April 3, 2021.
With another international break coming to an end, we thought this would be a great time to evaluate who we think are the best “soccer” clubs in the world right now. In this list we will go over our top ten clubs, some of whom are chasing Champions League or Europa League glory, others after only domestic success:
1. Manchester City.
Manager Pep Guardiola has his team looking like the best in the world, regardless of who is on the pitch. Manchester City is currently the favorite to win both the Premier League and the Champions League. Hopefully, we all get to see an exciting clash vs. Bayern.
2. Bayern Munich.
Bayern could easily be in the top spot of these rankings. Together, Manchester City and Bayern form a very clear top two clubs, leaving the rest of world football a noticeable step behind, at best. The reigning UCL champs should not be overlooked.
3. Chelsea.
Tuchel has elevated Chelsea’s level of play after taking over for club legend, Frank Lampard. Most noticeably, a once shaky defense looks sturdy with the resurgence of aging fullbacks Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta.
4. Liverpool.
A few years ago, this would be a great ranking for Liverpool, but this current team is playing like a shell of what they have been over the last two seasons. Some key defensive injuries, including Virgil van Dijk, can be to blame, but this club needs to prove they can win big games without their centerback.
5. Atletico Madrid.
Luis Suarez can still score at this level. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, and it certainly is no to surprise to his former Barcelona teammates who wanted the club to re-sign him. Atletico’s recent loss to Chelsea in the UCL was upsetting for fans, but the club has a chance to capture their first league title since 2014.
6. Manchester United.
A recent loss in the FA Cup will be seen as a disappointment, but Solskjaer has the club looking better than they have in a long while. Manchester United currently sit second in their domestic league table and are heavy favorites to bring home the Europa League title.
7. Paris St.-Germain.
With as much talent this club has, it’s hard to believe that this club isn’t higher in our ranks. Just one year removed from a UCL finals appearance, we need to see a healthy Neymar and Mbappe play together more for this club to rise back up.
8. FC Barcelona.
Messi’s leaving, then he’s not, then the salary scandal. There’s been a lot of noise around this club and not the good kind, but Koeman seems to have them trending in the right direction. Still, this team needs to perform better to reach the lofty expectations placed on one of Europe’s giants.
9. Inter Milan.
Antonio Conte has Inter Milan competing with some of the best. They came up short in UEFA competitions but are clear favorites to win their domestic league. Lukaku and Martinez are one of the most threatening striker partnerships in the world.
10. Real Madrid.
Even before Ronaldo left, it was astonishing how poorly this team played without their captain, Sergio Ramos. Love him or hate him, the polarizing centerback is the lifeblood of this team. His recent calf injury over the international break has Ramos set to miss some significant time, including both legs of their UCL matchup vs Liverpool. We do not expect this club to be moving up our ranks any time soon.