Footballers with the Most Trophies: Who Tops the List?

Football is a sport where athletes can look back on their careers and admire the trophies that they have won. Some of the best players throughout the history of the game have been able to land victories in the most prestigious competitions, with Lionel Messi among those. The Argentinean finally added the World Cup to his resume in 2022, and that led to him being awarded the 2023 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award. However, who are the most decorated footballers in history, and does Messi make the list?

Dani Alves

There are few players that can match the number of trophies won by Dani Alves throughout his career. Such was his success, his team was typically found toward the top of the betting with the leading Spanish bookmakers. Throughout his career, the Brazilian full-back won a staggering 42 professional honors. A grand total of 23 came during his eight-year spell with Barcelona, which included six La Liga titles and the Champions League on three occasions.

After leaving Barcelona for the first time in 2016, he would land a domestic double in Italy with Juventus. In 2017, he moved to PSG and claimed two Ligue 1 titles, as well as victories in the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue. Following his spell in Europe, he moved back to his homeland of Brazil, which landed even more honors, as he won the Campeonato Paulista with São Paulo.

Lionel Messi

The record for the most trophies as a professional football set by Dani Alves was matched by Lionel Messi at the 2022 World Cup. The success in Qatar saw him pick up a 42nd major piece of silverware. Despite many in his homeland still rating Diego Maradona above him, Messi has now landed Copa America, World Cup, and Olympic success with Argentina. The vast majority of the accolades that were won by Messi came during his 20-year stay with Barcelona. During his legendary career in Catalonia, he scored an incredible 672 goals in 778 games and helped deliver some of the biggest prizes in world football.

While in Spain, Messi landed the La Liga title on ten occasions and won the Copa del Rey on seven occasions. Messi was also a prominent part of the Barcelona team that would win four Champions League honours, and the FIFA Club World Cup on three occasions. Since switching from Barcelona to Paris, he has added a further domestic title. However, a first Champions League honour in Paris looks unlikely, as he bids to return to Barcelona this summer.

Andres Iniesta

A number of players that played for both Spain and Barcelona throughout the 2010s feature heavily on the list, as stars in the teams picked up a number of accolades over that period. Andres Iniesta is widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders to have ever played the game, and he captained his boyhood Barcelona for three seasons before moving to Japan in 2018. He came through the iconic La Masia and made his first start for Barcelona in 2002.

Overall, he would win 39 major trophies during his prestigious career. The biggest of those came in the 2010 World Cup, as Iniesta scored the extra-time winner against the Netherlands. The midfielder would also win the European Championships on two occasions with his nation. At club level, Iniesta won the Champions League on four occasions and landed nine victories in La Liga.

Maxwell

While many of the players on this list can be regarded among the very best players to have played in their respective positions, the same can’t be said for Maxwell. The Brazilian full-back won a huge 37 trophies throughout his professional career and represented some of the biggest teams from around Europe. The full-back first tasted success in Europe with Dutch giants Ajax, as he landed two league titles and the KNVB Cup.

Further success would follow in Italy, as he landed three league titles and the Supercoppa Italiana with Inter Milan. Maxwell was also part of the Barcelona team that would win the treble in the 2010-11 season, winning every piece of available silverware across his stint in Catalonia. From there, he moved to Paris, where he would win the Ligue 1 title on four occasions, and land three victories in each of the Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions.

Final Thoughts

Players are able to achieve immortality in football by winning major pieces of silverware, and the players on this list have played in some of the most iconic teams to have played the game. It appears incredibly challenging to see a new star emerge that will equal or better the trophies that the players above have won during their respective careers.