Ranking players and teams across generations is incredibly difficult. It brings with it a lot of problems. In particular, the game of soccer has changed a lot over the years.
However, one thing that hasn’t changed is that putting the ball into the back of the net remains the most difficult and valuable aspect of the game.
Over the years, we’ve been gifted enough to witness many of the greatest attacking trio to ever play… but which trio has been the best?
The 6 best attacking trios in football
6. Rob Rensenbrink, Johan Cruyff and Johnny Rep: Holland (World Cup 1974)
Stats don’t always give an accurate picture of how good an attacking trio is.
The Dutch team that came so close to winning the 1974 World Cup was fabulous.
Holland played a brand of football that is still referenced and replicated to this day. He boasted one of the most gloriously skilled front tridents of all time.
Rob Rensenbrink was the silky dribbler who could work magic. Meanwhile, Johnny Rep had a little more steel and was able to find the net. Johan Cruyff remains one of the game’s most influential geniuses. He tied it all together from the middle.
Playing together for such a short time prevents them from ranking higher on the list of the best attacking trios in football history.
5. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané: Liverpool (2017-2022)
Liverpool have Jürgen Klopp and Michael Edwards to thank for the best attacking trio in Anfield history.
Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all came to Merseyside as good individual players with potential. Nobody considered any of them world-class talent when they arrived at the club.
However, playing together unlocked something in each of them and they began to produce fascinating football for the Reds.
All three made their mark on a team that won a Champions League title and the Premier League crown at Anfield. In their tenure together, the three players combined for 338 goals.
4. Neymar Jr, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi: FC Barcelona (2015-2017)
The arrival of Neymar and Luis Suárez gave Barcelona an injection of talent that the club needed.
Lionel Messi had been left without suitable playmates after the departures of Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o. Neymar and Suarez formed an instant bond with the Argentine.
Playing in the most vertical system of Luis Enrique, Los Cules were once again in goal. The trio won the Champions League in their first season together.
3. Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez: Manchester United (2007-2009)
Sir Alex Ferguson spent time building his Manchester United 2008 squad, but it was worth the wait.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney together became two of the best players in the world. Adding Carlos Tevez to that felt unfair.
The Argentine industry was perfect. He and Rooney did much of Ronaldo’s dirty work. United swept back-to-back Premier League titles. At the same time, they reached back-to-back Champions League finals. He won that famous final in Moscow in 2008.
2. George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton: Manchester United (1964-1973)
Manchester United’s modern history is based on what happened after the 1958 Munich air disaster. Thanks to the incredible perseverance of Jimmy Murphy and Sir Matt Busby, it took just 10 years to build a team that could win the European Cup.
At the epicenter of that team was the attacking trio of George Best, Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton.
The chemistry between a trio that became known as ‘the United Trinity’ was instant and the goals flowed. Denis Law won the Ballon d’Or in 1964. The trio were present for the European Cup victory in 1968.
1. Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema: Real Madrid (2013-2018)
This is not necessarily the biggest selection of individual talent on the list of the best attacking trios in football history. However, that is saying a lot given that there are now two Ballon d’Or winners in this trio.
Rather, Real Madrid’s ‘BBC’ striker enjoyed the highest level of sustained success in the history of the sport.
Winning trophies is what football is ultimately about, and no one did it better than the Los Blancos trio from 2013-2018.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema had signed together in the summer of 2009 and had understood each other.
However, the whites took until 2013 to add a real star to play on the left wing of the aforementioned couple.
The chemistry was instant and his talent was clear. Ronaldo scored goals on a relentless scale. Benzema did the hard work for his two teammates. Bale brought pure speed and creativity.
The mix was perfect. This trio formed the heart of Real Madrid winning four Champions League titles in a span of five years. That includes an unprecedented treble in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
In their time playing together, the BBC scored over 400 goals combined in all competitions. No trio equals this feat in the short term.
PHOTOS: IMAGE
