Top teams globally: Ronaldo’s rivals remain unbeaten in domestic competitions.
It is often said that success breeds success for winning clubs, and some teams have so thoroughly dominated their domestic leagues that it seems unlikely their reign will ever cease.
Numerous extended dynasties have emerged in Europe’s top leagues — including Bayern Munich’s remarkable streak of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles from 2013 to 2023, Celtic and Rangers’ nine-title runs in the Scottish Premiership, and Juventus’ dominance in Serie A from 2012 to 2020 — yet there are lesser-known clubs that have maintained an even tighter grip on their local competitors.
Historically, Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar achieved 14 straight league titles from 2003 to 2016, a record equaled by the now-defunct Skonto Riga in Latvia. Tafea FC from Vanuatu claims to have surpassed this with 15 consecutive victories, although there are questions regarding the legitimacy of their achievements since they were against regional teams rather than within a formal national league framework.
Which teams, perhaps not widely recognized globally, currently stand as the dominant forces in their respective leagues?
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FK Arkadag (Turkmenistan)
FK Arkadag boasts the remarkable distinction of never having lost a single league point in their history. Since their establishment in April 2023, they have triumphed in all 82 league matches and have rightfully secured three consecutive championships in the Yokary Liga.
A contributing factor to this extraordinary success may be the club’s founder, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the former president of Turkmenistan. Arkadag translates to “Protector,” a title adopted by Berdimuhamedow during his tenure from 2007 to 2022, when his son Serdar succeeded him as the leader of the former Soviet republic. The $3.3 billion “smart city” of Arkadag was constructed according to Berdimuhamedow Sr.’s vision in 2022.
This influence enabled FK Arkadag to assemble an exceptional team of Turkmen talent, and in a country where foreign players are not permitted, this presents a significant advantage. Alongside their league supremacy, they have also won all 14 domestic cup matches they have participated in, adding three Turkmenistan Cups, two Super Cups, and one Football Federation Cup to their accolades.
Arkadag did eventually suffer a defeat in the 2024-25 AFC Challenge League against Kuwaiti club Al Arabi, ending a 61-match winning streak, but they still managed to secure the trophy in their inaugural season of continental competition.
In this season’s AFC Champions League Two, Arkadag recorded one win, four draws, and one loss in their group stage matches. This performance earned them a round-of-16 matchup over two legs against the star-studded Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr.
Even in the absence of their star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who was boycotting matches due to dissatisfaction with the PIF (Saudi Arabia’s sovereign investment fund) and its influence on his club during the transfer window, Al Nassr still emerged victorious with a 1-0 win in the first leg held in Turkmenistan on Feb. 11.
Ronaldo has since returned to action, scoring just 18 minutes into his comeback during Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Al Fateh, and is expected to participate in the second leg against Arkadag in Riyadh on Feb. 18.
Given all that he has accomplished in his illustrious career — five Champions League titles, five Ballon d’Or awards, and nearly 1,000 goals — it is likely that even Ronaldo has never encountered a club that has never lost a domestic match throughout its entire existence.
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Johor Darul Ta’zim (Malaysia)
Known as JDT, the club has secured 11 consecutive league titles in Malaysia, establishing a level of dominance previously unseen in the Southeast Asian nation. Prior to JDT’s current streak, no Malaysian team had ever won the championship more than three times in succession since the league’s inception in 1982.
With ownership by royalty — the Crown Prince of Johor — JDT enjoys superior financial resources and facilities, enabling the club to attract top talent from the region along with a healthy number of foreign players.
Despite their domestic dominance, JDT remains the second-most-supported club in Malaysia, trailing only behind Premier League giants Manchester United — a title they may never claim.
Istiklol (Tajikistan)
The team from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, has achieved 12 consecutive titles. The club, whose name translates to “Independence,” benefits from influential backers, as it was co-founded by the heir apparent to the president of Tajikistan. Are you noticing a recurring theme?
Rustam Emomali — the son of Emomali, who has led Tajikistan since 1994 — has also played as a striker and served as the team captain for Istiklol. The Lions clinched the league title in 2010 and 2011 with Emomali in the forward position. At the age of 24, he transitioned to become the head of the Tajikistan Football Federation.
Ludogorets (Bulgaria)
Ludogorets shares the European record for consecutive titles with Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) and Skonto Riga (Latvia), having achieved their 14th straight victory last season.
Originating from Bulgaria’s 27th largest town, Razgrad, Ludogorets owes its success to the investment of Kiril Domuschiev, a pharmaceuticals entrepreneur who became Bulgaria’s first billionaire. Once a small club, the Eagles have not looked back since reaching the top tier in 2011, immediately winning a league and cup double and commencing an era of dominance.
This season may finally see an end to Ludogorets’ reign as they currently trail leaders Levski Sofia by seven points. However, with the top four teams competing in a playoff for the title, they should not be counted out just yet.
The New Saints (Wales)
It is an interesting piece of trivia, and one that raises eyebrows, that the most successful team in the Welsh football league system is based in England. Welsh club Llansantffraid FC adopted the often-criticized corporate name Total Network Solutions before merging with Oswestry Town in 2003 and opting to relocate just over the English border in Oswestry under the name The New Saints (TNS).
With unprecedented investment for the Welsh league and the establishment of the only full-time squad, TNS has claimed a record 17 Cymru Premier titles. They even claimed to have set a Guinness World Record for consecutive wins in February 2024, briefly engaging in an unlikely dispute with Saudi side Al Hilal, before it was revealed that one of their victories was achieved via a penalty shootout, rendering their claim invalid.
Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova)
Sheriff Tiraspol is not currently the reigning champion of Moldova, and some may argue that they are not even part of Moldova. Nevertheless, their name has become synonymous with Moldovan success over the past two decades.
Based in Transnistria, a de facto independent region amid a frozen conflict, Sheriff has secured 21 league titles in Moldova since the 2000-01 season. They were dethroned last season despite completing the entire campaign unbeaten due to the peculiar system employed by the Moldovan Liga, which includes a final five-team group after the main league phase.
Nonetheless, the Wasps — whose president, Viktor Gushan, is a former KGB officer — remain a formidable presence and became the first Moldovan team to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in 2021-22, when they shocked Real Madrid with a 2-1 victory at the Bernabéu.
Additionally, as nearly everything in Transnistria is owned by the Sheriff group, they are among the few football clubs to offer their own brand of vodka — essential for a chilly midweek match in Tiraspol.
