Which Team is the Greatest in Sporting History?

This is a blog that is coming off the back of a discussion had on the Flintoff, Savage and the Ping Pong Guy podcast. What is the greatest team to have graced the world of sport.

This is far too hard a question, so what I'm going to do is break it down into a few sports, and then try narrow it down to one team.

For a start, I think we need a definition of what makes a team the greatest of all time. For me, its about longevity, and success over an extended period of time. A team that at times appeared untouchable and will be remembered for years. 

For this reason, I don't think that Leicester City can be included - as Robbie Savage had chosen on the show. What they achieved that season will undoubtedly go down as the greatest single achievement in sporting history, THE underdog story, but they haven't been able to continue that success.

With this in mind, let's go through some of the greatest teams in history. 


First of all, the All Blacks. As Matthew Syed said in the podcast, you could choose from a number of All Blacks teams, but I'm going to choose the current crop. the 2010-present day New Zealand rugby team under Steve Hansen. 

In the past seven years, these current All Blacks have won six out of eight Rugby Championships, the last two Men's Rugby World Cups and have not budged from the number one spot. The play some of the most beautiful and skillful rugby that has ever graced the world of rugby, mixed with a gritty defence and strength that most teams cannot match! They will go down as one of THE greats.

Football is a tough one to choose between. Everyone talks about the Brazil team from the 70s, the Liverpool team that won all those European trophies in the 70s/80s, the Ajax team from the late 60s. But one stands out for me, and it may be because I grew up watching this team. The Barcelona team of 2008-11.

Messi. Xavi. Iniesta. Puyol. Pique. Villa. Alves. All lead by Pep Guardiola. Tika-taka football was brought to us by them. They re-wrote the playbook that the beautiful game had grown used to, and became next to unbeatable. They were nothing but scintillating and a joy to watch. This is the team that I will be telling my grandchildren about. 

Now for a quick hop across the pond to our next contender, this time coming from the NFL. The New England Patriots from the turn of the century. This is probably THE dynasty team. Before 2001, the Patriots had not won a single Super Bowl. Since then they have claimed 5 Super Bowl, most recently this year with a historic comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons. 

A book well worth reading is Belichick and Brady. It follows the story of how the Patriots, under the most successful coach/quarterback combination in history, revolutionised football (American football). In a system that is created to send the champions to the back of the queue and wait their turn for their next championship, the Patriots have found a way of winning time and time again. They have broken the wheel. 

Sticking Stateside, the NBA has produced some of the greatest sports teams. The current Golden State Warriors team is edging into that category. But no one comes close to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls of the 90's!

6 titles in 8 years. Only a Michael Jordan retirement stopped that being 8 in 8. They took apart franchise and NBA records like they were nothing. They made great teams not even look worthy of a place in the play-offs. And let's be honest, any team with Michael Jordan has to be in with a chance. The only qualm here? Without Michael Jordan, this team didn't win anything. Does that throw them out of the race for greatest team?

This may be a bit outside of the box, but I'm diving into the world of cycling for the next team.

Team GB Cycling have dominated cycling for many years now. From the Tour De France to the Olympic Games, no team or country has come close to taking on the might of Great Britain. Sir Chris Hoy. Sir Bradley Wiggins. Laura Trott (now Kenny). Sir David Brailsford has created a dynasty here of which there is no equivalent in the sport. 

At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Team GB won double the amount of medals the Netherlands in second place! From no British winners of the Tour De France, Britain now has a winner in 5 of the last 6 tours! Everything is set in place for this success to just continue and progress for years to come.

There are so many more I could add in. Arsenal's 'Invincibles' in 2004. England's Rugby World Cup winning team of 2003. The early New York Yankees teams. Wayne Gretsky's New York Rangers in the 80's. Etc. Etc.

From my list, I can't look beyond the current All Blacks side. Yes, they have been given a great platform on which to build from previous teams, but they have taken rugby to another degree. This level of dominance is unheard of in any sport. The All Blacks 2010-present day are the greatest team of all time.

Do you agree with these choices? Who do you think is the greatest team of all time? Share and comment.

You can read my other blogs at ScriptEye and I Can't Write Words here.