Best Football Clubs in South America

By: Olena

Posted: May 18, 2020

Updated: May 18, 2020

Let’s forget about European clubs for a while and look at Latin squads
What FCs from South America are the most popular and recognized?
Here are five most successful teams in our subjective opinion

Football history in Latin America is one of the richest in the world. Most of its top clubs were established more than 100 years ago and are still active. Which one rules the continent nowadays? Here is the list of the best football clubs in South America of the 20th century. European football fans know everything about local clubs, but what about the others? Many football clubs in the world have a longer and richer history than Real Madrid or Barcelona but aren’t as mainstream as them. Check the list of Latin FCs that rule the world and don’t forget to bet on them at online sportsbooks in Brazil.

Sao Paulo is among the best football clubs in South America

Sao Paulo FC from the same-name city is one of the most successful squads in Brazil and in whole Latin America. Yet its progress during the last few years is quite modest, it is still among the greatest Latin clubs ever. To dispel any doubts, here is the list of the major achievements of Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is the most decorated football club in Brazil. It won 12 international titles, 21 state trophies, and one FIFA Club World Cup. Its glory days were stretched over the years of its 90-years history. Probably, the mid-2000s period was the most successful for Sao Paulo. Since then, the club failed to win big competitions, however, finished 2nd in the 2019 Campeonato Paulista.

Santos FC delivers talented players

Santos from Brazil is among the 5 most successful Latin football clubs. It is known for two reasons: good performances and producing the world's greatest players. During its long history, Santos won numerous cups, including 8 Brasileirão titles and 21 local Sao Paulo competitions. IFFHS and FIFA included the club in their top-lists several times, but this isn’t the only thing to value Santos for. The Brazilian FC delivered such football legends as Pele, Zito, and Robinho. Also, a PSG star Neymar Jr. is one of the most recent breakthroughs spotted by this club. Meanwhile, since European competitions are still paused, you can bet on some Latin American matches at 1xBet Sportsbook.

Atletico Nacional beat all European clubs

When speaking about the best football clubs in South America, Atletico Nacional always comes to mind. A Colombian FC has established many records during its long history, but we will focus mostly on the most recent achievements. The first thing Atletico is known for is being the most successful Colombian club. It is one of only 3 squads to have played in every first-division tournament of the country. The football club won 22 titles in total and it brought Atletico Nacional to the top spot in Colombia. In addition, Atletico is the only team from Latin America to be named the best football club in the world. In 2016, IFFHS put the club at the top of its ranking list. Atletico Nacional beat all European clubs that year, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich aka the most popular clubs in the world.

Best football clubs in South America: Independiente

Atlético Independiente is among the most successful clubs in Argentina and Latin America too. For its long 115-years history, the FC has established several records, which allowed it to take a spot here.

Independiente has won 21 titles in various international competitions, including Intercontinental Cup and Copa Sudamericana. It holds a record of winning 7 Copa Libertadores trophies, being the only club to win 4 consecutive finals in the 1970s. Yet the club survived bad times for 15 years, CA made an epic comeback in 2010 by winning the 2010 Copa Sudamericana and consolidating their success seven years later. The club aims to be best again and online sportsbooks betting predictions can confirm it.

Flamengo was the best in 2019

Flamengo FC is the best football club in Latin America so far. Being one of the oldest clubs in the world, Flamengo hasn’t disappointed its fans most of the time. They have won 35 Campeonato Carioca titles, which is an unbeatable record among Rio clubs. On the national level, the club won 13 different competitions, with the most recent victory in 2019 (Serie A). In addition, Flamengo showed themselves well internationally after winning the latest CONMEBOL Libertadores. It was definitely one of the most successful clubs in South America last year, which is impressive if we take into account the 124-years history of this club. There are few teams that can perform well for such a long time, that is why Flamengo deserves to be on top.