国际足坛史上最佳球队

 

With Spain's remarkable² run of success over (at least for this generation), the question can be asked: Was Spain the best international dynasty ever?

 

BRAZIL 1958-1970: Led by the peerless（无与伦比的） Pele,Brazil unveiled its jogo bonito (beautiful game) to the world by winning three World Cup titles between 1958 and 1970. The 1970 team was largely different from the previous winners, but Pele linked the champions, and Brazil remains³ the only country ever to win three out of four World Cups.

 

WEST GERMANY 1972-1974: After losing the 1966 World Cup final to England in extra time,West Germany became the first European team to reach three straight major finals. Franz Beckenbauer, nicknamed Der Kaiser, captained a formidable（强大的） German side that won the 1972 European Championship and 1974 World Cup, then reached the 1976 Euros final before falling on penalty kicks to Czechoslovakia.

 

BRAZIL 1994-2002: This ruthless version reached the finals of six major tournaments: three World Cups and three Copa Americas. With two generations of attacking stars ranging from Romario and Rivaldo to Ronaldo and Ronaldinho,Brazil won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups, plus South America's championship in 1997 and 1999, in a stretch marred⁴ only by a surprise loss to France in the 1998 World Cup final.

 

FRANCE 1998-2000: Exploding onto the international scene by upsetting Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final, Les Bleus followed that up by becoming the first reigning⁵ World Cup champion to win the European Championship. A jaw-dropping blend of skill and power, Zinedine Zidane was the face of the team, scoring twice in the 1998 World Cup final. Though France's run was cut short by a shocking group-stage exit at the 2002 World Cup (where Zidane was injured), this golden generation achieved a place of prominence⁶（突出） and excellence⁷ that few have reached.

 

SPAIN 2008-2012: By winning Euro 2012, Spain became the first team to win three straight world and continental⁸ championships and the first to win consecutive⁹ Euro titles. Spain revolutionized the concept of possession in soccer with its tiki-taka metronomic（节拍器的） passing style, movement off the ball and lethal¹⁰ finishing to zap opponents' bodies and minds. While the original generation may be past its prime, plenty of talent looms¹¹（隐现） to carry the torch, as Spain has won the past two under-21 European Championships.

 

Honorable Mention: The Netherlands team that finished as World Cup runner-up in both 1974 and 1978. Led by Johan Cruyff, the stylish¹² Dutch reinvented the game with their Total Football, which defied traditional positions with its free-flowing nature. This side didn't win a major title, but it laid the groundwork for the Euro 1988 winners and is the spiritual predecessor¹³ of Spain's tiki-taka dominance.

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