WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World 

This is the fourth in our series of annual WCR Top 25 Clubs for past seasons based on formulas we have been putting together over the past decade.

This is the first of two consecutive seasons in which the lack of a true national league in Brazil is very hurtful for Santos, winners of the Copa Libertadores.  The Serie A, however, was basically just a knockout tournament.  There were state leagues and numerous other competitions, but because the range of opponents was so great, it is quite difficult to provide accurate performance data coefficients.  As such, there are no Brazilian clubs in our annual rankings until the early 1970s.  Of note, this is also the last season in which there are no West German clubs, as the Bundesliga began during the 1963-64 season.

Real Madrid’s ownership of the top position in the annual rankings came to an end this season, with Benfica taking over the top spot from the La Liga champions.  In the two prior years, Benfica won the European Cup, but still failed to overtake Real Madrid.  This season, Benfica finally finished on top despite losing the final of the European Cup to AC Milan, who could manage no better than a third place finish in their domestic league, thus complicating the equations.

This was the first Copa Libertadores to stretch until late in the calendar year, so we are focused on the 1962 edition of the competition.  Pele and Santos took home their first title, but as discussed above, are not included in the rankings - which is a shame because they very well may have been the best club in the world in 1962-63.  Peñarol was the runner up in the competition, ending their string of consecutive Copa Libertadores titles at two. 

Five clubs finished in the WCR Annual Top 25 for the first time, led by Galatasaray, which also became the first Turkish club in the annual rankings and the only debutante to finish in the Top Ten.  Two clubs, Barcelona (Esp) and Fiorentina (Ita), missed the rankings for the first time, though Barcelona finished 26th, just outside of the Top 25.

Below are the WCR Top 25 Clubs in the World for 1962-63, with a little information about what each club accomplished that season.

1  Benfica (Por) - Third Season Top 10; Third Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup Finalists; 1961–62 Primeira Divisão Champion; 1962-63 Portuguese Cup quarterfinalists.

2.  Peñàrol  (Uru) -.Fourth Season Top 10, Fourth Season Top 25, 1962 Copa Libertadores finalists; 1962 Uruguayan Primera División Champions.

3.  Rangers (Sco) - Fourth Season Top 10, Fourth Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup WInners’ Cup eighthfinalists; 1962-63 Scottish First Division Champions; 1962-63 Scottish Cup Winners.

4.  AC Milan (Ita) - Second Season Top 10; Fourth Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup Champions; 1962-63 Italian Serie A third place.

5.  Real Madrid (Esp) - Fourth Season Top 10, Fourth Season Top 25; 1962-63 Spanish La Liga Champions; 1962-63 Copa del Rey semifinalists.

6.  Atlético Madrid (Esp) - Fourth Season Top 10, Fourth Season Top 25; 1962-63 Cup Winners’ Cup finalists; 1962-63 Spanish La Liga second place; 1962-63 Copa del Rey quarterfinalists.

7.  Sporting CP (Por) - Second Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup eighthfinalists; 1962–63 Primeira Divisão third place; 1962-63 Portuguese Cup Winners.

8.  FK Austria Wien (Aut) - Second Season Top 10; Third Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup eighthfinalists; 1962-63 Austrian Staatsliga Champions; 1962-63 Austrian Cup Winners.

9.  Dukla Prague (Tch) - Third Season Top 10; Third Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup quarterfinalists; 1962-63 Czechoslovak First League Champions.

10.  Galatasaray (Tur) - 1962-63 European Cup quarterfinalists; 1962-63 Turkish National League Champions; 1962-63 Turkish Cup Winners.

11.  Inter Milan (Ita) - Third Season Top 25; 1962-63 Italian Serie A Champions.

12.  Esbjerg fB (Den) - Second Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup eighthfinalists; 1962 Danish First Division Champions.

13.  Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) - Third Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup Winners’ Cup Champions; 1962-63 English First Division second place.

14.  Nacional (Uru) - 1962 Copa Libertadores semifinalists; 1962 Uruguayan Primera División second place.

15.  Porto (Por) - Second Season Top 25; 1962–63 Primeira Divisão second place; 1962-63 Portuguese Cup quarterfinalists.

16. Lausanne Sports (Sui) - 1962-63 European Cup Winners’ Cup eigthfinalists; 1962-63 Swiss Nationalliga A second place; 1962-63 Swiss Cup semifinalists.

17.  Slovnaft (Inter) Bratislava (Tch) - 1962-63 Intertoto Cup Champions; 1962-63 European Cup Winners’ Cup quarterfinalists; 1962–63 Czechoslovak First League fourth place; 1962-63 Czechoslovak Cup Winner.

18.  FC Zürich (Sui) - 1962-63 Swiss Nationalliga A Champions.

19.  Kilmarnock (Sco) - Second Season Top 25; 1962-63 Scottish First Division second place.

20.  Juventus (Ita) - Third Season Top 25; 1962-63 Italian Serie A second place; 1962-63 Coppa Italia quarterfinalists.

21.  Stade Reims (Fra) - Second Season Top 25; 1962-63 European Cup quarterfinalists; 1962-63 French Ligue 1 second place; 1962-63 Coupe de France semifinalists.

22.  Górnik Zabrze (Pol) - Second Season Top 25; 1962 Polish Ekstraklasa Champions.

23.  Celtic (Sco) - Second Season Top 25; 1962-63 Scottish First Division fourth place; 1962-63 Scottish Cup finalists.

24.  Real Zaragoza (Esp) - Second Season Top 25; 1962-63 Inter-City Fairs Cup eighthfinalists; 1962-63 Spanish La Liga fifth place; 1962-63 Copa del Rey finalists.

25.  AS Monaco (Fra) - Second Season Top 25; 1962-63 French Ligue 1 Champions; 1962-63 Coupe de France Winners.