The world of football has witnessed many players who have stamped their name on the sand of the game. Some names still ring a bell when mentioned, like Pele, Diego Maradona, Brazil’s Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho to mention but a few. Also, among the active players, names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic are a force to reckon with.
Taking into consideration the number of trophies they have won, we look at the top seven most decorated footballers in the world.
7 Most Decorated Footballers Ever
This comprehensive list is made of the players with the most trophies, which excludes their individual honours, but includes their youth trophies for their national team.
1. Dani Alves (43 trophies)
The defender is surprisingly the most decorated player in the history of football. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain right-back has amassed 43 trophies in his 20-year career. Now playing for Sao Paulo of Brazil, Alves won three trophies in Brazil with Bahia. In Spain, he won five titles with Sevilla and twenty-three with Barcelona. He also played for Juventus winning two titles with them. At PSG, he has five trophies to his name. On the international scene, he won one U-20 World Cup, two Copa America, and two Confederations Cups. His recent trophy was an Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo men’s football tournament. Brazil is the country with the most football trophies.
Dani Alves’ impressive trophy cabinet currently consists of the following:
- 6 LaLiga Santander
- 5 Copa del Rey
- 5 Supercopa de Espana
- 4 European Supercup
- 3 Champions League
- 2 Europa League
- 3 Club World Cup
- 1 Serie A
- 1 Coppa Italia
- 2 Ligue 1
- 1 Coupe de France
- 1 Trophee des Champions
- 1 Coupe de la Ligue
- 1 Paulista Championship
- 1 Copa do Nordeste
- 2 Copa America
- 2 Confederations Cups
- 1 Olympic Gold Medal.
2. Hossam Hassan (41 trophies)
The Egyptian legend spent most of his career in his home country. He played for Ahly SC, Al Ain SCC, and Zamalek. He also had spells in Switzerland and Greece. He won 14 league titles in Egypt, five Egyptian Cups, two CAF Champions Leagues, one CAF Super Cup, one UAE Champion, and two Egyptian Super Cups. He also won three Nations Cups with Egypt. The all-time leading goalscorer for the Egyptian national team is arguably the most decorated footballers not just in Africa, but in the world.
3. Lionel Messi (38 Trophies)
The greatest footballer of all-time has won a significant number of trophies so far. Lionel Messi spent most of his club career at Barcelona where he won 35 trophies, including 10 La Liga trophies, 4 Champions League, 8 Spanish Super Cups, and 7 Copa del Rey trophies. He recently won the 2021 Copa America with Argentina, which he added to the Under-20 World Cup in 2005, and Olympic gold medal in 2008.
4. Andres Iniesta (37 trophies)
Iniesta spent most of his career at Barcelona. He won 5 Copa del Rey, 6 Super Copa, 4 Champions League trophies, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 FIFA Club World Cups with Barcelona. On the international scene, he won one World Cup and two European Championships with Spain. He won the European U-17 and U-19 Championships.
Andres Iniesta is still actively playing football, and is not just among the most decorated footballers in the world, but he is also one to the top veterans in football. The 37-year-old recently won the Japanese Super Cup with Vissel Kobe in 2020.
5. Gerard Pique (36 Trophies)
The Spanish defender has won 36 Trophies and counting in his illustrious career. Pique was a World Cup winner in 2010, UEFA European Championship winner in 2012, and four-time UEFA Champions League winner with Manchester United and FC Barcelona. He has also won the Spanish La Liga eight times.
6. Maxwell (36 trophies)
Maxwell played for Cruzeiro, Ajax, PSG, Inter Milan, and Barcelona. He was the unsung hero at PSG, where he won most of his trophies. He won a trophy in Brazil, seven in the Netherlands, four in Italy, six in Spain, fifteen in France, three in Europe and two FIFA Club World Cups. Maxwell is currently the assistant sporting director at Paris Saint-Germain.
7. Ryan Giggs (34 trophies)
The former Manchester United midfield maestro won 36 trophies during his illustrious playing career. He spent his entire career at Old Trafford, where he won 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, four League Cups, nine Community Shields, two Champions League trophies, one UEFA Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, and two FIFA Club World Cups.
