Ranking the 5 greatest teams of the 21st century

#3 Manchester City: 2017 - 2021

Pep Guardiola has built a fearsome team at the Etihad Stadium.

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.

Four years ago today, Manchester City announced Pep Guardiola as their next manager. Trophies followed. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/FtOsZU7i6f

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 1, 2020

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 dominated the Champions League in spectacular fashion.

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.

The Barcelona side that won SIX trophies in one year 🏆Real Madrid's back-to-back-to-back Champions League winners 🤯Which team was better? 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NQgpiAiWdM

— Goal (@goal) April 5, 2020

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.

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#1 Barcelona: 2008 - 2011

Barcelona's team in the late 2000s is arguably the greatest in football history.

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.