We all know the giants of football, the teams who are, aside from occasional dips in form, perennial contenders for World Cups and continental championships, backed by a significant population and culture that support the continued success of these nations in the sport.
Those are Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, France and Spain.
But then there are these smaller countries that share the football culture with these big countries, but don't have the advantage of a big population to maintain a continuous flow of talent that can compete with the big fish. Yet they sometimes made big splashes in tournaments where they went far, and on occasion, have won silverware.
Which of those is the most impressive?
For me, it's Holland.
Their successful period started back in the 70s, and since then they've been going toe to toe with the big boys. Winning the EUROs in '88, reaching 3 World Cup finals, going far in several tournaments, and playing remarkable football along the way. That way creating a genuine rivalry with one of the giants: Germany.
Uruguay is second here for me, because their biggest successes happened a LONG time ago (Copas don't count, they're only competing with Brazil and Argentina, and they happen like every three years). Also, they're making themselves bigger than they are with that four-star bullshit.
Some eastern European countries could be listed in here, like Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, the USSR. But since most of them split in even smaller nations they can’t really reliably compete on the same level, apart from some blips, like with Croatia.
And before Anglos chime in, ask yourself this: Would you rather be by far the smallest fish in the big pond, or have an argument to be the best among the rest?
