Belgium might be ranked one of the top national football teams in the world with its star-studded squad, but when it comes to achievements and tangible success, Belgium has zero international trophies with the FIFA World Cup 2022 just around the corner

There are great expectations surrounding Belgium – a team made up of star players known as the "golden generation" for several years – but its only tangible achievement was third place at the 2018 World Cup.

Even if its efforts did not fully materialize, Belgium had to make serious reforms and investments to create the star generation.

Belgium started serious reforms in its squad after it was knocked out of the 2002 World Cup in the round of 16 by Brazil, the eventual winner of the tournament. Veteran players hung up their jerseys and the team required serious change.

In the coming years, several new players were called up to the squad, but none became permanent nor offered Belgium the contribution needed for success. Therefore, the team failed to qualify for Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.

The first spark of change was the appointment of Michel Sablon as Belgian Football Director in 2006. He came with a solid plan to change the course of the national team.

Sablon's first move was to start extensive research regarding the youth team in various countries, including Germany and The Netherlands. A scientific approach was instilled in football academies and the primary goal of academies changed from winning matches to effectively raising young players.

Spreading and applying these changes to the nation's football was challenging. Sablon and his crew had been the target of a lot of criticism, but the results soon started to show.

The Belgium under-21 team, featuring players like Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Marouane Fellaini, Jan Vertonghen, Kevin Mirallas and Anthony Vanden Borre finished the 2008 Beijing Olympics in fourth place, losing to Nigeria 4-1 in the semifinals.

'Golden generation' appears:

In 2008, several players on the national team started to make transfers to important leagues such as the English Premier League.

Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany was the first big Belgian name to move to the Premier League as the club was sold to Abu Dhabi United Group and started to build a competitive squad by making big-name transfers in 2008.

Marouane Fellaini moved to Everton from Standart Liege in 2008, and Thomas Vermaelen transferred to Arsenal from Ajax in 2009.

When the European qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup came around, Belgium's new squad was nearly complete and they had their first challenge ahead.

With players like Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, Eden Hazard, Kevin Mirallas, Kevin De Bruyne, Steven Defour and Romelu Lukaku, Belgium finished its Group A at the top and undefeated.

The golden generation had not totally failed in their first international competition as they were able to reach the quarterfinals, where there were knocked out by a Lionel Messi-led Argentina 1-0.

In 2014, Belgium climbed to the fourth spot in FIFA World Rankings. One year later, it reached the top spot for the first time in history.

Staying hopeful despite failures:

After making a name for themselves, the Belgians were ready for their next challenge in Euro 2016. The team qualified for the group stage and reached the round of 16, finishing Group E in the second spot behind Italy.

After beating Hungary 4-0 in the round of 16, the quarterfinal match against Wales seemed easy enough, but Wales gave Belgium quite a shock and eliminated it in a 3-1 thrashing.

After the Euro 2016 disappointment, Belgium was hopeful for the upcoming 2018 World Cup as most of the squad was in their prime and they had some of the most valuable players on the globe like De Bruyne, Hazard and Lukaku.

The Red Devils went through the group stage flawlessly and eliminated Japan 3-2 in the round of 16, before beating Brazil 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Another team with its own golden generation, France, eliminated Belgium 1-0 in the semifinals and moved on to defeat Croatia 4-2 in the final and win the World Cup.

Belgium took on England in the third-place match and managed to win its first-ever bronze medal in World Cup history with a 2-0 victory.

When Euro 2020 was on the horizon, The Devils had several veteran players with enough talent to carry the team to success. The coronavirus pandemic affected the championship and postponed it to the summer of 2021, but Belgium stayed on track and reached the group stage.

FIFA World Cup 2022- The future:

Today Belgium has a squad valued at approximately 500 million euros ($578 million) and it has been at the top of the FIFA World Rankings since 2018.

Even if many of the golden generation is now in their 30s, The Red Devils are still a very powerful team with a lot of potential.

Their squad includes players starting to enjoy their primes like Leicester City's Youri Tielemans and Timothy Castagne and promising young talents including Charles De Ketelaere of Club Brugge and Yari Verschaeren of Anderlecht.

There is no doubt that Belgium will be one of the top contenders as De Bruyne, Lukaku and Hazard are still serious threats for opposition teams in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022.

Follow Sportz Point for more FIFA World Cup 2022 news and articles.

Many great players have taken the football pitch and left the fans in awe. However, only a few players have gone on to win various trophies in their careers. In this special article, we will take a look at an elite list of players who have won the most trophies in football as a player. 

Argentine football star Lionel Messi is the player with most trophies in football history. In his career so far, with club and country, he has won 46 major trophies. Moreover, he is one of the very few players to win FIFA World Cup. Ballon d'Or, and UEFA Champions League in his career. 

But, yes, the below list only counts the major trophies won with teams and only only individual awards. We wanted to be clear with that at the start. With this list of "11 players who have won the most trophies in football history," we will able to judge which player has been a part of a winning team mostly. 

Though, it is not always the case that when you win a trophy, you have a big role to play in that. But, in this list, all the players listed always had big contributions to their team's success. So, without further a due, let's checkout the list. 

Top 11 players with the most trophies in football:

11. Vitor Baia (34 trophies)

Vitor Baia spent most of his career with FC Porto except playing two years for Barcelona. Baia started his career with FC Porto in 1988 and left the club to join Barcelona in 1996. 

Before retiring in 2007, he played for Barcelona in two stints and won the La Liga in 1997-98 season. His most success came his boyhood club FC Porto, where he won the Liga Portugal 10 times.

However, the biggest achievement was to win the UEFA Champions League in 2004 with the Dragons. Under the visionary eyes of Jose Mourinho, they created one of the greatest underdog success stories in European football.

In a total, Baia won 25 trophies with the Porto while adding the rest to his collection of glories for Barcelona. Unfortunately, he was not able to add any trophy while playing for Portugal.

10. Kenny Dalglish (34 trophies)

Scottish legend Sir Kenny Dalglish is Liverpool's one of the most legendary players. Apart from playing 13 years for the Reds, he played for Celtic for 8 years at the start of his career.

For Liverpool FC, he won a club record 8 Premier League titles along with three Champions League titles. He had won 7 English Super Cups and 2 FA Cup titles as well.

While playing for Celtic, he became the Scottish Champion four times.

9. Angel di Maria (35 trophies)

One of the most underrated players in modern football history, Di Maria always had to shine under the shadows of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Di Maria played alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina and then shared club dressing room with Cristiano at Real Madrid.

With his latest trophy for Benfica in the Portuguese Super Cup, he now has won 35 trophies in his career. Di Maria won five Ligue 1 titles with PSG and won his only Champions League title with Real Madrid.

Read Also | Football facts: 10 players who have played most games with Lionel Messi

However, just like Lionel Messi, his international success bloomed late in his career. He won the Copa America twice in 2021 and 2024. But, his major success was to win the FIFA World Cup 2022, where he scored an important in the final.

Di Maria retired from international football after the 2024 Copa America final.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo (35 trophies)

Arguably one of the greatest players in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo has 35 trophies in his cabinet at the moment. The Portuguese legend won his latest trophy for Al-Nassr FC as he helped them win the United Arab Club Champions Cup 2023.

Ronaldo, who started his club career with Sporting CP, won the Portuguese Super Cup with the club in 2003. That was the start to a historical career which gave football fans joy for over two decades.

Read Also: Top 10: Most Free-kick Goals In Football History (Updated)

The Portuguese legend flourished under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He then joined Real Madrid where he won four of his five UEFA Champions League titles. Ronaldo has won a title for every club he has played for so far.

However, one of his biggest achievements as a player was to win the UEFA Euro Cup with Portugal in 2016. Beside scoring over 900 career goals, Ronaldo's success for every team is what makes him a legend.

7. Ryan Giggs (37 trophies)

Ryan Giggs played all his life for one football club; Manchester United. In his 24-year career at the club, he won a total of 37 trophies, a record for the club.

Not only that, with 13 Premier League titles, he is league's most successful player ever. With the Red Devils, he also went on to win two UEFA Champions League title.

For United, he played 963 games and has 168 goals and 265 assists, another record for United.

6. Sergio Busquets (38 Trophies)

Sergio Busquets, the FC Barcelona and Spain legend is one of the most underrated players ever to play. The central defender was part of one of the greatest international team which won 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2010 Euros for Spain.

Read Also: Barcelona team that won "EVERYTHING" in 2009: Busquets to leave as the last man of that team

The former Barcelona captain won 9 La Liga titles. Not only that, he won 7 Spanish Cups and Spanish Super Cups as well for the Catalan club.

However, his biggest achievement in club football was to win three UCL titles for Barcelona. His latest trophy is the 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners with Inter Miami CF.

5. Maxwell (38 trophies)

Maxwell, the Brazilian left back might be the only unknown player on this list. The defender achieved most of his success playing for PSG in France.

However, he found success with FC Barcelona as well. But, joined PSG to find more chances as well.

Maxwell's first trophy was with Cruzeiro, winning the Brazilian Cup in 2000. Soon the joined Ajax, wining two Dutch League titles.

His move to Barcelona via Inter Milan and FC Empoli saw him winning the UEFA Champions League title in 2011. But his most success came with PSG, winning the Ligue 1 four times in a row from 2013 to 2016.

Read Also: Messi vs Ronaldo: The hat-trick battle

4. Gerard Pique (39 trophies)

Another player from that legendary Spanish and Barcelona team, who features in this list. Although known for his career at FC Barcelona, Gerard Pique had success with Manchester United as well.

It might be quite revealing for many that, he played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, against whom he had some tough battles later.

Read Also | Reliving Barcelona's Golden Era: A Tribute to Footballing Brilliance

Pique won 9 La Liga titles for Barcelona to go with 3 UCL titles for the club. But before reaching there he had won the Premier League and Champions League for United in the 2007-08 season.

He was also an integral part of the Spanish team which won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and UEFA Euro in 2012.

3. Andres Iniesta (39 trophies)

Probably the best midfielder of the modern era, Andres Iniesta with 41 trophies is the third most successful footballer ever.

Another important player of that iconic Spanish and Barcelona team, Iniesta found success early in his career. He won his first major trophy with Spain U-17 team winning the U-17 Euros in 2000. He followed that up with the U-19 Euro title next year.

His Barcelona career started in 2002 which continued till 2018. In those 17 year at Barcelona, he won 32 trophies. Post that, he joined Japanese club Viseel Kobe where he won three trophies as well.

Read Also | Andres Iniesta: Who has won the most trophies for FC Barcelona?

Along with all club level success, Iniesta's greatest achievement was to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup alongside lifting the 2008 and 2012 Euro Cup. His goal in the 2010 World Cup final to hand Spain their first-ever World Cup, is regarded as one of the greatest World Cup moments.

Iniesta called it a day in 2024 after spending a year at the Emirates Club. 

2. Dani Alves (43 trophies)

Before Lionel Messi took over as the player with most trophies in football history, it was Dani Alves who had the record. The defender won 23 trophies in eight years at Barcelona.

Dani Alves won six La Liga and three Champions League titles with Barcelona. He then won 19 more titles while playing for Juventus, PSG, and Sao Paulo. He won domestic titles in Italy, France, Brazil and Spain as, which makes him one of the greatest of his era.

Read Also: All the FIFA World Cup winners and runners-up since 1930

The defender won six major titles with his national team, Brazil. He started his Brazil career by winning the U-20 FIFA World Cup in 2003. Alves then won two Copa America titles in 2007 and 2019. He concluded his international career by winning the Olympic gold in 2021.

Despite the recent off-field controversies, with 43 trophies in his cabinet, Dani Alves is one of the greatest ever to play the game.

1. Lionel Messi (46 trophies)

Leo Messi is the player with the most trophies in football history. With his latest triumph at the 2024 Supporters’ Shield winners, the magician from Argentina won his 46th trophy in his career.

Messi won back-to-back four international trophies with Argentina within three years. He won the Copa America 2021 and then went on to win the Finalissima 2022. Then he capped off his greatest achievement by winning FIFA World Cup 2022.

The Argentine maestro has also won the Olympic Gold Medal with his country in 2008. His latest international success came in Copa America 2024.

In club football history, Messi is the most successful player with 41 club trophies to his name. He started his career with his boyhood club Barcelona and played 18 seasons for the club, scoring a record 672 goals.

Read Also | Top 10 La Masia Graduates who ruled football

The 8-time Ballon d'Or winner won four Champions League titles with Barcelona. Alongside European success, he won 10 La Liga titles as well, most for Barcelona. He has also won Spanish Cup seven times.

After his great stint at Barcelona, Messi went to the French League to play for PSG. However, he was unable to bring the UCL to the French giant, he won the French League with them. In addition, he won the French Super Cup for the season 2022-23 with PSG.

Belgium is set to host Italy in a fiery encounter in the UEFA Nations League group game, scheduled to kick off at 1:15 AM IST on 15 November 2024. The match will take place at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.

Who is going to take top spot in Group A2? 🤔#NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/erlN2PCYQ7

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) November 11, 2024

Belgium is currently in the 3rd position in the Nations League Group A2 having 4 points in 4 matches. Belgium snatched a point against Italy in the Nations League encounter in October 2024, as Leandro Trossard put up a brilliant performance with 1 goal and 1 assist in the 2-2 draw.

However, Belgium lost 1-2 against France in their last outing in the Nations League. Domenico Tedesco's men bagged only one win in their last five matches; so they will be hungry for a win against Italy.

Last 5 Matches: L W L D L

On the contrary, Italy is currently positioned 1st in the Nations League Group A2, with 10 points in 4 matches. The Azzurri will focus on another win to increase their gap with second-placed France and solidify their chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, before facing France in the last group game on 18 November 2024. 

Luciano Spalletti's men thrashed Israel by 4-1 in their last game following a 2-2 draw against Belgium at San Siro. However, they will meet again tonight in the Nations League encounter.

Last 5 Matches: L W W D W 

Match Details

Match: Belgium vs Italy

Date: 15 November 2024

Time: 1:15 AM IST

Venue: King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium

Streaming Details

Indian viewers can stream the game live on the SonyLIV app and website. The TV broadcast will be on Sony Sports Network channels.

Head-to-head Stats (Since 2000)

Matches Played: 7

Belgium wins: 1

Italy wins: 5

Draws: 1

Previous Records

Since 2000, Belgium and Italy have faced each other 7 times. Italy has the lion's share in winning as they have won 5 times in this fixture. Belgium has won only once since 2000. The other match ended in a draw, which was the last meeting between these two teams in October 2024. 

Here are the previous records between these two teams since 2000:

Both in international and club football, goals often steal the limelight but in most cases, the orchestration that creates the pathway of a goal is an assist from a teammate. Every player plays very less international matches compared to club games and that is why it is tougher to accumulate a huge number of goals and assists in international football.

There are some players whose longevity, creativity, and passion for the game let them enter the chart of the players with most assists in international football. Let's look at the list consisting of the top 10 players. 

10. David Beckham - 36 Assists

The British football sensation, David Beckham made his debut with the England national team in 1996 and made 115 appearances before retiring from international football in May 2013.

Beckham was the Ballon d'Or Runner-up in 1999 and he was named English Player of the Year in 2003. In 2008, the FA enlisted him in the English Football Hall of Fame.  

Along with 17 international goals, Beckham also made 36 assists which makes him 10th in the list. 

9. Mesut Ozil - 40 Assists

One of the greatest playmakers the game has ever witnessed, Mesut Ozil debuted in 2009 for the Germany national team. Ozil played in three world cups with Germany and won the coveted trophy in 2014. 

Ozil retired from international football as a form of protest after Germany crashed out of the group stage in the 2018 World Cup and the DFB President Grindel accused him of racism. However, Ozil won the German Player of the Year Award 5 times in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016.

Before retiring, Ozil already made 92 appearances for Germany and had 40 assists by his name. 

8. Pele - 47 Assists*

Arguably one of the greatest footballers of all time, Pele debuted for the Brazil national team at the age of 16 in 1957 in a friendly against Argentina. He lifted three World Cups (formerly known as the Jules Rimet Trophy) for Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970 which is a Guinness record for the most World Cup wins by a single player.

The TIME named him as the greatest footballer of the 20th century and Reuters named him as the Greatest athlete of the century in 1999. 

According to some estimated data, Pele made 92 appearances for Brazil and he provided 47 assists before retiring from international football in 1977. 

7. Cristiano Ronaldo - 47 Assists

One of the most influential athletes of the 21st century and considered one of the greatest footballers ever, Cristiano Ronaldo debuted in the Portugal national team in 2003 and made a significant effect in Portuguese football for almost 22 years. 

Winning the EURO 2016 and UEFA Nations League 2018-19 for Portugal, the five-time Ballon winner established himself as the greatest Portuguese footballer of all-time.

Cristiano is now the captain of the national team and he has made 216 appearances for Portugal so far. He is the highest goalscorer ever in the history of international football as well with 133 goals by his name. Besides his brilliant goalscoring prowess, Ronaldo has also made 47 assists in international matches so far.

6. Kevin De Bruyne - 49 Assists

Kevin De Bruyne is one of the finest midfielders of this generation for his exquisite playmaking ability and skillful display on the pitch. He is considered one of the greatest Belgian footballers ever and he was a very crucial part of the famous Golden Generation of Belgium. 

He was a memorable part of the Belgium squad that finished third in the 2018 World Cup and was included in the official 2018 WC Dream Team.

The 33-year-old midfielder made his Belgium senior team debut in 2010 and has made 107 appearances so far. During this journey, De Bruyne has provided 49 assists as of now.  

5. Sandor Kocsis - 50 Assists*

The Hungarian forward Sandor Peter Kocsis stands fifth on the list. Kocsis debuted for the Hungary national team in 1948 at the age of 18 and played almost 70 matches before retiring in 1966. 

Kocsis was the highest goalscorer in the 1954 World Cup with 11 goals including two hat-tricks. He also scored 6 goals for the Hungary national team in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and led them to win the Gold medal.

According to estimated data sources, Sandor Kocsis scored 75 goals for the national team and he also made 50 assists in international football.

4. Ferenc Puskás - 53 Assists*

Another Hungarian, and probably the greatest Hungarian footballer ever, Ferenc Puskás made his debut for the Hungary national team in 1945. He played 85 games for the national team and scored 84 goals. 

Puskás was another crucial part of the Hungary team that won the Gold medal in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as he scored 4 goals in that tournament. Puskás also scored 4 goals in the 1954 World Cup including the opening goal in the final but Hungary lost to West Germany by 2-3. 

Puskás also played for the Spain national team for 4 times. He was named European Player of the 20th Century by L'Equipe. 

Before retiring from football in 1966, Puskás had 53 assists by his name. 

3. Lionel Messi - 57 Assists

Arguably considered the greatest footballer ever, Lionel Messi is both one of the best goalscorers and playmakers to ever grace the game. Debuting in 2005, Lionel Messi has made 189 appearances for the Argentina national team so far. 

Messi's greatest honour with the national team came in 2022 when he led Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup, and he was named the Best Player of the Tournament. Messi is the only player to win two Golden Ball awards in 2014 and 2022. 

The record 8-time Ballon winner also won two Copa Americas with Argentina, consecutively in 2021 and 2024. 

With 112 goals for the national team, he also made 57 assists in international games and he will surely surpass the toppers of the list in his remaining appearances for Argentina. 

2. Neymar Jr. - 58 Assists

The greatest Brazilian footballer of this generation, Neymar Jr. is another forward whose display is not only exquisite in goalscoring but also in playmaking. 

Neymar Jr. made his debut with the Brazilian national team in 2010 and won the Golden Ball for being selected as the best player of the tournament in Brazil's Confederations Cup triumph in 2013. He scored 4 goals and made 2 assists in 5 matches in that tournament.

However, after suffering a horrendous injury in the 2014 World Cup, Neymar led the Brazil team to win the Olympics Gold on home soil in the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

Neymar is also the all-time highest goalscorer of Brazil's national football team with 79 goals by his name. Neymar is tied with the leader on this list with his 58 assists in 129 international appearances but he will surely clinch the top spot in his remaining career. 

1. Landon Donovan - 58 Assists

The USMNT footballing legend is the leader in this list which may shock some but does not demean his excellence. Landon Donovan is considered the greatest footballer the USMNT has ever had. Making his debut in 2000 for the USMNT, he made 157 appearances before retiring from international football in 2014. 

Landon Donovan appeared in 3 editions of the World Cup and scored 5 goals in 12 World Cup appearances. He also won 4 CONCACAF Gold Cups with USMNT in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2013. After his retirement, Donovan was named as the greatest-ever USMNT player by The Guardian.

Landon Donovan is still atop the list with 58 international assists by his name. 

NB: In case of starred (*) players, there are no authentic records, and their stats are mostly estimated by various sources. 

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of the UEFA Euro 2024 football match. Tonight we will be covering the high-voltage knockout game between France and Belgium. Both teams have underperformed despite having tremendous potential in their squads. The winner of this France vs Belgium round of 16 match will be playing their quarter-final match against the winner between Portugal and Slovenia.

Do you know which teams qualified for the Round of 16 of  Euro 2024?

This is Koushik Biswas, who will bring you all the live updates of this match from the web desk. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the match updates.

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"Argentina Merch On," said the commentator as Lautaro Martinez scored the final shootout of the FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-final between Argentina and Netherlands.

Nahuel Molina started the proceedings for Argentina as he scored in the 35th minute of the match in which was touted to be toughest match for them in FIFA World Cup 2022. The youngster did not miss his chance to jump on Messi's lap after scoring that electryfying goal. Lionel Messi then scored from the spot in the 73rd minute to give Argentina a 2-0 lead.

Also Read: 5 Jinxes Argentina broke after winning the FIFA World Cup 2022

Things were looking all easy for Lionel Scaloni's men until Wout Weghorst came in as a substitute for the Netherlands team. He came and just massacred the hearts of Argentine fans with two goals in 83rd and 90+11 minute of the match to take the game into the extra time.

The game was tied at 2-2 after full 120 minutes when an epic penalty shootout took place at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Netherlands defender and captain Virgil van Dijk missed the first shot to give Argentina the advantage. Emiliano Martinez with a great save, jumping to his left. Lionel Messi, the captain of the Argentina team then stepped up to take the first shot of the shootout for his team and he scored. 0-1 for Argentina after first shot.

Steven Berghuis missed the second shot for the Dutch team to provide Leandro Paredes an opportunity to give Argentina a 0-2 lead. Emiliano Martinez again with a great save. This time, jumping to his left.

Teun Koopmeiners converted from the spot for the Netherlands for the first time to give them some hope. However, Gonzalo Montiel made sure that his team keep the gap alive to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-finals.

Things got a bit tensed for Lionel Scaloni's men as Enzo Fernández missed the fourth shot for them after Wout Weghorst scored for the Dutch team to make it 3-2 after four shots each.

However, with a deficit of one goal already, Argentina just had to make sure they scored in the last shot after Luke de Jong scored from Netherlands last shot. Lautaro Martínez's clinical penalty then made sure that Argentina were the one going to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 which they eventually went on to win.

Watch: Lionel Scaloni's reaction as Argentina qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-finals