The 10 best soccer teams in Italy

Italy is one of the most passionate soccer nations in the world, and its club teams evoke feelings of intense love. Here are the 10 calcio teams you should know about, both for their recent success and historical significance.

10. Bologna

Nickname: Rossoblu (The Red and Blues)
Founded: 1909
League: Serie A

Winners of 10 major trophies, Bologna’s success is rooted in the distant past. It has been relegated to Serie B four times, spending 12 seasons in the second tier over the past 34 years. However, it was Italy’s dominant team between the late 1920s and early 1940s, winning six of their seven scudettos in that span. Bologna has also won two Coppa Italias, including its last major trophy in 1974.

9. Parma

Nickname: Crociati (The Crusaders)
Founded: 1913
League: Serie B

No such list would be complete without this club, currently in Serie B. While Parma have never won a scudetto, its eight major trophies are 11th-most in Italian history, including two UEFA Cups and a European Cup Winners' Cup. Between 1992 and 2002, it was one of the best clubs in Europe.

Financial issues and bankruptcy contributed to Parma being relegated, and in 2015 it was in Italy’s fourth division. However, the club returned to Serie A in 2018 before getting relegated in 2021. 

Legendary keeper Gianluigi Buffon returned the following season to try to help return them to the top flight. It would not be until 2024 when Parma won Serie B that it gained promotion.

8. Torino

Nickname: Toro (The Bull)
Founded: 1906
League: Serie A

Torino has won 12 major trophies in their history, all of them coming domestically. In their early years, Torino was a power before tragedy struck in 1949 when its entire team was killed in the Superga air disaster. Its seven Serie A crowns are the fifth-most of any club, and it has also raised the Coppa Italia five times. However, its last trophy win was in 1993.

Over the past few decades, Torino has bounced between Serie A and Serie B but has enjoyed decent success of late. The Turin club is a fierce rival of Juventus, with their derby being one of the oldest in Italian football.

7. Napoli

Nickname: Gli Azzurri (The Blues)
Founded: 1926
League: Serie A

With 11 major trophies, Napoli’s greatest success came during the 1980s and 1990s with Diego Maradona leading the attack. During that time, it won two Serie A titles, a Supercoppa Italiana, and the UEFA Cup. However, it suffered hard times afterward and was relegated to Serie B in 1998. Despite promotion two years later, it declared bankruptcy in 2004.

In 2007, Napoli returned to Serie A and has had a rise in fortunes. It has won three Coppa Italias in the last 12 years as well as another Supercoppa Italiana, but the biggest prize was the Serie A title in 2023. It is the fourth-most supported team in Italy and has no major rivals.

6. Fiorentina

Nickname: Viola (The Purples)
Founded: 1926
League: Serie A

While success has evaded them in recent history, Fiorentina was a soccer power in the 1950s and 1960s as they finished in the top two of Serie A every season between 1956, when it won the title, and 1960. Winners of 10 major trophies, it claimed the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1961 and was runner-up the following year. It has also reached the final of both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup, falling short in each instance.

The club declared bankruptcy in 2002 and was relegated two levels to Serie C. However, it returned to Serie A just two years later and have remained since. Its biggest rival is Juventus, and they are one of just two Italian clubs to reach the finals of all three major European competitions.

5. Roma

Nickname: Giallorossi (The Yellow and Reds)
Founded: 1927
League: Serie A

The Rome club is the fifth-most supported team in the league. It's won 16 major trophies in their history, including the 2008 Coppa Italia for the ninth time, tied for second-most with Inter behind Juventus.

Roma has won the scudetto three times, the last one in 2000-01,. It achieved European success in 2022 at the first-ever UEFA Europa Conference League. 

4. Lazio

Nickname: Biancocelesti (The White and Sky Blues)
Founded: 1900
League: Serie A

Winners of 16 major trophies, Lazio won the Coppa Italia for the seventh time in 2019. It has won Serie A twice, the last one in 1999-2000. That came the year after it won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup. This came after they spent three seasons in Serie B following a match-fixing scandal.

Lazio are the sixth-most supported club in the country, and the capital club is fierce rivals of Roma. The two clubs share the Stadio Olimpico as their home ground, and the Derby della Capitale has often been marred by fan violence. 

3. Inter Milan

Nickname: Nerazzurri (The Black and Blues)
Founded: 1908
League: Serie A

Inter Milan won its 20th Serie A title in 2024, one year after winning its ninth Coppa Italia. It has won 46 major trophies, including nine Supercoppa Italianas.

Inter has won three Champions League trophies, three UEFA Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups. Inter was a dominant team in the 1960s and won a 14 trophies between 2005 and 2011. This including Italy’s first-ever treble, as Jose Mourinho’s men won the Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League during the 2009-10 campaign.

2. AC Milan

Nickname: Rossoneri (The Red and Blacks)
Founded: 1899
League: Serie A

Hard times have fallen on the Rossoneri over the past decade, with the 2022 scudetto being its last hardware. Winners of seven Champions League trophies, including five in the last 35 years, Milan has a storied history littered with the names of legends like Maldini, Kaka, Pirlo, and Baresi. It has won 49 major trophies, including five Coppa Italias and five UEFA Super Cups.

Milan’s 19 Serie A titles are third-most in league history. The club has won seven Supercoppa Italianas, the last in 2016.

One of the biggest clubs in the world in terms of fan bases, it share its stadium with Inter Milan. The Derby della Madonnina between the two is one of the most intense rivalries in Europe, with both the Curva Sud and Curva Nord creating elaborate and stunning tifos for each match.

1. Juventus

Nickname: La Vecchia Signora (The Old Lady)
Founded: 1897
League: Serie A

There is no doubt as to the most successful team in Italian calcio, as the 71 major trophies won by Juventus are far and away the most of any club. The Bianconeri have won a record 36 Serie A crowns, including nine straight scudettos between 2012 and 2020.

Juventus has claimed 15 Coppa Italia crowns, nine Supercoppa Italianas, two Champions League trophies, three UEFA Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups.

Juventus is one of the biggest clubs in the world, both financially and in terms of popularity. It's won at least one scudetto in each of the last eight decades and should continue to challenge for years to come.

Updated by Rick Seto

Want to Learn More?

Top 10 Best German Soccer Teams

Top 10 Best Mexican Soccer Teams

Top 10 Best French Soccer Teams

Top 10 Best Brazilian Soccer Teams

Top 10 Best Soccer Teams in England

Top 10 Most Famous Soccer Teams in America