10 players with most trophies in football history

With a legacy that spans two of the greatest clubs in British football, Celtic and Liverpool, Kenny Dalglish, often referred to as "King Kenny,” ranks as the 10th most decorated player in football with 34 major trophies. 

As well as being one of the finest players in the Scottish game, where he was known for his intelligence, technical ability, and goal-scoring prowess, Dalgish won four Scottish league titles with Celtic in the early 1970s, while his time in England with Liverpool fetched him six league titles. 

However, Dalglish is best renowned for his three European Cups with Liverpool (1978, 1981, and 1984), the first of which witnessed a goal from the Briton great in the final against Club Brugge to secure their first back-to-back continental triumphs. 

The Scotsman, as one of the first player-managers in football, also led Liverpool to further success in the late 1980s after his retirement, winning three league titles and two FA Cups.

Over a career spanning almost two decades with FC Porto and Barcelona, Vítor Baía has become football's most decorated goalkeeper, with a trophy cabinet containing 35 medals, 11 of which are Primeira Liga titles.

As the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper during Porto’s domestic dominance from the late 1980s through the early 2000s, Baía's presence ensured Porto's reign as the top club in Portugal by often setting records for the fewest goals conceded in the league.

Baía was also a protagonist in one of the most significant underdog stories in football, Porto's 2004 UEFA Champions League historic triumph under José Mourinho, which was a follow-up on their 2003 UEFA Cup win. He is one of the few players to have won both of Europe’s major club competitions. 

A La Liga, Copa del Rey, and UEFA Super Cup winner with Barcelona, the 80-capped Baía was the top goalkeeper for Portugal in major international tournaments, including Euro 1996 and Euro 2000, for over a decade.

Ryan Giggs stands out as the 8th most decorated player in history, with an amazing legacy developed during his 24-year career at Manchester United through his 35 medals. 

One of football's best left-footed players, he won 13 Premier League titles—a record for a single player in English football history—proving his consistency and impact over many years.

The Englishman was a product of Manchester United's world-renowned academy, becoming a key player in their dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson from the early 1990s through the 2010s.

Ryan Giggs played a crucial role in United's famous 1999 treble season, an era-defining campaign that wasn't replicated until the emergence of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. 

This European trophy, one of two for the player, was one of the best displays of Giggs’ brilliance, as his assist to Teddy Sheringham in that final was pivotal to United coming from behind to beat Bayern Munich in the dying minutes.

Ryan Giggs largely owes his remarkable trophy haul to longevity and ageless adaptability, as the forward transitioned, in his later years, from a rapid winger to a more central, intelligent playmaker so as to maintain his relevance at the highest level of football. 

Maxwell is among football's most understated players, despite a stunning 36 major trophy haul over four separate nations.

Maxwell as a versatile left-back found widespread success due to a unique ability to fit seamlessly into some of the greatest teams of the modern era, contributing to league titles and cup victories for clubs like Ajax, Inter Milan, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The Brazilian won two La Liga titles with Barcelona, three straight Serie A titles with Inter Milan under Roberto Mancini and later José Mourinho, and nine league titles in three separate nations—including Eredivisie titles with Ajax in the early 2000s.  

Though he won the UEFA Champions League with the Spaniards, Maxwell's most revered accomplishment is still his domestic trophy-laden contribution to PSG's rise into one of Europe's elite clubs.

The backbone of both club and nation, Sergio Busquets accumulated 36 medals over his remarkable career with FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, helping to define one of the most successful periods in football history. 

His role as the orchestrator of Barcelona's revolutionary TikTok style enabled teammates like Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi to flourish, with Busquets maintaining control of a midfield that dominated Spain domestically and won nine La Liga titles. 

Sergio Busquets’ defensive intelligence and ability to break up play helped Barcelona to 3 UEFA Champions League titles, with this know-how most evident in the 2009 and 2011 finals, where they defeated Manchester United with some of the finest football ever seen on the European stage.

The final icing was the 2015 Champions League win, which marked the club’s second treble (La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League) in six years.

Much like at Barcelona, Busquets was integral to Spain’s golden era as one of the greatest international teams of all time, helping Lo Roja triumph in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, their first ever, and the UEFA Euro 2012.

A legacy built on his contribution to Al Ahly's dominance in both Egyptian and African football, Hossam Ashour ranks 5th among the most decorated football players, with an incredible 37 major trophies to his name. 

The defensive midfielder acted as the heartbeat of an Al Ahly team that won 13 Egyptian Premier League titles and six CAF Champions League across two decades, making him the African player with the most trophies in football history. 

Hossam Ashour's 16-year stay at Ah Ahly transformed the already successful club into an hegemonic force that would be dubbed Africa's “Club of the Century.”

With a career that spans a golden era with FC Barcelona and a successful spell with Spain’s national team, Gerard Piqué's 37 trophy haul makes him the most successful centre-back in the history of football. 

In a revered defensive partnership with Carles Puyol, one of Spain's greatest ever players, Piqué won four La Liga titles before going on to win five more La Liga titles with other defenders, totalling nine.

He was a metronome that fit perfectly into Barcelona’s tiki-taka style due to his tactical intelligence, aerial ability, and composure, helping the possession-obsessed side control games from the back. 

A key player in two treble-winning seasons for Barcelona, Piqué won 4 UEFA Champions League titles, one of which was the dominant victory against Manchester United in 2011, where he delivered a standout performance. 

Celebrated not only for his 38 major trophies but also for his grace and intelligence, Spain's greatest player, Andrés Iniesta, is the European footballer with the most trophies in history. 

Iniesta played a pivotal role in Barcelona's haul of nine La Liga titles in 13 years, controlling the midfield with technical brilliance and dictating the tempo of matches to create opportunities for teammates, like Lionel Messi and Xavi. 

The one-club man won four UEFA Champions League trophies, the most iconic of which was the 2009 edition, where his last-minute goal in the semifinal against Chelsea sent Barcelona to the final. Two years later, Iniesta and Barcelona's midfield completely dominate United in what is often hailed as one of the finest performances in football. 

Iniesta won the two UEFA Euro championships as a key figure, but his crowning moment came in the form of the winning goal in extra time against the Netherlands that secured Spain’s first-ever World Cup.

He scooped the Player of the Tournament award in the 2012 European Championship as Spain completed a historic three consecutive major international tournament victories.

Due to a glittering career that spanned top clubs like Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, PSG, and São Paulo, Dani Alves was able to amass 41 major trophies, the second most of any footballer in the world. 

He formed one of the most devastating combinations in football through his partnership with Lionel Messi on the right flank, winning six La Liga titles for Barcelona between 2009 and 2016.

Renowned as one of the best attacking fullbacks in history due to his ability to contribute goals and assists, Alves was instrumental in Barcelona’s 3 UEFA Champions League titles between 2009 and 2015. 

Even before his Barcelona success, Alves had won 2 UEFA Cups at Sevilla, but the Brazilian would go on to achieve international acclaim across the Spanish borders, enjoying successes with PSG (two Ligue 1 titles) and Juventus (one Serie A title). 

He also won several international trophies with Brazil, including two Copa América titles, the Confederations Cup, and an Olympic gold medal. 

With 46 major trophies at FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the Argentine national team, and currently Inter Miami, Lionel Messi is the most decorated football player in history. Being the only active soccer player on this list, he is perfectly poised to widen this lead even more. 

Before his recent successes in the USA, Messi established himself as the heart of one of the most successful clubs in football history, winning 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, and 8 Spanish Super Cups. 

The greatest left-footed player in football history, Messi redefined the role of a forward with his incredible goal-scoring records, dribbling ability, and playmaking skills, leading Barcelona through one of the most dominant periods in La Liga history.

He won four UEFA Champions League titles in Spain with standout performances that ultimately fetched the Spanish club two trebles in six years. 

Among his myriads of successes, Messi's most cherished trophy came with Argentina during the twilight of his career, when he first won the Copa America to end La Albiceleste's 28-year trophy drought before bagging the holy grail of football, the FIFA World Cup, one year later. 

His performances all through the Mundial, which culminated in a two-goal showing against France in the final, fetched him the prestigious Golden Ball award, the second of his career at the tournament. 

Although his infamous stint at PSG added two Ligue 1 titles to his collection, it was considered a disastrous move.