National football teams carry the weight and expectations of their respective countries. In a sport like football, almost every country in the world competes in some facet, so to be able to consider your country’s national team amongst the best is a big honor. While there is plenty of room for debate, let’s review some of the strongest national teams in the world.
England
The England national team is the pride of the country and they have supported this turbulent squad for better and for worse. Their recent strong showing at the 2018 World Cup has done wonders to clear their reputation as a constant underdog. Things are certainly looking up and the England national team is getting the respect they deserve.
England is the clear most valuable national team in the world right now. This comes from the multitude of famous and successful standout players like Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and others. The team excels both defensively and offensively, where they can turn up the pressure at will.
Of course, the strength of the English team is further bolstered by the immense energy they receive at home. When it comes to supporting the national team, the story of England’s football superfans is legendary. Few others around the world have such a rich history and connection with their team, and the English fans are some of the most dedicated supporters around. This past World Cup demonstrated this fact as the team performed excellently and their fans were out in force.
Belgium
FIFA has recently named Belgium as the best team in the world for the third consecutive year. A lot has changed for this national team in two short decades. The big turning point was when Belgium played at Euro 2000 where they lost 2-0 to Turkey. This defeat would end up being the catalyst to turn this team around for the better.
Now 20 years later, they are at the top of the rankings and looking to win a World Cup or European Championship. Not satisfied with their 2018 3rd place finish, they are setting their sights on winning it all. There is certainly enough talent here to achieve that goal as well. Romelu Lukaku is by any measure one of the best strikers in the world and he always had the confidence that he would be one day. Their team is also blessed with midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who is one of the most in demand players around. The sensational Belgian was named PFA’s Player of the Year for 2019-2020.
France
Of course, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winners were certainly going to make this list as they are still undeniably one of the most fearsome national teams around. France has become a hotbed for talent in the last few decades, and some of the world’s best players have emerged as a result. They play in every major league, but all come home to the French national team when it’s time for international competition.
Leading the pack is Kylian Mbappé, the young forward who is being watched intently by every football journalist in the world. At just 22 years old, Mbappé has already scored over 100 career goals and has a World Cup championship to his name. Next is Paul Pogba, a respected midfielder that can be utilized in many different ways. With immensely skillful players like Antoine Griezmann, Hugo Lloris and many others, the French national team is the 2nd most valuable just behind England with an estimated worth of €914.90 million.
Brazil
The history of Brazil’s dominance in the sport of football is a long and well-documented affair. They have claimed more World Cup victories than anyone else and their team has the highest winning percentage of any national team. It will be a long time before they fade from prominence, if that ever happens that is.
According to many fans and analysts, Brazilian forward Neymar da Silva Santos Junior may be the best player in the sport of football to the extent that he has even been called Messi 2.0. He is the second highest goal scorer of all time for their national team, just behind the famous Pele. Their primary goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, was named FIFA’s best goalkeeper for 2019. Combined with other elite-level talent like Roberto Firmino, Marquinhos and others, Brazil will remain one of the most formidable teams for a long time.
