-awaited Champions League title as they finally got a seat on the European elite table. They were the best football team in Europe by far. However, teams like Barcelona, Inter Milan, Napoli, and Liverpool also had fantastic seasons and are among the best club in Europe football.

The 2024/25 season will always be remembered as the year of breaking ducks. Firstly, it will be remembered for Paris’ UCL triumph. Tottenham Hotspur ended all sorts of trophy jokes by lifting a trophy after 17 years as they defeated Manchester United in the Europa League. Crystal Palace won their first-ever major trophy by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Italian club Bologna won their first trophy in 51 years after getting one over AC Milan in Coppa Italia. Newcastle United, VFB Stuttgart, Go Ahead Eagles, and Royale Union St.Gilloise all ended trophy droughts spanning decades.

Harry Kane won his first-ever career trophy with Bayern Munich as well. Winning a trophy alone doesn’t warrant a spot on the list, but these are some of the commendable results from the previous season. That said, let us take a look at the best football clubs in Europe.

List of Best Football Teams in Europe

The definition of success differs from club to club. For a club like Real Madrid, winning anything less than the Champions League is not considered a success. For a club like Wolverhampton Wanderers, staying afloat in the Premier League is a massive success. However, to be the best football team in Europe, the team needs to play attractive football, along with having a considerable amount of success in the season.

Rank	Team	League	Total Win% (2024-25 Season)
10	Juventus	Serie A	45.5
9	Chelsea	Premier League	62.3
8	Real Madrid	La Liga	66.67
7	Arsenal	Premier League	55.17
6	Bayern Munich	Bundesliga	69.09
5	Napoli	Serie A	60.98
4	Inter Milan	Serie A	61.90
3	Liverpool	Premier League	67.86
2	Barcelona	La Liga	73.33
1	PSG	Ligue 1	74.19

How do we rank the Current Best Football Clubs in Europe?

The ranking of best team in Europe was done completely subjectively. The club’s performances throughout the season were kept in mind. Also, how they fared in bigger encounters and maintained a strong record was taken into account. The following factors were used to make the list of the best football clubs in Europe.

Performance in European Club Competitions: European competition holds the most weight as it truly pits the team against some of the best on the continent. However, the nature of the knockout ties was also considered, as teams that made premature exits were also covered in the list.

Performance in Domestic Leagues & Cup Competitions: Success in their respective homelands was a key criterion as the teams battled it out against each other for the title of best team in Europe. Expect to see a lot of league winners on the list.

Legacy: The clubs on this list are heavyweights of European football. They had their fair share of struggles, but they never went away from the best club in European football discussions.

Achievements: Who doesn’t like winning silverware? It is the equivalent of oxygen to big clubs. Success in that regard heavily factored in the club’s inclusion on the list of the best football clubs in Europe.

Who is the Best Football Team in Europe Currently?

A detailed look at the list above would’ve given you a hint at the current best team in Europe. There were plenty of managerial changes at many top clubs in Europe. So the teams that weathered the storm and succeeded found a place here.

10 Juventus – Serie A

Well, for all the factors stated for the best club in Europe football, Juventus might not fulfil many, but they surely were a joy to watch in the second half of the season. Thiago Motta was expected to steady the ship and lead the Old Lady to a Scudetto title. However, his innovative tactics failed to materialise at Juventus Stadium. He was relieved in March 2025 as Igor Tudor took over. Tudor made very few tweaks to make the team a joy to watch again.

Juventus have two gems in their hands who could very easily take them to the very top. Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao showed a lot of promise as Dusan Vlahovic got his goalscoring mojo back. Randal Kolo Muani came on loan from PSG and impressed with multiple goals in the second half of the season. However, they fell short of titles as the young team was still finding its feet. The one thing that comes to mind when we think of Juventus is stone wall defence, and that was missing. The team needs to find a solid defensive leader under Tudor to rank among the best football clubs in Europe.

Serie A	4th
Coppa Italia	Quarter Finals
Supercoppa Italiana	Semi finals
UEFA Champions League	Knockout phase play-offs
FIFA Club World Cup	Round of 16
Notable Players	Kenan Yildiz, Cisco Conceicao, Dusan Vlahovic

9 Chelsea – Premier League

Enzo Maresca was handed the reins as the Todd Boehly project was stuck in a stop-start loop. Tens of players were signed and managers were changed just like the Roman Abramovich era; however, success was rare. Leicester City’s Italian boss, who was a student of Pep Guardiola, was brought to West London owing to an excellent record of managing youth and showing immediate results.

Chelsea fired on all fronts to become one of the best football clubs in Europe as Maresca came in with a proper vision. His clarity of thought in each third of the field was well received by the players, who raised their levels collectively. The Blues were in the title race until January before their young squad crumbled under expectations. However, there were no such mistakes in the Conference League as the players wanted a taste of silverware. They were ruthless in the finals and beat Real Betis 4-1 to lift the title under Maresca. With more summer signings, they will be right amongst the best in Europe again, having sealed Champions League qualification courtesy of their league finish.

Premier League	4th
FA Cup	4th round
Carabao Cup	4th round
UEFA Conference League	Champions
FIFA Club World Cup	TBD
Notable Players	Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwill

8 Real Madrid – La Liga

A subpar season by Real Madrid’s standards is still one of the best club in Europe football. After a long saga, Kylian Mbappe finally joined them last summer. He hit the ground running as they won the UEFA Super Cup in August. They also won the FIFA Intercontinental Cup but were very ordinary in the league. Despite their struggles, individual brilliance earned them victories as they finished as runners-up to arch-rivals Barcelona.

The most humiliating past of their season was losing all four El Clásicos to Barcelona. Two of them are the finals of the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España. They were riddled with injuries, and the veteran manager Carlo Ancelotti was out of ideas. Arsenal ended their Champions League hopes by thwarting them at home and away.

It was the final nail as Ancelotti decided to leave the club. Florentino Perez went a youthful way by bringing ex-player Xabi Alonso as manager. The Spaniard has already signed Trent Alexander-Arnold to solve the creativity issues. Los Blancos are looking like the favourites to win the expanded ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.

La Liga	2nd
Copa del Rey	Runners-up
Supercopa de Espana	Runners-up
UEFA Champions League	Quarter-finals
UEFA Super Cup	Champions
FIFA Intercontinental Cup	Champions
FIFA Club World Cup	TBD
Notable Players	Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold

7 Arsenal – Premier League

The Gunners are a revived force now as they rightfully find a place among the best football team in Europe. Mikel Arteta has rekindled the sleeping beast as they realised their legacy. However, the exciting manager is yet to taste major success. Arteta doubled down on defensive solidarity by bringing in Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori. It gave them an excellent defensive record, but the Gunners were struggling going forward. Bukayo Saka put up another phenomenal season, but a hamstring injury kept him out of action for a lion’s share of the season.

Arsenal were hot on the heels of Liverpool in the title race but ultimately slipped at the back end of the season. They finished second for a third straight season as the league title drought stretches to 21 years. In the Champions League, they were extremely close to glory as they played an incredible semifinal tie with eventual champions PSG. Despite dominating the game, they fell to a 3-1 loss as PSG were clinical. The cup competitions evaded Arteta’s grasp as he will be under more pressure to deliver in the next season.

Premier League	2nd
FA Cup	3rd round
Carabao Cup	Semi-finals
Champions League	Semi-finals
Notable Players	Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Kai Havertz

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6 Bayern Munich – Bundesliga

Vincent Kompany got one of the biggest managerial upgrades last summer as he went from a relegated Burnley to Bavarian giants Bayern Munich. The young Belgian knew the pressure of the job but didn’t flinch once. He signed Michael Olise and paired him up with Jamal Musiala to create one of the most exciting attacks, with Harry Kane spearheading them. His first priority was to snatch the Bundesliga crown from Bayer Leverkusen.

He delivered on that front as they came out all guns blazing in the league. They kept their rivals at an arm’s length and went on a canter to win the league. Harry Kane won back-to-back Golden Boots and lifted his first career title. This dominance was missing in other competitions as Bayern’s defence let them down. They lost a winnable quarter-final tie to Inter Milan in the Champions League and shot themselves in the foot in the DFB-Pokal Cup. A title at the FIFA Club World Cup might do Kompany a world of good before his second season.

Bundesliga	Champions
DFB-Pokal	Round of 16
Champions League	Quarter-finals
FIFA Club World Cup	TBD
Notable Players	Harry Kame, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise

5 Napoli – Serie A

Napoli were no doubt one of the best football clubs in Europe in 2025. The world knew how dangerous one game a week, Antonio Conte, was. The legendary Italian manager won the league with Chelsea in 2017 in his first season, with ample rest between fixtures. When he was announced at Napoli, a few expected it to happen, but were absolutely awestruck when it did happen. Napoli lost Victor Osimhen in the summer on loan. They were even forced to sell their star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia midway through the season. Conte got a shoestring budget to operate with.

Romelu Lukaku, Scott McTominay and Billy Gimour were the only notable arrivals. The manager squeezed the best out of everyone as he finetuned them according to his system. The results were imminent as Lukaku found his touch in the Serie A again. McTominay became a box-crasher who pitched in with incredible goals. After shadowing Inter Milan throughout the season, they saw a window and overtook them. Conte maintained the lead till the end to create history by winning the league with three different teams. He sacrificed their only other competition in the pursuit of the league as the squad stayed fresh without injuries.

Serie A	Champions
Coppa Italia	Round of 16
Notable Players	Romelu Lukaku, Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Giacomo Raspadori

4 Inter Milan – Serie A

Simone Inzaghi was one of the hottest prospects in world football. Inter Milan managed to keep hold of him in the summer as he eyed a title defence. The same old starting eleven, without major additions, was well on course to win the league again. But an injury crisis at the back decimated the squad as Inzaghi’s side fell short of every competition in the span of 15 days.

A Supercoppa Italian final loss greeted them in January. They were usurped by ex-boss Antonio Conte’s Napoli first. Later, they were thumped by derby rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semis. Inzaghi was determined to at least win the Champions League. His side played an all-timer semis against Barcelona to win 7-6 and advance to the finals. In the finals, they were completely out of gas, and Luis Enrique’s PSG decimated them. In one of the most lop-sided finals ever, they put 5 past Inter without a reply.

Inzaghi’s dreams shattered in front of his own eyes. A lack of squad depth meant a top-class starting eleven couldn’t do much when injured. Just before the start of the Club World Cup, Al Hilal signed Inzaghi as Cristian Chivu took over for Inter. The burnt-out side bowed out in the group stage cheaply, owing to a demanding long season.

Serie A	2nd
Coppa Italia	Semi-finals
Supercoppa Italian	Runners-up
Champions League	Runners-up
FIFA Club World Cup	Group stage
Notable Players	Lautaro Martinez, Nicolo Barella, Denzel Dumfriez, Alessandro Bastoni

3 Liverpool – Premier League

Arne Slot had one of the toughest jobs in world football. Taking over from Jurgen Klopp, who did wonders with Liverpool, all the while coming from the Dutch league and managing a big side for the first time in his career, made his task even tougher. But the Dutch manager didn’t flatter as Liverpool wrapped up the 2024-25 season as one of the best club in Europe football. He had ice in his veins, and his composure impressed everyone. From the first press conference, he said it was all about presenting himself and not replacing Klopp. His words worked wonders as he moved Liverpool away from a 4-3-3 to his preferred 4-2-3-1.

Having all-timers like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold helped his cause. He made subtle tweaks to maximise every player’s output. Salah was unlocked without much defensive burden, and the Egyptian responded by producing a best-ever campaign for goals and assists combined. Liverpool strolled to the Premier League title playing some champagne football. In the Champions League, they were unfortunate to meet the eventual champions PSG in the round of 16 despite finishing first in the league stage. The tie went to penalties as the two sides were inseparable after 210 minutes of action. Slot sacrificed cup competitions in his side’s league pursuit.

The club and the entire footballing world mourned the tragic loss of Diogo Jota to a road accident. They will be determined to improve and win everything for their number 20, which Liverpool FC retired after Diogo Jota’s death.

Premier League	Champions
FA Cup	4th round
Carabao Cup	Runners-up
Champions League	Round of 16
Notable Players	Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo

2 Barcelona – La Liga

Hansi Flick,known as a total disciplinarian, is hugely credited for making Barcelona one of the best football team in Europe. He was brought to Catalonia to handle the club’s super-talented youngsters from La Masia. The fun he had with this set of kids while conquering Spain in season one was delightful. His side constantly played some beautiful football and scored freely. They signed only Dani Olmo in the summer window.  However, Flick’s plan came together beautifully.

The teenage sensation Lamine Yamal put on a show as Raphinha, who moved to the left wing, was a revelation. Olmo was thrust in the middle, and together they supplied the veteran Robert Lewandowski. Pedri shook off his injuries, and Frenkie de Jong discovered his best form as they became a team to beat. They whitewashed Real Madrid in four meetings to win the league, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España. The only flipside to Flick’s side was the high line and overpressing, which led to fatigue. They felt it in the Champions League as they lost 7-6 to Inter Milan. A final with PSG could’ve truly seen the best football clubs in Europe take on each other.

La Liga	Champions
Copa del Rey	Champions
Supercopa de Espana	Champions
Champions League	Semi-finals
Notable Players	Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong

1 PSG – Ligue 1

There is only a clear-cut answer to the current best team in Europe: PSG. A team that has swept sides in its path with wonderful football and brilliant defending is worthy of that tag. PSG, known for all big-money superstar signings, changed their approach under Luis Enrique. After Kylian Mbappe left the club in 2024, Enrique wanted players to thrive instead of star power. He trusted Ousmane Dembele to lead the side as a senior.

The Frenchman moved to the middle and produced his career-best season. He was well aided by Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue in attack. João Neves and Vitinha ran the midfield. The defence was impregnable as Marquinhos skippered from the back along with Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi, who made their presence felt in attack too. Enrique felt he needed one more piece to win the elusive Champions League. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia arrived in a big-money deal in January to complete the dream team. After sweeping France with a league and cup double, they set their sights on the Champions League.

They beat Liverpool on penalties in the round of 16 before edging past Aston Villa in the quarters. Arsenal offered a tough test, but they passed it with flying colours in the semis. They saved the best for the last as they routed Inter Milan 5-0 in the final. Enrique guided them to the most elusive trophy in their cabinet as they cemented themselves as the best club in European football.

Enrique is eying the FIFA Club World Cup as well.     

Ligue 1	Champions
Coupe de France	Champions
Trophee des Champions	Champions
Champions League	Champions
FIFA Club World Cup	TBD
Notable Players	Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes

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