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Football has risen to a whole new level in the 21st century, with a number of legendary teams stepping up from nowhere and producing mesmerising displays over the years.
These teams managed to redefine certain aspects of the game, and brought some new brands of football. They kept us glued to our TV screens as they conjured multiple major triumphs.
It is quite a herculean task to rank the finest teams of the 21st century because there are simply too many options. However, five clubs have really stood out since the turn of the century, in terms of their results, trophies and performances. Here is a look at that quintet:
#5 Chelsea: 2004 - 2007
Jose Mourinho arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2004 with a new approach to defending. And it was only a matter of time before he made the Blues the most dominant team in the Premier League.
Employing a highly disciplined defensive style to stifle and frustrate opponents, Chelsea took English football by storm. They didn't play the most beautiful football, but it was very effective, as the Blues outclassed opposition teams en route to claiming league titles in 2005 and 2006.
They also set the record for the fewest goals conceded in a Premier League campaign, letting in a miserly 15 goals all season in 2004-05.
Chelsea made it back-to-back league triumphs in the subsequent term. And by the end of the third season, they added one FA Cup, two Carling Cups and one Community Shield to their cabinet.
#4 Manchester United: 2007 - 2009
Sir Alex Ferguson managed to assemble multiple successful teams during his time as Manchester United manager. But the group that ran riot at Old Trafford between 2007 and 2009 was arguably the best of the lot.
With Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney on a rampage up front, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs pulling the strings from the center and the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrick Evra on guard, the Red Devils dispatched opposition teams with ease.
The team won three consecutive Premier League titles between 2007 and 2009. They also won the Champions League, the Carling Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and two Community Shields in that period.
#3 Manchester City: 2017 - 2021
Pep Guardiola is no stranger to building legendary teams. After making history with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the Spaniard took on a new challenge in the Premier League when he was appointed as Manchester City manager in the summer of 2016.
Just a year after his appointment, the Cityzens had assembled a formidable team that struck fear into opponent teams.
Guardiola's men made history in the 2017-2018 campaign, starting with a 22-game unbeaten run that included a record-breaking total of 18 consecutive Premier League wins. They defeated every team in the English top-flight that season, and won the title with a record tally of 100 points.
That was just the tip of the iceberg, though. The next three years produced a trophy fest at the Etihad Stadium, including three Premier League triumphs, four consecutive Carling Cup conquests, one FA Cup and two Community Shields.
#2 Real Madrid: 2015 - 2018
Real Madrid took Europe by storm with a series of unbelievable achievements between 2015 and 2017. Managed by Zinedine Zidane from the dugout and featuring Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch, the Spanish giants demonstrated unprecedented dominance in the UEFA Champions League that may never be repeated.
They won the continental crown during the 2015-16 campaign before becoming the first team in competition history to defend the trophy the next campaign. Before anyone would know what was going on, Los Blancos added a third consecutive Champions League trophy to their cabinet, setting a record that could take a long time to beat.
During those three splendid years, Real Madrid also won one a La Liga title, one Spanish Super Cup, three consecutive FIFA Club World Cups and two UEFA Super Cups.
#1 Barcelona: 2008 - 2011
Pep Guardiola's golden team at Barcelona is arguably the greatest one to have graced the game. For this team, trophies were just the icing on the cake; the real deal was the style, the beauty, the class and the fluidity with which they played the game.
Barcelona's tiki-taka style was a pure joy to watch, even for opposition teams. The likes of Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Dani Alves and Eric Abidal introduced an unfamiliar approach to defending by building up plays from the back. Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta turned football to an art in the centre of the pitch, knitting passes like spider webs and outplaying opposition teams.
Lionel Messi was an alien up front, proving to be unplayable, thanks to his electrifying dribbles, impeccable movement and killer finishing in front of goal. This team gave brought a new perspective to the game, and were rewarded handsomely.
They became the first team to win every competition they participated in as they claimed a historic sextuple in 2009. By the end of the third year, Barcelona had won three consecutive La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League titles, one Copa Del Trophy, two Spanish Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and two UEFA Super Cups.
