Soccer is one of the sports that thrives on team effort, and as such, winning trophies is often the ultimate measure of success for players who are part of the team.
Throughout the history of soccer, there have been several players who have accumulated a staggering amount of trophies in their careers including the likes of Ryan Giggs, Kenny Dalglish, and a lot of others, who are showcasing not just their individual quality and talents but also, their ability to contribute to team success, although this is mostly shown in individual awards or nominations such as the Balon’dOr or UEFA Best Awards.
Nevertheless, this does not change the fact that players play a key role in their team’s successes and trophy runs.
Here, I will show you 10 of the soccer players with the most trophies in their careers.
1. Dani Alves:
Total Trophies – 43
Played For – Bahia, Sevilla, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, São Paulo, FC Barcelona, UNAM, Brazil
The football player with the most trophies,
Dani Alves is a Brazilian professional football player who has had an illustrious career, winning numerous trophies throughout his time in the club and international football.
Starting his career at Bahia in Brazil, before moving to Sevilla in Spain where he won two UEFA Cups and the Copa del Rey.
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He Then Joined Barcelona in 2008, where he became a key player winning numerous domestic and international titles, including six La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League trophies, and three Copa del Rey titles, and also where he even gained more popularity, and later returned to in 2021.
However, in 2016, Dani Alves moved to Juventus in Italy and helped them win two Serie A titles and reach the UEFA Champions League final. He then joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, where he won two Ligue 1 titles, two Coupe de France trophies, and two Coupe de la Ligue titles.
In addition to his club success, Alves has also been successful at the international level. He won two Copa America titles with Brazil in 2007 and 2019, as well as the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013.
2. Lionel Messi:
Total Trophies – 42
Played For – FC Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, Argentina
Considered to be one of the best players in the world, alongside his contemporary, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi is one of the football players with the most career trophies as a football player, and with most of the trophies won during his 17+ years stay at FC Barcelona.
He later went ahead to join the French club, Paris Saint-Germain during the 2021 season, after FC Barcelona failed to tie him down with a new contract due to their financial difficulties.
Here is a detailed overview of the trophies won by one of the greatest Argentine players –
La Liga (10), Copa del Rey (7), Supercopa de España (7), UEFA Champions League (4), UEFA Super Cup (3), FIFA Club World Cup (3), Ligue 1, (1), Trophée des Champions (1), FIFA World Cup (1), Copa América (1), and the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions.
3. Hossam Ashour:
Total Trophies – 39
Played For – Al Ahly, Al Ittihad, Egypt
Holding the record for the Most trophies won at a Single Football Club, Hossam Mohamed Ashour Sanad Atia is an Egypt international who plays for the Egypt national team and also played for African football giants, Al Ahly, an Egyptian football club based in Cairo.
Some of the trophies he has won include the Egyptian Premier League, the Egypt Cup, the Egypt Super Cup, the CAF Champions League, the African Super Cup, and also the 2014 CAF Confederations Cup.
It was not until 2020 that the 37 years old left Al Ahly to join their league rivals, Al Ittihad
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4. Andres Iniesta:
Total Trophies – 37
Played For – FC Barcelona, Vissel Kobe, Spain
Considered to be one of the greatest midfielders in football, Andres Iniesta currently plays as captain for the Japanese club, Vissel Kobe.
The former Barcelona man and Spanish international is one of the players with the highest career trophies.
Similar to his Barcelona teammate, Lionel Messi. The Spaniard spent most of his playing days at FC Barcelona before joining Vissel Kobe in 2018.
His first FC Barcelona trophy came during the 2004-2005 league season, the La Liga title.
Below are some of the trophies he has won as a football player –
The Euros, the world cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, The FIFA Club World Cup, Supercopa de España, Copa del Rey, the Emperor’s Cup, and the Japanese Super Cup.
5. Maxwell
Total Trophies – 37
Played For – Cruzeiro, Ajax, Inter Milan, Empoli, FC Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain
Born in Brazil in 1981, Maxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade, known as Maxwell, is one of the football players with the most trophies in their career.
With a senior football career spanning over 17 seasons, the Brazilian international played for 6 football clubs, and also for the Brazilian national team in 2013-2014, where he only played once as a left back for the national team in the 2014 world cup, albeit it ended in a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands.
During his playing career, the player won several trophies at all his football clubs, except at Cruzeiro and Empoli.
At Ajax, he won the following trophies, the Eredivisie (2), the KNVB Cup, and the Johan Cruyff Shield. At Internazionale or Inter Milan, he won the following trophies; Serie A (3) and the Supercoppa Italiana.
During his time at FC Barcelona, he won the following trophies; La Liga (2), Supercopa de España (2), UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup (2).
And lastly, after his Barcelona exit in 2012, at Paris Saint Germain, he won the following trophies; Ligue 1 (4), Coupe de France (3), Coupe de la Ligue (4), and the Trophée des Champions (3)
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6. Ryan Giggs:
Total Trophies – 36
Played For – Manchester United, Scotland
Sixth on our list is former Manchester United midfielder and attacker, Ryan Giggs.
Ryan Giggs is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time and his trophy cabinet is a testament to his success on the field. During his illustrious career, the Welshman amassed an impressive total of 36 trophies, including 34 with Manchester United and two with the Wales national team.
This includes the British Home Championship in 2004 and the Four Nations Tournament in 2008.
Although the Welshman never won a major trophy with the Welsh national team, his success at the club level was highly phenomenal where he won 13 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, 9 Community Shield, two UEFA Champions League titles, one Intercontinental Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup.
His career trophies act as proof that he was a top player for almost two decades.
7. Gerard Pique:
Total Trophies – 35
Played For – Manchester United, Real Zaragoza, FC Barcelona, Spain
Next on the list is retired Manchester United star and FC Barcelona legend, Gerrard Pique.
Born on 2 February 1987 in Barcelona, Spain. Gerrard is one of the football players who have won several trophies in their football career.
With a senior career spanning almost two decades, the Spanish international has won practically everything that there is to win in football, well except Balon doors which is not a team trophy, but rather, an individual honor.
Here is a list of the trophies he has won –
Premier League, Football League Cup, FA Community Shield, UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA European Championship.
8. Cristiano Ronaldo:
Total Trophies – 34
Played For – Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr, Portugal
Arguably been one of the greatest football players in the world over the last two decades, alongside his contemporary, Lionel Messi.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the football players to have the most trophies in their career. Over his 20+ years senior career, the Portugal international has won several trophies during his stay at several football clubs.
Below are the 34 trophies he has won –
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (1), Premier League (3), FA Cup (1),
Football League Cup, FA Community Shield (1)
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UEFA Champions League (5), FIFA Club World Cup (4), La Liga (2), Copa del Rey (2), Supercopa de España (2), UEFA Super Cup (2), Serie A (2), Coppa Italia (1), Supercoppa Italiana (2, UEFA European Championship (1), and the UEFA Nations League (1)
9. Vitor Baia
Total Trophies – 34
Played For – FC Barcelona, Porto, Portugal
Ninth on our list is former Portugal goalkeeper and Porto legend, Vítor Manuel Martins Baía, mostly known as Vitor Baia.
Born in 1969, the former Portugal goalkeeper was part of the famous Jose Mourinho squad that won the UEFA Champions League in 2003-2004.
He has played for only two football clubs, FC Barcelona and FC Porto, winning trophies in both of them, albeit he spent most of his playing career in Porto, winning most of his trophies in the Portuguese club.
Here are the trophies he won during his 16+ years of senior career –
Primeira Liga (10), Taca de Portugal (5), Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (8), UEFA Champions League (1), UEFA Cup (1), Intercontinental Cup (1), La Liga (1), Copa del Rey (1), Supercopa de España (1), and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1).
10. Kenny Dalglish
Total Trophies – 32
Played For – Celtic, Liverpool, Scotland
Kenny Dalglish is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager who had a remarkable football career, where he managed to win numerous trophies both as a player and as a manager.
Signed by Liverpool in 1977 for a then club and British record fee of £440,000, he was signed from Celtic as a direct replacement for Kevin Keegan, who had left the club to join Hamburg.
During his time at the red Merseyside club, he won a total of 20 trophies including six English league championships, the FA Cup, four League Cups, five FA Charity Shields, three European Cups, and one European Super Cup.
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However, before joining Liverpool, he had won a lot of other trophies at Celtic. This includes four Scottish League championships, four Scottish Cups, and one Scottish League Cup.
Regarded as the most decorated Scotland player, he only won the British Home Championship in 1974, 1976, and 1977 for his national team.
Final Words
The aforementioned players are the ones that have garnered the highest number of trophies in the round leather game and we will be looking to see if the numbers improve or remain the same.