Next up on our countdown of World Club Ranking seasons is 1986. The 1985-86 season is known, in part, as the first season of the English Premier League’s banishment from European football, which severely hurt them in the rankings eventually, though English clubs still managed to hold their own in 1986.
For the second year in a row, however, the top ranked club in the world did not come out of England, or anywhere else in Europe. The title of WCR Team of the Year for 1986 belonged to Argentina’s River Plate, It took over a quarter century, but River Plate finally won its first Copa Libertadores title in 1986, defeating America de Cali 2-1 in Colombia and 1-0 in Argentina to take the title.
With the English clubs out of the European tournaments, the Spanish clubs started to rear their heads again, reaching the finals of each of the three major European tournaments, though only one proved successful in the final. In the UEFA Champions Cup, Steaua Bucuresti took advantage of a relatively easy draw to work its way to the final against Barcelona, which was held in Sevilla, Spain. After playing to a scoreless draw, Steaua managed to defeat Barcelona 4-2 on penalty kicks to bring the title to Romania for the first, and thus far only, time. Atletico de Madrid fared no better than their compatriots in the final of the 1986 Cup Winners’ Cup, losing to the Soviet Union’s Dynamo Kyiv 3-0 in the final. A Spanish club did walk away with a cup, however, as the UEFA Cup was taken by Real Madrid after a high-scoring battle with West Germany’s FC Koln, winning 5-3 in aggregate after scoring five goals at home in the opening match.
Elsewhere in the world, Egyptian clubs swept the titles in Africa as Zamalek took its second African Champions Cup in three seasons by defeating Cote d’Ivoire’s Africa Sports 4-2 on penalty kicks after a two-legged final and Al-Ahly defeated Gabon’s AS Sogara 3-2 in aggregate to take the African Cup Winners Cup. LD Alajuelense brought the Copa de Campeones y Subcampeones title to Costa Rica, defeating Suriname’s SV Tranvaal 4-2 in the final. Finally, in the first Asian Club Championship, Japan’s Daewoo Royals defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli 3-1 for the inaugural championship.
World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – 1986
1. River Plate (Arg) – Copa Libertadores-Champions; Only Number One ranking.
2. Steaua Bucuresti (Rom) – Champiosn Cup-Champions; First Top 25 ranking.
3. Liverpool (Eng) – Tenth consecutive Top Five ranking.
4. Juventus (Ita) – CC-QF.
5. Bayern Munich (FRG) – CC-QF; Eighth consecutive Top 25 ranking.
6. Anderlecht (Bel) – CC-SF; Final Top 25 ranking.
7. Everton (Eng)
8. Argentinos Juniors (Arg) – CL-SF; Final Top 25 ranking.
9. Barcelona (Esp) – CC-RU.
10. Roma (ita)
11. Werder Bremen (FRG) – UEFA Cup-1R.
12. West Ham United (Eng) – Only Top 25 ranking.
13. Sportul Bucuresti (Rom) – Only Top 25 ranking.
14. America de Cali (Col) – CL-RU.
15. Sao Paolo (Bra)
16. Nacional (Uru)
17. Real Madrid (Esp) – UEFA-Champions.
18. Newell’s Old Boys (Arg) – First Top 25 ranking.
19. Manchester United (Eng) – Fifth consecutive Top 25 ranking.
20. Guarani (Bra)
21. Napoli (Ita)
22. Universitatea Craiova (Rom) – CWC-2R; First Top 25 ranking.
23. Tampico-Madero (Mex) – Only Top 25 ranking.
24. Puebla (Mex) – First Top 25 ranking.
25. Penarol (Uru) – CL-1R; Final Top 25 ranking.
Past Final Season Top 25s: 2008 ,2007, 1985, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981, 1980, 1979, 1978,1977, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970,1969, 1968, 1967, 1966,1965, 1964, 1963, 1962, 1961,1960
For the second year in a row, however, the top ranked club in the world did not come out of England, or anywhere else in Europe. The title of WCR Team of the Year for 1986 belonged to Argentina’s River Plate, It took over a quarter century, but River Plate finally won its first Copa Libertadores title in 1986, defeating America de Cali 2-1 in Colombia and 1-0 in Argentina to take the title.
With the English clubs out of the European tournaments, the Spanish clubs started to rear their heads again, reaching the finals of each of the three major European tournaments, though only one proved successful in the final. In the UEFA Champions Cup, Steaua Bucuresti took advantage of a relatively easy draw to work its way to the final against Barcelona, which was held in Sevilla, Spain. After playing to a scoreless draw, Steaua managed to defeat Barcelona 4-2 on penalty kicks to bring the title to Romania for the first, and thus far only, time. Atletico de Madrid fared no better than their compatriots in the final of the 1986 Cup Winners’ Cup, losing to the Soviet Union’s Dynamo Kyiv 3-0 in the final. A Spanish club did walk away with a cup, however, as the UEFA Cup was taken by Real Madrid after a high-scoring battle with West Germany’s FC Koln, winning 5-3 in aggregate after scoring five goals at home in the opening match.
Elsewhere in the world, Egyptian clubs swept the titles in Africa as Zamalek took its second African Champions Cup in three seasons by defeating Cote d’Ivoire’s Africa Sports 4-2 on penalty kicks after a two-legged final and Al-Ahly defeated Gabon’s AS Sogara 3-2 in aggregate to take the African Cup Winners Cup. LD Alajuelense brought the Copa de Campeones y Subcampeones title to Costa Rica, defeating Suriname’s SV Tranvaal 4-2 in the final. Finally, in the first Asian Club Championship, Japan’s Daewoo Royals defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli 3-1 for the inaugural championship.
World Club Rankings – Top 25 Clubs in the World – 1986
1. River Plate (Arg) – Copa Libertadores-Champions; Only Number One ranking.
2. Steaua Bucuresti (Rom) – Champiosn Cup-Champions; First Top 25 ranking.
3. Liverpool (Eng) – Tenth consecutive Top Five ranking.
4. Juventus (Ita) – CC-QF.
5. Bayern Munich (FRG) – CC-QF; Eighth consecutive Top 25 ranking.
6. Anderlecht (Bel) – CC-SF; Final Top 25 ranking.
7. Everton (Eng)
8. Argentinos Juniors (Arg) – CL-SF; Final Top 25 ranking.
9. Barcelona (Esp) – CC-RU.
10. Roma (ita)
11. Werder Bremen (FRG) – UEFA Cup-1R.
12. West Ham United (Eng) – Only Top 25 ranking.
13. Sportul Bucuresti (Rom) – Only Top 25 ranking.
14. America de Cali (Col) – CL-RU.
15. Sao Paolo (Bra)
16. Nacional (Uru)
17. Real Madrid (Esp) – UEFA-Champions.
18. Newell’s Old Boys (Arg) – First Top 25 ranking.
19. Manchester United (Eng) – Fifth consecutive Top 25 ranking.
20. Guarani (Bra)
21. Napoli (Ita)
22. Universitatea Craiova (Rom) – CWC-2R; First Top 25 ranking.
23. Tampico-Madero (Mex) – Only Top 25 ranking.
24. Puebla (Mex) – First Top 25 ranking.
25. Penarol (Uru) – CL-1R; Final Top 25 ranking.
Past Final Season Top 25s: 2008 ,2007, 1985, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981, 1980, 1979, 1978,1977, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970,1969, 1968, 1967, 1966,1965, 1964, 1963, 1962, 1961,1960
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