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The year 2019 witnessed major international football competitions such as the Copa America and Africa Cup of Nations, while the European and Asian teams were in action in the 2020 Euro qualifiers and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers respectively.
Argentina's wait for a major international trophy continued as they fell to eventual winners Brazil in the Copa America semifinals.
In the largest-ever Euro qualifiers, the 2020 European Championships saw a record 55 UEFA member nations in action. All the former Euro winners with the exception of Greece qualified for the European quadrennial extravaganza next summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo in particular dazzled for the defending Euro winners Portugal. The Juventus striker's 11 qualifying goals took his international tally to 99 - the most by a European player.
Asian giants Japan won all their games at the 2019 Asian Cup except the game which mattered most, as the Blue Samurai fell to Qatar in the final. Drawing twice and losing once in three games at the Copa America, Japan won all five of their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
On that note, let us now find out who makes the list of the top 5 standout international football teams of the year.
#5 Brazil
Brazil produced a near-perfect campaign on home soil as they lifted their 9th Copa America title with a 3-1 win over Peru in the 2019 final.
The South American giants did not concede a goal in five games en route to the title match. They racked up wins over Bolivia (3-0) and Peru (5-0) in the group-stage and a 2-0 win over Argentina in the semis. They also had goal-less draws against Venezuela in a group-stage game and beat Paraguay 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a goalless 120 minutes of quarter-final action.
In 10 friendlies during the calendar year, Brazil won four games, drew four, and lost by solitary goals to Peru and Argentina respectively.
#4 Spain
Spain did not win any title during the year but produced an unbeaten qualifying campaign to make the cut for the European Championships for the seventh consecutive time.
La Furia Roja won six qualifying games on the trot before a pair of 1-1 draws at Norway and Sweden halted their winning run.
Status quo was promptly restored as the three-time Euro winners scored 12 unanswered goals past Malta (7-0) and Romania (5-0) respectively to end the year on a winning note.
#3 Algeria
Following their maiden triumph in 1990, Algeria lifted their second Africa Cup of Nations title with a solitary goal win over Senegal in the 2019 final at Cairo.
Algeria won all their three group-stage games without conceding a goal - beating Kenya 2-0, Senegal 1-0 and Tanzania 3-0 to qualify for the knockout round. The Les Fennecs then beat Guinea 3-0 in the Round of 16, before a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals took them to the last-four.
Nigeria became the first team to score against Algeria in the semis, but the Super Eagles fell to a 1-2 defeat. In the final, Algeria prevailed by a solitary goal over Senegal to win their first Africa Cup of Nations title in nearly three decades.
In six friendlies during the year, Algeria won four games while drawing 1-1 against Burundi and DR Congo.
#2 Italy
Italy put aside their disappointment of missing out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia by producing a perfect Euro 2020 qualifying campaign. The Azzurri won all their qualifying games at a Euro or FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign for the very first time.
Italy kicked off their qualifying campaign with a trio of wins over Finland, Leichtenstein and Greece - all without conceding a goal. The best was saved for last though, as a 9-1 win over Armenia on Matchday 10 marked the Azzurri's biggest win in seven decades (since a 9-0 victory over USA in 1948).
The four-time FIFA World Cup winners' 37 goals in the qualifiers was bettered only by Belgium, who produced the only other perfect Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
#1 Belgium
Belgium produced a perfect Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, winning all their 10 qualifying games - seven of them without conceding a goal.
The Red Devils' goal difference of 37 was the highest recorded by any of the 55 teams in action at the Euro 2020 qualifiers, while their three goals conceded was only equaled by Turkey.
The 2018 World Cup semi-finalists (lost to eventual winners France) racked up an impressive average of four goals per game. Their slimmest margin of victory was by two goals, recorded in 3 games - 3-1 over Russia (home), 2-0 over Cyprus (away) and 3-1 over Kazakhstan (away).
