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Football's Definitive Rankings

The GI Score is the most detailed measure of football greatness ever created — blending legacy, stats, culture, and more across multiple core and measured factors​

Team, Period

Team Type

Greatness Ranking

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1970

Were Brazil 1970 simply the greatest team ever — or the birth of football as pure art?

Brazil

International

All Time Greats

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1960-65

How Pelé and Santos turned Brazilian football into a global phenomenon — winning everything and changing the game forever

Santos

Club

All Time Greats

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1954-60

How did Real Madrid turn post-war rebuilding into the birth of football’s first global dynasty?

Real Madrid

Club

All Time Greats

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1998-99

How did Manchester United turn chaos, courage, and character into the most dramatic treble in football history?

Manchester United

Club

All Time Greats

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1977-80

How Brian Clough and Peter Taylor turned an unfashionable club into back-to-back European champions

Nottingham Forest

Club

All Time Greats

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1978-1986

How did Sir Alex Ferguson turn Aberdeen into a Scottish powerhouse that defied the Old Firm and conquered Europe?

Aberdeen

Club

All Time Greats

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1942-49

How did Torino rise to rule Italian football—only for tragedy to end it all at Superga?

Torino

Club

All Time Greats

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1994-96

How did Louis van Gaal’s Ajax build one of the most complete football teams ever — and change the modern game forever?

AFC Ajax

Club

All Time Greats

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1982

How Tele Santana’s Brazil played the most beautiful football the world had ever seen — and still lost

Brazil

International

All Time Greats

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1982

How Italy rose from scandal and struggle to conquer the world — led by Paolo Rossi and powered by redemption

Italy

International

All Time Greats

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2002-04

How did José Mourinho turn an underdog from Portugal into the champions of Europe — and change football forever?

FC Porto

Club

All Time Greats

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1987-88

How did Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool craft one of the most stylish and complete teams English football has ever seen?

Liverpool

Club

All Time Greats

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1984-85

How great could Howard Kendall’s Everton have been — and were they cruelly denied their shot at European immortality?

Everton

Club

All Time Greats

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1930

How did a small South American nation become the world’s first footballing superpower?

Uruguay

International

All Time Greats

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1920-22

How did a factory team of women from Preston become world-famous — only to be banned by the FA at their peak?

Dick, Kerr Ladies

Club

All Time Greats

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1986-90

How did Diego Maradona lift an entire city — and lead Napoli from outsiders to Italian and European champions?

SSC Napoli

Club

True Greats

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2009-10

How did José Mourinho turn Inter Milan into Europe’s ultimate machine — and conquer Italy, Europe, and destiny in a single season?

Inter Milan

Club

True Greats

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1964-73

How did Don Revie turn a modest Second Division club into one of the most feared, admired, and misunderstood dynasties in football history?

Leeds United

Club

True Greats

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1941-47

How did River Plate’s “La Máquina” redefine football during wartime — and why do purists still call them the first modern team?

River Plate

Club

True Greats

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1988-93

How did France’s first European Cup winners rise to the summit of Europe — only to fall into one of football’s darkest scandals?

Marseille

Club

True Greats

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1988-92

How a small Genoese club rose to conquer Italy and challenge Europe — powered by Vialli, Mancini, and a dream.

Sampdoria

Club

True Greats

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1930-34

How Austria’s Wunderteam dazzled Europe with artistry, intelligence, and innovation — before history tore it all apart.

Austria

International

True Greats

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1954

How did post-war West Germany rise from devastation to conquer the world — and redefine football’s spirit forever?

West Germany

International

True Greats

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2000-2005

How did Martin O’Neill restore Celtic’s pride, passion, and dominance to make them one of Europe’s most feared sides?

Celtic

Club

True Greats

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2008-2015

How did Jürgen Klopp transform a struggling Borussia Dortmund into one of Europe’s most exhilarating and feared football teams?

Borussia Dortmund

Club

True Greats

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1991-94

How did a team born from raffle tickets become the most dominant force in women’s football?

Doncaster Belles

Club

True Greats

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2015-16

How did 5000–1 outsiders defy logic, rewrite football history, and remind the world that dreams still matter?

Leicester City

Club

True Greats

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1974-82

How did Bobby Robson turn a small-town club into one of Europe’s most admired sides?

Ipswich Town

Club

True Greats

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1970-73

How Brian Clough and Peter Taylor turned Derby County from Second Division strugglers into champions of England

Derby County

Club

True Greats

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1988

How did the Netherlands banish decades of heartbreak and deliver a footballing masterpiece at Euro ’88?

Netherlands

International

True Greats

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1974

How did Poland rise from obscurity to conquer Europe’s elite — and come within touching distance of a World Cup final in 1974?

Poland

International

True Greats

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2004

How did Greece go from footballing outsiders to European champions — toppling giants with unity, discipline, and belief?

Greece

International

True Greats

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1970-1973

How Brian Clough and Peter Taylor turned Derby County from Second Division strugglers into champions of England

Derby County

Club

True Greats

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1911

How did a barefoot Indian team defeat the British Army in 1911 — and turn a football match into a symbol of national pride?

Mohun Bagan

Club

True Greats

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1982-87

How Jim McLean built a fearless Dundee United side that broke the Old Firm and conquered Europe

Dundee United

Club

True Greats

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2016-21

How can a team ranked number one in the world for four years — packed with world-class talent — end up with nothing to show for it?

Belgium

International

True Greats

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1964-65

How Kilmarnock stunned Scottish football with a final-day title triumph that defined an era

Kilmarnock

Club

True Greats

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1986-89

How did a team shaped by politics, power, and precision rise from behind the Iron Curtain to conquer Europe?

Steaua Bucharest

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1978

How did Argentina turn a World Cup into a political spectacle — and still emerge as champions?

Argentina

International

Touch of Greatness

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1994-95

How did a steel magnate, a Scotsman, and a record-breaking striker conquer the Premier League?

Blackburn Rovers

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1977-78

How did a team of global superstars turn New York into football’s greatest stage — and change the sport forever?

Cosmos

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1977-80

How did a club from northern Germany, powered by an English superstar, briefly conquer Europe and redefine what German football could be?

Hamburg SV

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1970-71

How did a war-torn Greece send an unfancied Panathinaikos all the way to the European Cup final?

Panathinaikos

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1990

How Italia ’90 became the turning point for English football culture — a semi-final run that reshape the game at home?

England

International

Touch of Greatness

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1998-2000

How Chelsea’s late-90s revolution brought European flair, star power, and silverware to Stamford Bridge

Chelsea

Club

Touch of Greatness

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2011-12

How did Manchester City’s last-gasp title win rewrite Premier League history — and signal the dawn of a new footballing dynasty?

Manchester City

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1996

How did a new nation of outsiders come within one golden goal of conquering Europe?

Czech Republic

International

Touch of Greatness

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2009-10

How did a modest West London club defy all odds to reach a European final — and win the hearts of football fans across the continent?

Fulham

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1981-1986

How Ron Atkinson’s swagger, Robson’s leadership, and cup glory brought style back to Old Trafford

Manchester United

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1987-1991

How did Graham Taylor transform Aston Villa from a fallen force into one of English football’s most competitive sides by the end of the 1980s?

Aston Villa

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1996

How did England’s Euro ’96 journey capture a nation — and end in the cruellest way possible?

England

International

Touch of Greatness

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1968-70

How did a Third Division side humble Arsenal at Wembley — and inspire the creation of a brand-new European competition?

Swindon Town

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1965-71

How did a team born from post-war rubble and coalfield pride rise to dominate Poland and take Europe to a coin toss in 1970?

Gornik Zabzre

Club

Touch of Greatness

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2007-08

How did Harry Redknapp turn Portsmouth into FA Cup winners — and why does their triumph still feel like the last great underdog story of English football?

Portsmouth

Club

Touch of Greatness

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2016

Less than 10 years on, how did a nation of just 330,000 people rewrite football history — and turn Iceland’s Euro 2016 fairytale into a blueprint for underdogs everywhere?

Iceland

International

Touch of Greatness

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1982-88

How Oxford United rose from obscurity to First Division glory — fuelled by ambition, controversy, and one unforgettable day at Wembley

Oxford United

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1977-81

How did Ron Atkinson’s West Bromwich Albion light up English football with flair, diversity, and swagger — redefining what it meant to be entertainers in the late 1970s?

West Bromwich Albion

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1975-76

How did QPR’s band of flair and finesse come within a whisker of toppling Liverpool in the 70s?

Queens Park Rangers

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1978

How did a nation’s dream turn to despair — and why does Scotland’s 1978 World Cup story still define their footballing identity?

Scotland

International

Touch of Greatness

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1958

How did Wales, the team that almost didn’t qualify, defy the odds to reach a World Cup quarter-final — and face a teenage Pelé in the process?

Wales

International

Touch of Greatness

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1909-11

How did a team of Durham miners travel to Italy — and win a trophy now seen as football’s first World Cup?

West Auckland

Club

Touch of Greatness

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2005-06

How did Hearts come closer than anyone to breaking the Old Firm’s iron grip on Scottish football?

Heart of Midlothian

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1972-73

How did a Second Division Sunderland side conquer Don Revie’s mighty Leeds to produce one of the FA Cup’s greatest ever upsets?

Sunderland

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1866

How did a group of cricketers in Victorian England create the world’s first football club — and with it, the modern game itself?

Sheffield FC

Club

Touch of Greatness

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1974-76

How did a small-town club in green become the pride of France — only to see European glory slip through their fingers on a night of heartbreak in Glasgow?

St Etienne

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1996

How did Germany overcome turmoil, injury, and doubt to claim Europe’s crown at Euro ’96?

Germany

International

Edge of Greatness

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1952-53

How did Millonarios of Bogotá become the blueprint for modern football — and the team that inspired Real Madrid’s golden age?

Millonairos

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1970-71

How did a group of Danish amateurs conquer the world — twice — when women’s football was still banned?

Denmark (w)

International

Edge of Greatness

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1976

How did a divided nation unite to conquer Europe — and invent the coolest word in football along the way?

Czechoslovakia

International

Edge of Greatness

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1960-67

How a Cold War super-club in gold and maroon became a cult legend far beyond football

Dukla Prague

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1883-85

How did a team of Scottish amateurs redefine football forever — and nearly conquer England while doing it?

Queens Park

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1975-1978

How Peru’s golden generation conquered South America — then fell into one of football’s darkest controversies

Peru

International

Edge of Greatness

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1992-1997

How Kevin Keegan turned Newcastle from relegation-threatened strugglers into the most thrilling team of the Premier League era

Newcastle United

Club

Edge of Greatness

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2006

How did Jürgen Klinsmann swap California surfboards for the dugout — and end up rewriting the future of German football at the 2006 World Cup?

Germany

International

Edge of Greatness

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1922-24

How did an English manager transform Genoa into Italy’s first football dynasty — and change the course of Serie A forever?

Genoa

Club

Edge of Greatness

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2010

How close did Ghana come to rewriting football history — and did Luis Suárez’s hand deny Africa its greatest moment?

Ghana

International

Edge of Greatness

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2021-23

How did the world’s third-oldest football club go from non-league obscurity to global fame — without losing its soul?

AFC Wrexham

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1986-87

How did Coventry City’s underdogs defy the odds to win one of the greatest FA Cup finals ever played?

Coventy City

Club

Edge of Greatness

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2006

How did Australia’s long-awaited return to the World Cup become the defining moment that changed their football identity forever?

Australia

International

Edge of Greatness

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1982

How did Algeria stun the world at their first World Cup — only to be denied by one of football’s darkest nights?

Algeria

International

Edge of Greatness

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1973-74

How did one of Italy’s most chaotic, divided, and brilliant teams conquer Serie A — and self-destruct at the same time?

SS Lazio

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1987-88

How did a small Bedfordshire club dance its way into football folklore — and what made David Pleat’s “Jig of Joy” one of the decade’s defining moments?

Luton Town

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1989-90

How did Joe Royle’s fearless Oldham side from England’s second tier stun the giants, light up Wembley, and redefine the magic of the cup in 1989–90?

Oldham Athletic

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1986-87

How did David Pleat’s Tottenham side of 1986–87 come within touching distance of a domestic treble — and leave behind one of the most stylish seasons in English football history?

Tottenham Hotspur

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1999-2007

How did Sam Allardyce turn Bolton Wanderers from a yo-yo club into one of the Premier League’s most entertaining and tactically advanced sides?

Bolton Wanderers

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1990

How did Cameroon’s fearless Lions turn Italia ’90 into Africa’s greatest World Cup story?

Cameroon

International

Edge of Greatness

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1982

How close did England’s 1982 World Cup team come to greatness — and why do they still feel like the one that got away?

England

International

Edge of Greatness

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1987-1991

How did Steve Coppell’s Crystal Palace rise from the Second Division to the 1990 FA Cup final and create one of the most iconic strike partnerships in English football?

Crystal Palace

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1998-2006

How Alan Curbishley built stability, style, and quiet success in one of English football’s most unpredictable eras.

Charlton Athletic

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1995-1998

How did a tiny mountain village of 5,000 people produce one of the most incredible underdog stories in football history?

Castel di Sangro

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1984-87

How did an Englishman named El Tel turn Barcelona into champions — and nearly kings of Europe

FC Barcelona

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1988-90

How did Millwall’s fearless underdogs take the First Division by storm — and nearly roar to the top?

Millwall

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1982

How did Northern Ireland, a nation divided by conflict, unite behind a team that conquered the world’s biggest stage?

Northern Ireland

International

Edge of Greatness

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1971-72

How did a tiny non-league club from Herefordshire stun the football world — and give birth to one of the most iconic moments in FA Cup history?

Hereford United

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1992-95

How close did Tranmere come to rewriting English football from the banks of the Mersey?

Tranmere Rovers

Club

Edge of Greatness

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2012-14

How did a club once known for FA Cup shocks rise all the way to the Championship

Yeovil Town

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1984-1988

How did a once non-league club rise to the First Division and stun Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup Final?

Wimbledon

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1990-92

How did John Beck’s Cambridge United go from lower-league obscurity to the brink of the Premier League — armed with tactics few dared to love?

Cambridge United

Club

Edge of Greatness

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1908-12

How did Great Britain dominate early Olympic football — and why did the amateur era fade away?

Great Britain

International

Blinkered Greatness

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1980s

How did a small Hamburg club become football’s loudest symbol of rebellion, punk, and pride?

St Pauli

Club

Blinkered Greatness

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1981-82

How did Kevin Keegan’s shock arrival help transform Southampton from outsiders into genuine top-flight contenders?

Southampton

Club

Blinkered Greatness

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1999-2000

How did a team of amateur players from France’s fourth tier defy all odds to reach the Coupe de France final — and win the hearts of a nation?

Calais Racing Union

Club

Blinkered Greatness

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1904

How did a small Ontario club cross a continent and win Olympic gold in two days?

Galt FC

International

Blinkered Greatness

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1979-80

How did a tiny non-league side from Essex stun Leicester City — and almost go even further — in the 1979–80 FA Cup?

Harlow Town

Club

Blinkered Greatness

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1974

How did Africa’s first sub-Saharan World Cup team become a symbol of pride, protest, and political pressure in 1974?

Zaire

International

Blinkered Greatness

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1984

How did Harry Redknapp’s third-tier Bournemouth topple Manchester United — and where does it rank among the greatest FA Cup shocks of all time?

AFC Bournemouth

Club

Blinkered Greats

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1939

How did Arsenal’s 1939 side become stars of cinema just as war stopped football in its tracks?

Arsenal

Club

Blinkered Greatness

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2024

How did world football’s smallest nation finally end the longest losing streak in history?

San Marino

Club

Blinkered Greatness

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1942

How did a team of bakers and ex-footballers under Nazi occupation use football as an act of resistance — and pay the ultimate price for victory?

FC Start

International

Not Great

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1967-68

How did a brand-new American team spend seven months touring 29 countries before ever playing a home game?

Dallas Tornado

Club

Not Great

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1967-70

How did a small club from upstate New York help lay the foundation for professional soccer in the United States — decades before Major League Soccer was born?

Rochester Lancers

Club

Not Great

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2003-06

How did a small Welsh village club become one of football’s strangest success stories — and change the sport’s relationship with sponsorship forever?

Total Network Solutions

Club

Not Great

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1990/91

How did one Belgian club’s contract dispute spark a revolution that reshaped world football forever?

RFC Liège

Club

Not Great

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1867

How did a small Sheffield cricket club help create modern football — and win the world’s first tournament?

Hallam FC

Club

Not Great

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2020-21

From Derby’s one-win season to Schalke’s collapse and Darwen’s disasters — the beautiful game at its ugliest. Football’s worst ever campaigns, re-examined.”

Schalke

Club

Not Great

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2024

How would a team of Europe’s left-behind stars fare on the biggest stage of all?

EURO 24 Barbarians

International

Not Great

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2007-2008

From Derby’s one-win season to Schalke’s collapse and Darwen’s disasters — the beautiful game at its ugliest. Football’s worst ever campaigns, re-examined.”

Derby County

Club

Not Great

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1898-1899

From Derby’s one-win season to Schalke’s collapse and Darwen’s disasters — the beautiful game at its ugliest. Football’s worst ever campaigns, re-examined.”

Darwen

Club

Not Great

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2017-2018

From Derby’s one-win season to Schalke’s collapse and Darwen’s disasters — the beautiful game at its ugliest. Football’s worst ever campaigns, re-examined.”

Brechin City

Club

Not Great

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2002

How SO l’Emyrne’s bizarre protest rewrote football’s record books forever.

SO l'Emyrne

Club

Not Great

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