Football Players With Most Trophies: Most Decorated Ever

FootballerRank uses a clear senior-only methodology for the main ranking. We count recognized first-team club competitions and senior national-team titles, while excluding youth trophies, Olympic/U23 honours, individual awards, preseason tournaments, and testimonials. Using that method, Lionel Messi remains the most decorated footballer in history with 45 senior team trophies, while his widely quoted 47-trophy total includes the 2005 FIFA U20 World Cup and 2008 Olympic gold medal.

Key Takeaways

• Lionel Messi ranks as the most decorated footballer under our senior-only methodology with 45 trophies.
• Messi is commonly listed with 47 because some official career summaries also include his U20 World Cup and Olympic gold medal.
• Marquinhos has climbed dramatically after PSG’s historic 2025 and 2026 success and now has 42 senior trophies by our count.
• Dani Alves also has 42 under our senior-only rules, although broader published totals for him vary.
• Hossam Ashour won all 39 of his counted trophies with Al Ahly.
• Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets both finish on 37 senior trophies.
• Several players are tied on 35, so FootballerRank does not invent an artificial ranking between identical totals.

Football Players With the Most Senior Trophies

Rank	Player	Country	Senior Team Trophies	Main Sources of Success
1	Lionel Messi	Argentina	45	Barcelona, PSG, Inter Miami, Argentina
2=	Marquinhos	Brazil	42	PSG, Corinthians, Brazil
2=	Dani Alves	Brazil	42	Barcelona, Sevilla, PSG, Juventus, Brazil
4	Hossam Hassan	Egypt	40	Al Ahly, Zamalek, Egypt
5	Hossam Ashour	Egypt	39	Al Ahly
6=	Andrés Iniesta	Spain	37	Barcelona, Vissel Kobe, Spain
6=	Sergio Busquets	Spain	37	Barcelona, Inter Miami, Spain
8=	Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	35	Man United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr, Portugal
8=	Thomas Müller	Germany	35	Bayern Munich, Vancouver Whitecaps, Germany
8=	Gerard Piqué	Spain	35	Barcelona, Man United, Spain
8=	Ángel Di María	Argentina	35	PSG, Real Madrid, Benfica, Argentina

There are 11 names across the first 10 ranking positions because four players are tied on 35 senior trophies. FootballerRank preserves ties rather than inventing a false difference.

Who Has Won the Most Trophies in Football History?

Lionel Messi is the most decorated footballer in history.

Under FootballerRank’s strict senior-only method, Messi currently has:

45 senior team trophies

Those came with:

• Barcelona
• Paris Saint-Germain
• Inter Miami
• Argentina

You will often see Messi listed with 47 trophies.

That number is also understandable.

It includes two official age-restricted international honours:

• 2005 FIFA U20 World Cup
• 2008 Olympic gold medal

FootballerRank keeps those outside the main senior table because the same rule should apply to every player.

This creates a small difference between:

Most official trophies across all recognized levels: 47

and:

Most senior first-team trophies: 45

Messi leads either way.

Why Do Trophy Totals Differ Between Websites?

Because there is no universal global rule defining what belongs in a footballer’s career trophy count.

Some websites include:

• Youth international titles
• Olympic medals
• Regional championships
• State championships
• Super cups
• Conference titles
• Minor official cups

Others exclude some or all of them.

That can change a player’s total by several trophies.

Dani Alves is the clearest example.

Depending on the source, you can find totals such as:

• 42
• 43
• 44
• 46

Those numbers are not necessarily caused by simple arithmetic mistakes.

They often use different counting rules.

FootballerRank solves the problem by publishing the rule first.

What Counts as a Trophy on FootballerRank?

The main table counts recognized senior team honours.

Domestic league titles

Examples include:

• Premier League
• La Liga
• Serie A
• Bundesliga
• Ligue 1
• Egyptian Premier League
• MLS Cup where it is the recognized championship playoff title

Domestic cup competitions

Examples include:

• FA Cup
• Copa del Rey
• Coppa Italia
• DFB-Pokal
• Coupe de France

Official domestic super cups

Recognized super cups count because they are official first-team competitions.

Continental club titles

Examples include:

• UEFA Champions League
• Copa Libertadores
• CAF Champions League
• UEFA Europa League

Global club competitions

Recognized FIFA or official intercontinental club titles count.

Senior international competitions

Examples include:

• FIFA World Cup
• European Championship
• Copa América
• Africa Cup of Nations
• UEFA Nations League
• Finalissima
• Other recognized senior continental competitions

What Does Not Count?

FootballerRank excludes the following from the main senior total.

Youth trophies

Examples:

• FIFA U20 World Cup
• U17 World Cup
• Youth continental championships

Olympic football

Modern men’s Olympic football is age-restricted.

We therefore keep Olympic medals separate from the senior national-team total.

Individual awards

The following are achievements, not team trophies:

• Ballon d’Or
• Golden Boot
• Golden Ball
• Player of the Year awards

Friendly tournaments

Preseason cups and invitational friendlies do not increase the main count.

Testimonial trophies

These are also excluded.

That gives us one method we can apply to every player.

1. Lionel Messi — 45 Senior Trophies

Country: Argentina
Career: 2004–present
Senior trophies: 45
Widely cited all-level official total: 47
Status: Active

Lionel Messi ranks first among the football players with most trophies.

His trophy collection was built mainly at Barcelona.

Messi won 35 first-team trophies with Barcelona.

They included:

• 10 La Liga titles
• 7 Copas del Rey
• 8 Spanish Super Cups
• 4 Champions Leagues
• 3 UEFA Super Cups
• 3 FIFA Club World Cups

He then added three senior trophies with Paris Saint-Germain.

Those were:

• 2 Ligue 1 titles
• 1 Trophée des Champions

His Argentina career changed dramatically after 2021.

Messi won:

• Copa América 2021
• Finalissima 2022
• FIFA World Cup 2022
• Copa América 2024

That gives him four senior Argentina titles.

Inter Miami added another three major first-team honours:

• Leagues Cup 2023
• Supporters’ Shield 2024
• MLS Cup 2025

Add them together:

35 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 45 senior trophies

Messi’s widely quoted 47 adds:

• U20 World Cup 2005
• Olympic gold 2008

Both were official tournaments.

They are simply outside our senior-only methodology.

Trophy status: Clear No. 1.

2. Marquinhos — 42 Senior Trophies

Country: Brazil
Career: 2012–present
Senior trophies: 42
Status: Active

Marquinhos has become one of football history’s most decorated players.

That rise has accelerated because of Paris Saint-Germain’s latest success.

PSG confirms that Marquinhos had reached 40 trophies with the club after winning the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.

That is remarkable on its own.

His PSG collection includes an extraordinary number of:

• Ligue 1 titles
• Coupes de France
• French League Cups
• Trophées des Champions
• Champions Leagues
• European Super Cups
• Intercontinental success

The biggest change came in Europe.

PSG won their first Champions League in 2025.

They then retained the trophy in 2026.

Marquinhos captained the team through the historic period.

Before joining PSG, he had already won the 2012 Copa Libertadores with Corinthians.

With Brazil’s senior national team, he won the 2019 Copa América.

That produces:

• PSG — 40
• Corinthians — 1
• Brazil senior — 1

Total: 42

Marquinhos also won Olympic gold in 2016.

We do not add it to the senior total because the Olympic competition was age-restricted.

If an article counts Olympic football, his career number rises again.

Trophy status: Joint No. 2 under FootballerRank’s senior methodology.

3. Dani Alves — 42 Senior Trophies

Country: Brazil
Career: 2001–2023
Senior trophies: 42

Dani Alves spent years as football’s most famous trophy-record holder.

His career took him through:

• Bahia
• Sevilla
• Barcelona
• Juventus
• Paris Saint-Germain
• São Paulo

He also won major titles with Brazil.

Barcelona provided the largest part of his trophy cabinet.

During his main Barcelona career, Alves won major honours including:

• 6 La Liga titles
• 4 Copas del Rey
• 4 Spanish Super Cups
• 3 Champions Leagues
• 3 UEFA Super Cups
• 3 Club World Cups

His Sevilla career added:

• UEFA Cups
• Copa del Rey
• Spanish Super Cup
• UEFA Super Cup

He later won domestic titles with Juventus and PSG.

With Brazil’s senior team, Alves won:

• Copa América 2007
• Copa América 2019
• Confederations Cup 2009
• Confederations Cup 2013

The difficulty is that published Alves totals vary greatly.

Some sources also include:

• 2003 FIFA U20 World Cup
• 2021 Olympic gold
• Additional regional competitions

FootballerRank removes the U20 and Olympic titles from the main senior count.

Under our senior competition rules, Alves finishes on 42.

That puts him level with Marquinhos.

Trophy status: Joint No. 2.

4. Hossam Hassan — 40 Senior Trophies

Country: Egypt
Career: 1984–2008
Senior trophies: About 40 under our method

Hossam Hassan is one of the most decorated African footballers ever.

European-focused trophy lists often overlook him.

That is a mistake.

Hassan won titles with:

• Al Ahly
• Al Ain
• Zamalek
• Egypt

His Al Ahly career produced the majority.

He won repeated:

• Egyptian league titles
• Egyptian Cups
• African competitions
• Arab club competitions

He then continued winning after leaving Al Ahly.

At Zamalek, Hassan added:

• Egyptian league titles
• Egypt Cup
• Egyptian Super Cups
• CAF Champions League
• CAF Super Cup
• Arab club honours

His senior international career was also highly successful.

Hassan won the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt in:

• 1986
• 1998
• 2006

Some published lists give Hassan 41 trophies.

Our stricter classification places him at approximately 40 senior first-team titles, depending on how particular regional and multi-sport competitions are classified.

That uncertainty should be shown rather than hidden.

Trophy status: One of Africa’s greatest serial winners.

5. Hossam Ashour — 39 Trophies

Country: Egypt
Main club: Al Ahly
Career trophies: 39

Hossam Ashour has one of the cleanest trophy cases on the list.

Almost everything came with one club.

Al Ahly.

Ashour spent around 17 years in the senior side.

His 39-trophy collection includes:

• 13 Egyptian Premier League titles
• 10 Egyptian Super Cups
• 6 CAF Champions Leagues
• 5 CAF Super Cups
• 4 Egypt Cups
• 1 CAF Confederation Cup

That adds to:

39 trophies

Unlike Messi, Marquinhos, or Ronaldo, Ashour did not build his trophy total through a major international career.

His success came from sustained dominance at club level.

Al Ahly were repeatedly Egypt’s strongest side and one of Africa’s leading clubs.

Ashour remained part of that winning structure for years.

Who Has Won the Most Trophies With One Club?

Ashour has one of the strongest cases under this methodology.

All 39 came with Al Ahly.

That is an extraordinary one-club trophy total.

Messi won 35 first-team trophies with Barcelona.

Thomas Müller won 33 with Bayern Munich.

Ashour’s Al Ahly total stands above both.

Trophy status: 39, all with Al Ahly.

6. Andrés Iniesta — 37 Senior Trophies

Country: Spain
Career: 2002–2024
Senior trophies: 37

Andrés Iniesta built one of football’s great trophy collections.

Barcelona provided 32 major first-team trophies.

Those included:

• 9 La Liga titles
• 6 Copas del Rey
• 7 Spanish Super Cups
• 4 Champions Leagues
• 3 UEFA Super Cups
• 3 Club World Cups

His Spain career added three of football’s biggest trophies:

• EURO 2008
• FIFA World Cup 2010
• EURO 2012

Iniesta also won official titles after moving to Vissel Kobe in Japan.

Those included the Emperor’s Cup and Japanese Super Cup.

That gives him 37 senior trophies under our methodology.

Iniesta’s career shows why trophy count cannot be treated purely as a club statistic.

His three major Spain titles were among the most important achievements of his generation.

Trophy status: 37.

7. Sergio Busquets — 37 Senior Trophies

Country: Spain
Career: 2008–2025
Senior trophies: 37

Sergio Busquets finishes level with Iniesta.

Barcelona confirms Busquets won 32 major trophies during his time with the club.

His honours included:

• 9 La Liga titles
• 7 Copas del Rey
• 7 Spanish Super Cups
• 3 Champions Leagues
• 3 UEFA Super Cups
• 3 Club World Cups

With Spain, he won:

• FIFA World Cup 2010
• EURO 2012

That moved him to 34.

Inter Miami then added three more:

• Leagues Cup 2023
• Supporters’ Shield 2024
• MLS Cup 2025

Final total:

37 senior trophies

MLS officially recorded Busquets ending his career on 37.

That makes his figure one of the better-supported totals in the ranking.

Trophy status: 37.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo — 35 Senior Trophies

Country: Portugal
Career: 2002–present
Senior trophies: 35
Status: Active

Cristiano Ronaldo’s career contains fewer total team trophies than Messi’s.

It still contains an extraordinary collection.

Ronaldo has won titles with:

• Sporting CP
• Manchester United
• Real Madrid
• Juventus
• Al Nassr
• Portugal

His club trophy cabinet includes:

• League titles in England
• League titles in Spain
• League titles in Italy
• Saudi Pro League title
• Domestic cups
• Domestic super cups
• Five Champions Leagues
• Club World Cups
• UEFA Super Cups

Portugal added major international success.

Ronaldo won:

• EURO 2016
• UEFA Nations League 2019
• UEFA Nations League 2025

By September 2026, his official senior trophy count stands at 35 under the methodology used here.

The major difference between Ronaldo and Messi in this category is team silverware volume.

Ronaldo leads several scoring records.

Messi leads the trophy record.

Those are separate achievements.

Trophy status: 35 and still potentially increasing.

9. Thomas Müller — 35 Senior Trophies

Country: Germany
Career: 2008–present
Senior trophies: 35
Status: Active

Thomas Müller is the most decorated German footballer under the current official count.

His Bayern career produced 33 trophies.

They included:

• 13 Bundesliga titles
• 6 DFB-Pokals
• 8 German Super Cups
• 2 Champions Leagues
• 2 UEFA Super Cups
• 2 Club World Cups

Germany added the biggest international trophy.

Müller won the 2014 World Cup.

That moved his total to 34.

Then came a surprising late-career move.

Müller joined Vancouver Whitecaps in 2025.

He helped them win the Canadian Championship.

Vancouver officially described it as the 35th trophy of his career.

That moved him ahead of Toni Kroos as Germany’s most decorated player.

Trophy status: 35.

10. Gerard Piqué — 35 Senior Trophies

Country: Spain
Career: 2004–2022
Senior trophies: 35

Gerard Piqué also finishes on 35 under our senior-only rules.

Barcelona provided 30 major senior trophies.

Those included:

• 8 La Liga titles
• 7 Copas del Rey
• 6 Spanish Super Cups
• 3 Champions Leagues
• 3 UEFA Super Cups
• 3 Club World Cups

Manchester United added:

• Premier League
• Champions League
• League Cup

Spain added:

• FIFA World Cup 2010
• EURO 2012

That creates:

30 + 3 + 2 = 35

Some Barcelona statistical pages show larger numbers because they include:

• Copa Catalunya
• Catalan Super Cup

FootballerRank excludes those regional titles from this global main table to keep the comparison consistent.

We also exclude Piqué’s youth European Championship.

Trophy status: 35.

11. Ángel Di María — 35 Senior Trophies

Country: Argentina
Career: 2005–present
Senior trophies: 35
Status: Active

Ángel Di María completes the 35-trophy tie.

His club career included major success with:

• Benfica
• Real Madrid
• Paris Saint-Germain
• Rosario Central

PSG supplied the largest portion.

Di María won repeated:

• Ligue 1 titles
• French Cups
• League Cups
• French Super Cups

Real Madrid added trophies including:

• La Liga
• Copa del Rey
• Champions League
• UEFA Super Cup

His Argentina career transformed his overall trophy résumé.

At senior level, Di María won:

• Copa América 2021
• Finalissima 2022
• FIFA World Cup 2022
• Copa América 2024

You will sometimes see Di María listed with 37.

That broader number includes:

• FIFA U20 World Cup 2007
• Olympic gold 2008

FootballerRank removes those age-restricted titles.

That leaves 35 senior team trophies.

Trophy status: 35.

Why Are There More Than 10 Players in the Top 10 Positions?

Because trophy counts can tie.

Four players in this methodology currently sit on 35:

• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Thomas Müller
• Gerard Piqué
• Ángel Di María

It would be misleading to claim one has “more trophies” than another.

They do not.

FootballerRank therefore uses:

8

for all four.

That means 11 players occupy the first 10 numerical ranking positions.

For a factual record article, preserving the tie is more important than forcing exactly ten names.

Messi’s 45 vs 47 Trophies Explained

This is likely to become one of the most searched questions on the page.

Why FootballerRank says 45

Our main total includes only:

• Senior club trophies
• Senior national-team trophies

Why MLS and other sources say 47

They also include:

• FIFA U20 World Cup 2005
• Olympic gold medal 2008

Those were legitimate official achievements.

But they were not senior national-team titles.

Neither total is necessarily “fake.”

They answer slightly different questions.

For consistency with every other player, FootballerRank uses 45 in the senior table and explains the broader 47 separately.

Messi vs Dani Alves: Who Has More Trophies?

Messi leads.

Dani Alves held the record for years.

Messi caught and then passed him during the later stages of his career.

Under our strict senior methodology:

Player	Senior Trophies
Lionel Messi	45
Dani Alves	42
Difference	3

Their broader published totals can differ depending on Olympic, youth, and regional competition rules.

Messi remains ahead either way.

Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Who Has More Trophies?

Messi has more.

Our current senior totals are:

Player	Senior Trophies
Lionel Messi	45
Cristiano Ronaldo	35
Difference	10

That does not settle the Messi-Ronaldo GOAT debate on its own.

It answers only the trophy question.

Ronaldo leads other records, including career and international goals.

Messi leads in total team trophies.

Who Has Won the Most Club Trophies?

This answer is changing rapidly.

Marquinhos now has an extraordinary club record after PSG’s recent dominance.

By August 2026, PSG officially credited him with 40 trophies for the club.

Add his Copa Libertadores with Corinthians and his senior club total becomes 41.

That gives Marquinhos one of the strongest club-only trophy records in football history.

Messi’s strict club total currently stands at:

• Barcelona — 35
• PSG — 3
• Inter Miami — 3

Total: 41

So Messi and Marquinhos are essentially level at the top of the strict senior club-trophy discussion under this method.

This record could still change because both remain active.

Who Has Won the Most Trophies With One Club?

Hossam Ashour has one of the clearest cases.

He won:

39 trophies with Al Ahly

Messi won 35 with Barcelona.

Müller won 33 with Bayern Munich.

Staying at one dominant club for nearly an entire career can create an enormous trophy total.

Which Player Has Won the Most Champions Leagues?

Trophy quantity and Champions League quantity are different records.

Several players have won the European Cup or Champions League six times.

That does not necessarily put them at the top of the total-trophies table.

A player can collect many domestic league and cup trophies without winning six European Cups.

This page counts every qualifying senior trophy equally as one title.

It does not claim that every trophy has the same prestige.

Is a World Cup Worth the Same as a Super Cup?

Not in prestige.

But in a simple trophy-count record:

each is one official team title.

That is the nature of this statistic.

The World Cup is obviously more important than a domestic super cup.

If FootballerRank created a ranking based on the quality or prestige of trophies, it would require a weighted methodology.

That would be a different article.

This page answers:

Who won the largest number of qualifying trophies?

Does Winning More Trophies Make a Player Better?

No.

Football is a team sport.

Trophy totals depend on:

• Individual ability
• Teammate quality
• Club strength
• League competitiveness
• Career length
• Number of competitions available
• International-team strength

Hossam Ashour has more trophies than many Ballon d’Or winners.

That does not automatically mean he was individually a greater footballer.

Likewise, Diego Maradona has far fewer career trophies than several players on this list.

That does not damage his place among the game’s greatest players.

Trophy totals measure team success.

They do not completely measure individual quality.

Why Modern Players Can Win So Many Trophies?

Modern elite clubs may enter several competitions in one season.

A player at a dominant club can potentially compete for:

• Domestic league
• Domestic cup
• League cup
• Domestic super cup
• Champions League
• UEFA Super Cup
• Club World Cup or Intercontinental competition

International football creates more opportunities.

Modern players can also contest:

• World Cup
• Continental championship
• Nations League
• Finalissima

That gives some modern players more trophy opportunities than stars from earlier eras.

Historical comparison therefore requires context.

Why We Exclude Individual Awards?

The Ballon d’Or is not a trophy in this ranking.

Neither is:

• Golden Boot
• Golden Glove
• Player of the Tournament
• FIFA The Best
• League MVP

These are individual awards.

This page counts team competitions won.

FootballerRank has a dedicated Players With Most Ballon d’Or Awards article for that search intent.

Keeping the categories separate prevents cannibalization.

Why This Page Does Not Cannibalize Best Players of All Time?

The intents are completely different.

Best Football Players of All Time

That article evaluates:

• Peak
• Skill
• Longevity
• Big-match impact
• Individual influence
• Overall greatness

Football Players With Most Trophies

This article asks:

Who won the most qualifying team competitions?

There is no subjective greatness score needed to decide whether 45 is greater than 39.

This is a statistical record page.

Why Trophy Count Can Change?

Several players near the top remain active.

These include:

• Lionel Messi
• Marquinhos
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Thomas Müller
• Ángel Di María

A title won later in 2026 or 2027 can change the ranking.

Marquinhos is especially important.

PSG continue competing for multiple trophies every season.

His rapid rise shows why this page needs regular updates.

Players Just Outside the Main Ranking

Several other legendary players have enormous trophy cabinets.

Major names include:

• Toni Kroos
• Xavi
• Ryan Giggs
• Luka Modrić
• Manuel Neuer
• Karim Benzema
• Zlatan Ibrahimović
• Kenny Dalglish

Toni Kroos

Kroos retired with 34 senior trophies.

Real Madrid confirms 23 with Madrid after his final Champions League win.

His Bayern career added 10.

Germany’s 2014 World Cup makes 34.

Xavi

Xavi won 25 major first-team trophies at Barcelona plus three senior titles with Spain.

He added further honours at Al Sadd.

His exact position depends on which Qatari competitions are included in the chosen global methodology.

Ryan Giggs

Giggs collected an extraordinary number of honours during his one-club Manchester United career.

His success included:

• Premier League titles
• FA Cups
• League Cups
• Champions Leagues

Manuel Neuer

Neuer continues adding trophies at Bayern Munich even in his forties.

His 2026 Bundesliga title took him to a record 13 German league championships.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the most decorated football player ever?

Lionel Messi is the most decorated footballer. FootballerRank counts 45 senior team trophies, while broader official career counts commonly list 47 when his U20 World Cup and Olympic title are added.

How many trophies does Lionel Messi have?

Under FootballerRank’s senior-only methodology, Messi has 45. His widely quoted all-level official total is 47.

Why do some sources say Messi has 47 trophies?

Because they include his 2005 FIFA U20 World Cup and 2008 Olympic gold medal.

How many trophies did Dani Alves win?

FootballerRank counts 42 senior trophies. Other sources show larger totals depending on youth, Olympic, regional, and competition-counting rules.

Who is second for most trophies?

Marquinhos and Dani Alves are tied on 42 under FootballerRank’s current senior-only methodology.

How many trophies has Marquinhos won?

We currently count 42 senior trophies: 40 with PSG, the 2012 Copa Libertadores with Corinthians, and the 2019 Copa América with Brazil.

Who has won the most trophies with one club?

Hossam Ashour has one of the strongest claims with 39 counted trophies for Al Ahly.

How many trophies did Hossam Ashour win?

39, all with Al Ahly.

How many trophies did Iniesta win?

FootballerRank counts 37 senior team trophies across Barcelona, Vissel Kobe, and Spain.

How many trophies did Busquets win?

Busquets retired with 37 senior trophies under the same methodology.

How many trophies does Cristiano Ronaldo have?

Cristiano Ronaldo currently has 35 official senior team trophies under our September 2026 count.

How many trophies does Thomas Müller have?

Müller reached 35 after winning the 2025 Canadian Championship with Vancouver Whitecaps.

Who has more trophies, Messi or Ronaldo?

Messi. Our senior totals are 45 for Messi and 35 for Ronaldo.

Do Olympic medals count as senior football trophies?

Not in FootballerRank’s main table because modern men’s Olympic football is age-restricted. We mention Olympic medals separately.

Do youth titles count?

No. Youth tournaments are excluded from the senior main ranking.

Do super cups count?

Yes, if they are recognized official senior first-team competitions.

Do individual awards count as trophies?

Not here. Ballon d’Ors, Golden Boots, MVP awards, and similar honours belong to individual-award statistics.

Are preseason cups included?

No.

Why do trophy totals differ online?

Different websites count youth, Olympic, regional, super cup, and other competitions differently. FootballerRank publishes its methodology so the totals can be understood.

How often should this article be updated?

At least after every major club or international final involving an active player near the top of the table.

Sources and Fact-Checking Method

FootballerRank treats this page as a factual record ranking.

Before adding a trophy, we check whether it was:

• An official team competition
• Won by the player’s senior first team
• Won while the player was part of the eligible squad
• A club or senior national-team competition
• Separate from an individual award

We prioritize:

• Official clubs
• Governing bodies
• Competition organizers
• Established historical records

When a famous public total uses a different methodology, we explain it.

Messi is the clearest example.

His widely recognized 47-title figure is legitimate under a broader official-team-honour definition.

FootballerRank’s 45 is the strict senior total.

Dani Alves presents an even larger counting problem because regional, youth, and Olympic competitions produce several different published totals.

The important principle is consistency.

We should not count Messi’s youth World Cup while excluding another player’s youth continental title.

We should not count one player’s Olympic medal while ignoring another player’s Olympic success.

One definition must apply to everyone.

That is the method used throughout this article.

Conclusion

Lionel Messi leads the football players with most trophies under FootballerRank’s senior-only methodology with 45 team titles, while his widely cited 47-title total also includes the U20 World Cup and Olympic gold. Marquinhos and Dani Alves follow on 42 senior trophies, with Hossam Hassan on 40 and Hossam Ashour on 39. Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets each have 37, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Thomas Müller, Gerard Piqué, and Ángel Di María are tied on 35. The exact figures shown on other websites can differ because trophy counting has no universal global standard, which is why FootballerRank defines the rules first and applies the same senior competition criteria to every player.