Best American Football team: Which is the best American Squad for the upcoming World Cup

Best American Football team: Which is the best American Squad for the upcoming World Cup

Kenneth Mwenda
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:14 PM

Most World Cup trophies have been won by some of the best American football teams. These have mostly been Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, with the latter also winning the first-ever World Cup trophy. The North American teams have had little impact, but many of them have always participated in the tournament.

Best American Football team: Which is the best American Squad for the upcoming World Cup
Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul (L) and Brazil's Neymar during the Conmebol 2021 Copa America football tournament final match at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Mauro Pimentel
Source: Getty Images

The current FIFA ranking of national teams was used to determine our best American football team. These are the teams that have also qualified for the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

The best American football team

Football is regarded as one of the greatest sports in South America, which explains why the region has long dominated the sport, having the best national football teams of all time. However, a number of Northern continents have demonstrated some success in the sport. The best South and North American football teams are listed below.

8. Canada

The best American football teams ever
Players of Canada pose for the team photo prior to a match between Panama and Canada at Rommel Fernandez Stadium on March 30, 2022 in Panama. Photo: Guillermo Legaria
Source: Getty Images

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Their most notable achievements include winning the 1985 CONCACAF Championship, which qualified them for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which qualified them for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Aside from regional powerhouses Mexico and the United States, Canada is the only national team to have won a Gold Cup. Canada also won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in 1904.

Canada will compete in its second World Cup in 2022 and will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the United States and Mexico. Some of their valuable players include:

Milan Borjan; Sam Adekugbe, Kamal Miller, Steven Vitoria, Alistair Johnston; Atiba Hutchinson, Jonathan Osorio, Stephen Eustaquio, Alphonso Davies; Jonathan David, and Cyle Larin.

7. Ecuador

Which football team is the best in America
Players of Ecuador pose prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification match between Ecuador and Argentina at Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha on March 29, 2022. Photo: Franklin Jacome
Source: Getty Images

Ecuador failed to show up in the first FIFA World Cup, which was held in Uruguay and did not make its tournament debut until 2002. After finishing ahead of Brazil and Uruguay in the standings, Ecuador's qualifying campaign saw the emergence of several players who would pave the way for the country's achievements over the next decade.

They were expected to succeed at the 2007 Copa América after reaching the Round of 16 in a memorable 2006 World Cup campaign but were removed in the group stage. They, like Venezuela, have failed to win the continental tournament.

La Tri's best finish was fourth in 1959 and 1993, both on home soil and has been one of the best South American national teams. Some of their best players for the Qatar 2022 squad include:

Alexander Dominguez; Pervis Estupinan, Piero Hincapie, Felix Torres, Angelo Preciado; Moises Caicedo, Sebas Mendez, Carlos Gruezo; Anthony Valencia, Michael Estrada, Angel Mena.

6. Costa Rica

The top ten best American football teams
Costa Rica's players pose before their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Concacaf qualifier match against the USA at the National Stadium in San Jose, on March 30, 2022. Photo: Ezequiel Becerra
Source: Getty Images

Costa Rica is the most successful Central American national football team. Since the late 1980s, the team has been visible as a solidly competitive side, with a notable performance in the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, where they advanced to the knockout stage after finishing second in their group during the first phase, behind Brazil.

They also qualified for the FIFA World Cups in 2002 and 2006. Their squad for the Qatar 2022 has some of the best players. They include:

Keylor Navas; Kendall Watson, Oscar Duarte, Francisco Calvo, Bryan Oviedo; Keysher Fuller, Celso Borges, Bryan Ruiz, Jewison Bennette; Johan Venegas, Joel Campbell.

5. United States

The best football national team in America
USA's players pose before their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Concacaf qualifier match against Costa Rica at the National Stadium in San Jose, on March 30, 2022. Photo: Ezequiel Becerra
Source: Getty Images

The United States has competed in eleven FIFA World Cups, including the inaugural tournament in 1930, where they reached the semi-finals. They qualified for the next five World Cups (seven consecutive appearances (1990-2014), a feat shared by only seven other nations), becoming a regular competitor in the tournament and frequently advancing to the knockout stage.

In 2002, the United States advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to Germany. Their squad for the Qatar 2022 will include:

Matt Turner; Antonee Robinson, Walker Zimmerman, Chris Richards, Sergino Dest; Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah; Jesus Ferreira, Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah.

4. Uruguay

The most successful American football team
Luis Suarez of Uruguay celebrates with teammates after scoring the first goal of his team during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on March 29, 2022 in Santiago, Chile. Photo: Alberto Valdez
Source: Getty Images

The team had won the FIFA World Cup twice, the first time as hosts in 1930 when they defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final. Their second title came in 1950 when they defeated host Brazil 2-1 in the final. The match had the highest attendance for a football match in history.

Uruguay qualified for the upcoming World Cup in 2022 after finishing third in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, trailing only Brazil and Argentina. Their best XI squad include:

Fernando Muslera; Ronald Araujo, Diego Godin, Jose Jimenez, Matias Vina; Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Torreira, Mathias Vecino; Darwin Nunez, Luis Suarez.

3. Mexico

The best American football teams ever
Players of Mexico line up prior to the match between Mexico and El Salvador as part of the Concacaf 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at Azteca Stadium on March 30, 2022. Photo: Mauricio Salas
Source: Getty Images

Mexico has qualified for seventeen World Cups and has done so in a row since 1994, making it one of only six countries to do so. Mexico and Brazil are the only two nations to have advanced past the group stage in the last seven World Cups and have for long appeared in the top ten best American football teams.

The team is expected to be one of the toughest South American squads, as is customary. However, injuries have complicated matters, leaving Mexico with many unknowns as key attacking starters race to recover in time. Their best XI include:

Guillermo Ochoa; Edson Alvarez, Hector Moreno, Nestor Araujo, Jorge Sanchez; Fernando Beltran, Hector Herrera, Andres Guardado; Hirving Lozano, Raul Jimenez, Alexis Vega.

2. Argentina

Top ten best American football teams
Players of Argentina celebrate after winning after the Finalissima 2022 match between Italy and Argentina at Wembley Stadium on June 1, 2022 in London, England. Photo: Matteo Ciambelli
Source: Getty Images

The team has competed in five World Cup finals, including the inaugural match in 1930, in which they lost 4-2 to Uruguay. Argentina won the next final in 1978, defeating the Netherlands 3-1 in extra time. Argentina won again in 1986, this time with a 3-2 victory over West Germany and a tournament campaign led by captain Diego Maradona.

They returned to the World Cup finals in 1990, losing 1-0 to West Germany after a controversial penalty call in the 87th minute. Argentina again, led by Lionel Messi, reached their fifth World Cup final in 2014.

However, they lost to Germany 1-0 in extra time. Argentina's World Cup-winning managers in 1978 and 1986 were César Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo. Some of their best XI players for the upcoming World Cup include:

Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Otamendi, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Tagliafico; Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul; Di Maria, Messi, Giovani Lo Celso; Lautaro Martinez.

1. Brazil

The most successful American football team
Brazil team during the International Friendly Match against Ghana at Stade Oceane on September 23, 2022 in Le Havre, France. Photo: ANP
Source: Getty Images

Brazil is the most successful American football team in FIFA World Cup history, having won five times. The Seleçao also has the best overall record in the World Cup competition, both in proportion and absolute terms, with 73 victories in 109 matches played, a goal difference of 124, 237 points, and 18 losses.

The country is still hailed as having the best football team in America. Its best squad include:

Alisson; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro; Fred, Casemiro, Paqueta; Raphinha, Neymar, Vinicius Junior

For decades, American football teams have consistently put on one of the best performances in the World Cup. Their last best perfomance was in 2014 when Brazil and Argentina qualified for the semi-finals, with the latter facing Germany in the finals.

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Authors
Kenneth Mwenda photo
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a business and sports writer with over five years of experience. At Sportsbrief, he contributes to writing biographies and listicles.