Most decorated players in football history

Many great players have taken the football pitch and left the fans in awe. However, only a few can be called Most decorated players in football history

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In this article, we will take a look at some list of elite players who have won the most trophies in football as a player.

1. Lionel Messi (44 trophies):

Lionel Messi stands as the epitome of football achievement, boasting the most illustrious collection of trophies in the sport’s history.

His recent conquest, the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami CF, marked his 44th career trophy, solidifying his position as a legendary figure from Argentina.

In a remarkable display of prowess, Messi secured consecutive international honors with Argentina within a mere year, capturing the Copa America 2021 and swiftly following it up with victories in the Finalissima 2022 and the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Following his storied tenure at Barcelona, Messi embarked on a new chapter in the French League with PSG. While he was unable to deliver the coveted UEFA Champions League title to the French giants, he did attain victory in the French League.

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Furthermore, his triumphs extended to securing the French Super Cup for the 2022/23 season with PSG.

Messi has won La Liga 10 times, the Champions League four times, and Spanish Cup seven times. The Argentine maestro has also won the Olympics Gold Medal with his country.

Lionel Andrés Messi, also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record of seven Ballon d’Or awards and a record of six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 he was named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team.

Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record of 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and the UEFA Champions League four times.

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With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the finalissima 2022. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga, most hat-tricks in La Liga  and the UEFA Champions League and most assists in La Liga and the Copa América.

He also has the most international goals by a South American male. Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club.

The Argentine became the winner of the MLS MX Cup in the “Inter Miami” team and won his 44th trophy in his career. In terms of the number of titles, Messi surpassed Brazilian defender Dani Alves, who won 43 trophies in his career.

2. Dani Alves (43 trophies):

Dani Alves is a Brazilian professional footballer known for his versatility and skill. He has played primarily as a right-back but has also excelled as a midfielder.

Alves has had a remarkable career, playing for top clubs like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and São Paulo FC. He’s known for his exceptional crossing ability, dribbling, and defensive prowess.

Alves has won numerous titles including domestic league championships, UEFA Champions League trophies, and international honors with the Brazilian national team.

He’s considered one of the most successful and decorated footballers of his generation.

The Brazilian defender won his first professional honours with home town club Bahia. After winning five trophies in six years with Sevilla, Dani Alves made a £23 million move to Barcelona and would go on to win 23 titles – including six La Liga crowns and three UEFA Champions League titles.

Following trophy-laden spells at Juventus (2016-17 – two titles), Paris Saint-Germain (2017-19 – six titles) and Sao Paulo (2019-21 – one trophy), Alves signed for Mexican team UNAM in 2022 after ending his second spell at Barcelona.

On the international levels, Dani Alves has won the Copa America and Confederation Cup twice and the men’s football gold medal at Tokyo 2020. The FIFA World Cup is the only trophy that is missing from his collection.

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Starting his career at Bahia in 2001, Alves went on to have a successful six-year spell with Sevilla, winning two UEFA Cups and the Copa del Rey.

He joined Barcelona for transfer fee of €32.5 million,becoming the third-most expensive defender of all-time at the time.

He won the treble in his first season with the club and in the next season, won the Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Additionally, he helped the club to clinch another two Supercopa de España, five La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles in the years that followed.

In 2016, Juventus signed Alves on a free transfer. He won the 2016/17 Serie A title and 2016/17 Coppa Italia in his only season with the side, also reaching the Champions League Final.

In 2017, Alves joined French side Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, winning a domestic treble in his first season, followed by another league title the following season.

In 2019, he returned to his home country, joining São Paulo, and winning the 2021 Campeonato Paulista with them.

He returned to Barcelona in 2021. He joined Mexican club UNAM in 2022; UNAM terminated his contract in 2023 after he was detained in Spain, during a process that resulted in Alves being charged with sexual assault.

A full international for Brazil since 2006, Alves is the nation’s second most-capped player of all time. He was included in their squads for three FIFA World Cups and five Copa América tournaments, winning the 2007 and 2019 editions of the latter competition, as well as the 2009 and 2013 FIFA Confederations Cups.

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At the Summer Olympics in 2020, he won a gold medal. Individually, Alves was named in the IFFHS CONMEBOL Team of the Decade (2011–2020), FIFA Confederations Cup Team of the Tournament (2013), the Copa América Team of the Tournament (2019), and was awarded the Copa América Best Player (2019).

In January 2023, Alves was arrested and charged with sexual assaulting a woman in a nightclub in Barcelona.

He was released by his club, and Catalonian authorities ordered him imprisoned without bail until his subsequent trial, which was expected to be held in October or November 2023.

3. Hossam Ashour (39 trophies):

In a 17-year association with Al Hyly (2003-2020), Egyptian midfielder Hossam Ashour won 39 trophies (6 CAF Champions League, 1 CAF Confederation Cup, 5 CAF Super Cups, 13 Egyptian Premier League, 4 Egypt Cups, 10 Egyptian Super Cups). He is the player who has won the most trophies while playing for a single club.

After progressing through the club’s youth system, Ashour established himself in the first team of Al Ahly and has won 39 domestic and continental competitions with the club, the most for any professional player for a single club .

He has made more than 500 appearances in all competitions.

Having represented Egypt at under-20 level, he made his senior international debut for Egypt in 2008 and has won 14 caps.

Born in Cairo, Ashour began his career in the youth system at Al Ahly before being promoted to the first team at the age of seventeen by manager Manuel José de Jesus after attracting his attention in a youth training session.

He made his debut in the Egyptian Premier League during the 2003/04 season during a march against El Mansoura.

He became the youngest player in the club’s history to captain the side in a match against Ittihad El Shorta during the 2009/10 season after club captain Osama Hosny was substituted.

In 2014, Ashour made his 100th appearance in the CAF Champions League during a match against Tanzanian side Young Africans, becoming only the fourth Al-Ahly player reach the tally after Essam El-Hadary, Wael Gomaa and Shady Mohamed.

In May 2017, Ashour was banned for four matches and fined 40,000 Egyptian pounds after being charged with assaulting a referee.

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Al Ahly manager Hossam El-Badry was also charged for an incident with the referee during the match.

Ashour was appointed club captain in his thirteenth year with Al Ahly, winning his first trophy as captain in January 2018 in a 1:0 victory over Al-Masry in the 2017 Egyptian Super Cup. The trophy was his 33rd senior trophy for the club, making him the most decorated player in the club’s history.

In May 2020, Ashour decided not to renew his contract with Al Ahly. In October 2020, Ashour joined Al Ittihad.

4. Andres Iniesta (37 trophies):

Andres Iniesta is the fourth for most trophies won by a player in football. He has 37 trophies.

Iniesta earned a name for himself as one of the most gifted midfielders of all time and is revered for scoring the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The Spanish midfielder, who won 32 trophies with boyhood club Barcelona, has two titles (Emperor’s Cup and Japanese Super Cup) with current team Vissel Kobe.

When you think of the greatest midfielders in the 21st century, Iniesta is a name that immediately comes to mind.

The midfield maestro won everything there was to win during a 16-year spell in Barcelona’s first-team, including nine La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

His greatest moment came in the 2010 World Cup final when he scored a dramatic 116th minute winner for Spain against Netherlands. Now 39, Iniesta is still going strong and recently signed for UAE Pro League side, Emirates Club.

Iniesta started his professional career through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early migration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age.

He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regularly during the 2004/05 season and remained in the team until 2018.

Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015, and his 35 trophies, which includes nine La Ligas and four UEFA Champions League titles, make him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time.

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After 22 years at Barcelona, Iniesta signed for J1 League club Vissel Kobe in 2018. After leaving the club in 2023, Iniesta signed for UAE Pro League club Emirates.

Iniesta played for Spain at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels before making his international debut in 2006.

He helped Spain win UEFA Euro 2008, playing every game and being selected in the Team of the Tournament.

Iniesta was also a key member of the victorious Spanish team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, for which he was named the Man of the Match, and was selected to the tournament’s All-Star Team.

His performances in 2010 for both club and country saw him being runner-up to Lionel Messi for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d’Or. At UEFA Euro 2012, Iniesta led Spain to their second consecutive continental crown, again being chosen as the Man of the Match of the final against Italy, and was named the Player of the Tournament.

Iniesta has been named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI nine times and was chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year on six occasions.

He was named in the All-time UEFA Euro XI. He won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2012 and was named the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker in 2012 and 2013.

Besides his runner-up position in 2010, he also achieved third place in the 2012 Ballon d’Or.