Football is the most-watched sport in the world. People watch it with passion and support their favourite teams from the heart. Fans who follow the game precisely, love interesting football facts both about teams and players. So, in this article, we'll bring you football facts about players who have won the UCL, Premier League and the World Cup in their career.

Winning all three above-mentioned titles isn't everyone's cup of tea. Legends of the game who played in the Premier League failed to achieve all the titles. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and many other PL legends couldn't win all three.

There are only 6 players who have achieved this incredible feat:

1. Fabien Barthez | Manchester United, Marseille, France

Legendary goalkeeper Fabien Barthez had an extraordinary career. He enjoyed success everywhere he played. He won the UEFA Champions League in the year 1992 with Marseille. Barthez performed exceptionally and helped his team win the Champions League. He conceded just 4 goals and kept 7 clean sheets in 10 games that season.

The Frenchman was his nation's first-choice goalkeeper during their World Cup triumph in 1998. The world-cup-winning goalkeeper holds the joint record of keeping the highest no. of clean sheets (10) along with Peter Shilton.
Fabien Barthez then went on to win the Premier League twice(2000,2004) with Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson to complete the set.

Also Read: 5 memorable performances by Indian football teams in Asian competitions

2. Juliano Belletti | Chelsea, Barcelona, Brazil

Juliano Belletti is one of the most underrated players in football. Perhaps he was underrated because of the overwhelming stars present in Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning campaign. He won the World Cup in 2002 with Brazil. However, one of the most interesting football facts is he only played 5 minutes in the tournament and he still has a winner's medal

His Champions League triumph with FC Barcelona was different. He featured 10 times in the Blaugrana jersey in the competition. Belletti scored the winning goal in the UCL final for Barcelona in 2006.

Belletti won the premier league with Chelsea in the 2009/10 season to complete the achievement.

3. Pedro Rodriguez | Chelsea, Barcelona, Spain

Pedro Rodriguez, the Barcelona legend has won all 3 titles. He played a major part under Pep Guardiola's Barcelona in their title-winning run in 2008-12. He won 3 Champions League titles with Barcelona; two under Pep and one under Luis Enrique. 

Pedro played a very important role in the WorldCup winning run of Spain in 2010. He made the winner assist in the quarter-final and featured in the starting xi of the final against the Netherlands. 

He then moved to Chelsea after his successful career in Barcelona. He played a vital role in Antonio Conte's 2016/17 title win, scoring 19 goals and assists.

Also Read: Most Champions League titles won by Football Clubs

4. Gerard Pique | Manchester United, Barcelona, Spain

Gerard Pique has won it all. He won the premier league with Manchester United in the 2007/08 season. He appeared briefly under Sir Alex Ferguson's squad to win the Premier League medal. 

Pique won the Champions League with Barcelona under Pep. His major trophies came with Barcelona along with 3 UCL titles. He was one of the core players in the squad and played a very important role in the team's defence. 

He was also a part of Spain's World Cup-winning side in 2010. The team relied upon his defensive abilities. He played every single minute in the 2010 WorldCup and was one of the most important players in the squad.

5. Thierry Henry | Arsenal, Barcelona, France

Henry is one of the greatest players ever to step foot in the Premier League. He won the title with Arsenal under Wenger in 2001 and 2004. He was also part of the famous invincible squad that won the PL without a defeat. 

Before his PL achievements, he had already won the World Cup in 1998. He was an integral part of the France World Cup-winning squad alongside Zidane and others. 

Later in his career, he helped Barcelona win the Champions League under Pep. He scored 5 goals and assisted 3 during their triumph in 2008-09.

Also read: Football Facts: Son-Father Football Pair Who Played For Same Club

6. N'Golo Kante | Chelsea/Leicester City, Chelsea, France

The latest addition to this list, N'Golo Kante, also happens to be the only player to have won the league with two teams. He did the unthinkable to win the premier league with Leicester City. Kante was the backbone of Antonio Conte's league-winning run in 2016/17 as well. 

Recently, he won the Champions League title with Chelsea for the first time and was the best player of Chelsea day in and out.
N'Golo Kante was the heart-beat of the Worldcup winning team of France in 2018. He helped France win their first World Cup since 1998 under Deschamps.

7. Julian Alvarez | Manchester City, Argentina

Julian Alvarez, one of the best young players in the world currently, is the most recent player to win the trio of Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup.

Alvarez, playing for Manchester City, won the Premier League title twice in 2022-23 and 2023-24. He won the Champions League for City in the 2022-23, where they won the treble. 

And, his successful 2022-23 season had the best spark when he lifted the FIFA World Cup 2022 with Argentina and scored some crucial goals for La Albiceleste. 

Premier League, also known as English Premier League, is a top-tier football league in England. This league consists of 20 teams in a league system with a relegation and promotion system to/from the English Championship.

Each team plays 38 matches against every other 19 at home and away. The seasons generally start in August and run till May. The Premier League is the most-watched sports league globally and is broadcast in over 200 territories with an average number of viewers of 4.7 billion.

The top 4 finishers of every year qualify directly for the UEFA Champions League. Also, the Premier League is the most valuable sports league in the world, with a valuation of 4 billion pounds.

This league also has a direct effect on the economy of England. Different regions have different clubs with private ownership. The prize money for the winning team is 125 million pounds. Along with this winning amount, TV/ broadcast money also gets added. And the rest of the sponsorship money is equally distributed among the other 19 clubs.

Read also- Most Bundesliga titles till 2023

Premier League: History

The Football League First Division was the top-tier football league in England from 1888. But, post-1970s and early 1980s, the league started to reach a low point with incidents like the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, which got them banned from UEFA Compettions for 5 years. 

But after England reached the 1990 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, the downward trend started to reverse. The stadium started to get filled, and the Taylor Report on stadium safety standards also helped clubs to create better standard stadiums. 

After a dispute over TV rights and maximising the club revenue, the big five clubs, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and Arsenal opted to come out of the Football League First Division and create another league. 

At the close of the 1990-91 season, the FA Premier League was formed, and from 1992-93 the Premier League era started with 22 teams. Manchester United were the first Premier League champions and went on to win seven of the first nine trophies.

Who has won the most Premier League titles?

Till now, 51 teams have played in the Premier League since the tournament was rebranded in 1992. 7 teams have successfully won the Premier League title. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham are considered the 'Big Six' in the Premier League. Unfortunately, Tottenham haven't lifted any major title in their history, but still, they go toe to toe with every club and take part in the title race.

Most Premier League titles won by the clubs

Most Premier League Titles

7. Liverpool FC - 1 title

The Anfield Giants are one of the most popular English Clubs. Midfield maestros Steven Gerrard and William Shankly were a few of the legends that the club produced.

However, Liverpool had to wait for 30 years for their first-ever Premier League title. The club won the Premier League once in 2019-20 under German tactician Jurgen Klopp. That was Liverpool's nineteenth overall title in England's top-tier football. 

Mohamed Salah, with 19 goals, was one of the star performers for the Reds in that season. 

6. Leicester City - 1 title

In the 2015-16 Premier League season, Leicester City won the title in the Premier League. They were considered to be an underdog before but they overcame the rough phase and won the Premier League title in the club's 132-year history.

Striker Jamie Vardy broke the record for consecutive games with a goal in the Premier League (11). Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez became both the first African and Algerian player to be the recipient of the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Also Read: Football Facts: Son-Father Football Pair Who Played For Same Club

5. Blackburn Rovers - 1 title

Blackburn Rovers was one of the 22 founding members of the Premier League era. They won the Premier League a long time ago in the 1994-95 season. Alan Shearer, with 34 goals for them, was the top scorer of the season. However, they were relegated in the 1998–99 season, becoming one of the 42 teams that were relegated as the Premier League champions.

Right after two seasons, they were promoted again in the 2000-01 season, but they were relegated yet once again, and that too in the same season. Unfortunately, they have not returned to the Premier League since then.

4. Arsenal FC - 3 titles

The London Giants Arsenal are one of the most famous football clubs on planet earth. They have won the title 3 times in the years 1997-98, 2001-02, and 2003-04.

They were the first club to create Premier League history by maintaining a 38-game unbeaten streak to win the title in 2003-04.

In domestic football, Arsenal has won 13 league titles, a record 14 FA Cups, two League Cups, and 17 FA Community Shields, but they haven't won a single European title yet.

Read Also: The Invincibles: 8 times a football team won their league undefeated

3. Chelsea FC - 5 titles

Another London club, Chelsea, is on this list, and there is no doubt why they are the best London Club in the Premier League. They won the title 5 times in the years 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2014-15, and 2016-17.

The Blues won their first Premier League title under the 'Special One' Jose Mourinho, who completely changed the face of this London Club alongside Roman Abramovich, who was the Chelsea owner at that time.

They have also won the Champions League 2 times, alongside 2 Europa League titles. 

2. Manchester City - 8 titles

Manchester City, the Blue side of Manchester, are the reigning champions of England and Europe. This team have won the title 7 times in the years 2011-12, 2013-14, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.

In the 2023-24 season, Manchester City became the first club to win the Premier League for a record fourth consecutive season. No side in English football history had ever won the top-flight more than three years back-to-back.

They are the second Club after Manchester United to complete the three-pit in the Premier League and win the European treble.

The club has won nine league titles, seven FA Cups, eight League Cups, six FA Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, one European Cup Winners' Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup.

Read Also | Barcelona 2008/09 vs Man City 2022/23 - which Pep Guardiola treble team is better?

1. Manchester United - 13 titles

The team with the most Premier League Titles is Manchester United, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. They are the most successful team in the English Premier League and also the most famous English Club on the Entire Planet Earth. United were also the first-ever team to win the Premier League.

They were the first English club to ever win the European treble, and that remained a record until Manchester City finally matched it in the 2022-23 season. Manchester United won the titles in 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, and 2012-13.

Read Also | 15 most successful football clubs in England

They have also won the most number of trophies in England, and that happened because of the Scottish manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. Sir Alex is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time and has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of football

Leeds United and Burnley have secured promotion to the Premier League for the next season after confirming the top places in the EFL Championship this season on Monday. 

WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!!! pic.twitter.com/iyGtdHe8nI

— Leeds United (@LUFC) April 21, 2025

Leeds, who last played in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season, will return to the top flight after beating Stoke City by 6-0. Joel Piroe scored four goals for Daniel Farke's Whites to have a chance to secure the automatic promotion. 

Read Also | 20 Biggest Premier League Wins in History

Piroe is now leading the race for the Championship Golden Boot with 19 goals, two ahead of his next competitor, Norwich City's Borja Sainz.

Burnley beat Sheffield United by 2-1

But Leeds needed Sheffield United to drop points at Turf Moor against Burnley later. Josh Brownhill's first-half brace was enough for Burnley to secure an easy 2-1 win over the Blades as both Clarets and the Whites confirmed their Premier League return. 

Burnley (W19 D11) are now just the second team in Championship history to go 30 consecutive games without losing after Reading (33) between August 2005 and February 2006.

Burnley, who played in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, will return to the Premier League after a gap of one season. This means that this would be the third time Burnley head coach Scott Parker has secured promotion with a Championship side. Parker had taken Fulham to the Premier League in 2019/20 and AFC Bournemouth in 2021/22.

With Leeds' promotion, the Premier League will see the return of Daniel Farke, who coached Norwich City for 49 games in the top flight in two stints in 2018/19 and 2020/21.

Read Also | 15 most successful football clubs in England

Championship points table with two matches to go

Which other team can get the promotion?

Teams finishing third to sixth in the Championship points table will compete in the playoffs, before the mega final at Wembley Stadium. The winner of the final will finish in third place to earn a promotion to the Premier League alongside Leeds United and Burnley FC.

The Champions League was earlier called the European Cup, and it started in 1955, and the first winner was Real Madrid. For the next 5 years, Real Madrid did not let anyone get close to the trophy.

Since then, 23 teams have won the glory, with Manchester City being the most recent one. As we get close to another UEFA Champions League final, we take a look at the Champions League winners list since 1965.

The Champions League winners list since 1955/56 is:

1956 - Real Madrid
1957 - Real Madrid
1958 - Real Madrid
1959 - Real Madrid
1960 - Real Madrid
1961 - Benfica
1962 - Benfica
1963 - AC Milan
1964 - Inter Milan
1965 - Inter Milan
1966 - Real Madrid
1967 - Celtic
1968 - Manchester United
1969- AC Milan
1970- Feyenoord
1971 - Ajax
1972 - Ajax
1973 - Ajax
1974 - Bayern
1975 - Bayern
1976 - Bayern
1977 - Liverpool
1978 - Liverpool
1979 - Nottingham Forest
1980 - Nottingham Forest
1981 - Liverpool
1982 - Aston Villa
1983 - Hamburger SV|
1984 - Liverpool
1985 - Juventus FC
1986 - Steaua București
1987 - FC Porto
1988 - PSV
1989 - AC Milan 
1990 - AC Milan
1991 - Red Star Belgrade
1992 - Barcelona
1993 - Olympique de Marseille
1994 - AC Milan
1995 - Ajax
1996 - Juventus FC
1997 - Borussia Dortmund
1998 - Real Madrid
1999 - Manchester United
2000 - Real Madrid
2001 - Bayern 
2002 - Real Madrid
2003 - AC Milan
2004 - Porto
2005 - Liverpool
2006 - Barcelona
2007 - AC Milan
2008 - Manchester United
2009 - Barcelona
2010 - Inter Milan
2011 - Barcelona
2012 - Chelsea FC
2013 - Bayern Munich
2014 - Real Madrid
2015 - Barcelona
2016 - Real Madrid
2017 - Real Madrid
2018 - Real Madrid
2019 - Liverpool
2020 - Bayern Munich
2021 - Chelsea FC
2022 - Real Madrid
2023 - Manchester City
2024 - Real Madrid

Let's have a look at the teams with the most trophies since 1955/56: 

Real Madrid x 15
AC Milan x 7
Bayern x 6 
Liverpool FC x 6
FC Barcelona x 5
Ajax x 4
Inter x 3
Manchester United x 3
Juventus x 2 
Benfica x 2
Nottingham Forest  x 2
Porto x 2
Chelsea x 3
Celtic x 1
Hamburger SV x 1
Steaua București x 1 
Olympique de Marseille x 1
Borussia Dortmund x 1
Feyenoord x 1
Aston Villa x 1
PSV x 1
Red Star Belgrade x 1
Manchester City x 1

The second-leg matchdays of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final ties have gifted us some memorable UCL nights through four of the best matches this season.

Best performance? ⭐#UCL pic.twitter.com/1aI2lUemcp

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 17, 2025

Aston Villa came back from trailing to beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 at home, whereas Dortmund defeated Barcelona 3-1, but both sides were knocked out on aggregate.

Arsenal kept their UCL unbeaten streak against Real Madrid intact, beating them 2-1 in the second leg, advancing to the semis. Inter Milan also shared the spoils with Bayern Munich in a 2-2 draw, but sealed their passage to the semi-finals.

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Semi-finals: Everything you need to know

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final Second Leg Round Up

Aston Villa 3-2 Paris Saint-Germain (AGG 4-5)

Playing at their home, Villa Park, Aston Villa did not get off to a good start, letting in two goals in 30 minutes, through the PSG full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes.

Paris Saint-Germain dominated the first half, despite ending it at 2–1 as Youri Tielemans pulled one back. The second half, though, was a Villa fairy tale, netting two more goals from McGinn and Konsa and hunting for the third. Marco Asensio, late on the field, promptly made his mark, nearly scoring against his parent club.

A @ChampionsLeague campaign to remember 👏 pic.twitter.com/TcQRFgGk0n

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 16, 2025

Unfortunately, they never did achieve that goal they required, and PSG fired into the semis with a slender lead, but winning 5-4 on aggregate.

Read Also | Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final 2nd leg Highlights | Villa earn a heroic win in a chilling clash; PSG are through to the semis| FT AVL 3-2 PSG (AGG 4-5)

Borussia Dortmund 3-1 FC Barcelona (AGG 3-5)

The Guirassy hat-trick could not keep this mercurial Borussia Dortmund side out. Even though FC Barcelona seemed all at sea, making mistake after mistake that we did not witness in last week's match, they were still able to keep them at bay.

Four teams left. Barça’s one of them. pic.twitter.com/8y623imepZ

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 15, 2025

They did not really begin to play like their own team until Pedri came onto the field in the later stages. Other notable players in this game were De Jong holding in the midfield and Szczesny playing like he’s in his prime. However, a Bensebaini own goal kept Barca on a two-goal cushion to safely guide them through to the semis.

Read Also | Borussia Dortmund vs FC Barcelona UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final: Barcelona qualify for the semis after six years despite losing the second leg

Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal (AGG 1-5)

"Remontada," a term that was heard being uttered repeatedly again and again with this Real Madrid team, mostly from Bellingham. However, Arsenal crushed their dream of a magical comeback with a 2-1 victory in the return leg at Bernabeu.

Arsenal performed fantastically, and Arteta is worthy of all the accolades for the display set out away at the Bernabéu. Rice performed masterfully; he was all over the pitch, marking every pass; no one was penetrating him.

Ninety long minutes at the Bernabeu, and we heard you all game long.

Thank you, Gooners ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Oauif8UmBB

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 16, 2025

Bukayo Saka failed to convert an early penalty due to a marvellous save from Courtois. However, he redeemed himself with the opening goal in the 65th minute, but it was canceled out after Vinicius scored the equalizer only two minutes later.

Gabriel Martinelli netted the winner in injury time, leading Arsenal to another win against Real Madrid and keeping their unbeaten record against Los Blancos in the UCL intact.

Read Also | Real Madrid vs Arsenal UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final: Arsenal knock Madrid out to qualify for the semis after 16 years

Inter Milan 2-2 Bayern Munich (AGG 4-3)

The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 has delivered the finest and most entertaining football in the quarter-final round that concluded last night.

Only four teams are now alive on the way to Munich, where the UCL 2024-25 Final will be played on the first of June to lift the beautiful Champions League trophy.

Arsenal, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain have survived the obstacles on the way to seal their passage to the UCL 2024-25 Semi-finals.

These teams will battle it out for their place in the finals, as we can expect nothing short of absolute dramas, thrilling battles, and the extraordinary artistry of football at its very best.

Who is going to Munich? 🤔#UCL pic.twitter.com/V5THok5kgP

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 16, 2025

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Semi-final Ties

• SF1: Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain
• SF2: FC Barcelona vs Inter Milan

Which tie are you looking forward to most? 🤔#UCL pic.twitter.com/Y0Tmva9rzO

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 16, 2025

Schedule

• First Leg: April 30 - May 1, 2025
• Second Leg: May 7-8, 2025

Fixtures

• Semi-final 1 Leg 1: Arsenal vs PSG (Emirates Stadium, 30 April, 12:30 AM IST)
• Semi-final 2 Leg 1: Barcelona vs Inter (Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, 1 May, 12:30 AM IST)
• Semi-final 1 Leg 2: PSG vs Arsenal (Parc des Princes, 8 May, 12:30 AM IST)
• Semi-final 2 Leg 2: Inter vs Barcelona (San Siro, 7 May, 12:30 AM IST)

Teams

Arsenal

Apart from a 1-0 defeat at Inter on Matchday 4, Arsenal's performance in the league phase was almost flawless. Based on the tournament's second-best defence, the goals began flowing more easily at the opposite end following the 5-1 away triumph over Sporting CP, followed by 3-0 home victories over Monaco and GNK Dinamo.

They maintained that form throughout their knockout stage campaign as their round of 16 campaign started with an impressive 9-3 aggregate win over PSV.

However, their best performance of the tournament so far was a memorable 3-0 quarter-final first-leg win at home against Real Madrid, before finishing off the job 2-1 at the Bernabéu to gain an astonishing 5-1 aggregate win over the defending champions and advance to the semi-finals for the first time since 2008/09.

FC Barcelona

After Barcelona started the season losing at Monaco, not even the most ardent fan would have bet on seven convincing victories in their next league phase games. 

The Catalan club and their new coach, Hansi Flick, have impressed not just with the wins but with the fluid, attacking football they have been playing. A nine-goal carnival in Lisbon against Benfica on Matchday 7 will be etched in memory forever, while a hard-fought round of 16 tie against the same rivals indicates this Barca team can win slenderly when it needs to. 

Raphinha and Lamine Yamal later showed their class in the return with starring displays to cement qualification, and the pair were back on the scoresheet in the breathtaking 4-0 victory over Dortmund in their quarter-final first leg, which provided them with the buffer needed to hold on to a 3-1 loss in the return leg.

Inter Milan

Simone Inzaghi's Inter Milan have made themselves one of Europe's top performers in recent times and asserted their solidity by having allowed just one goal in eight league phase fixtures prior to posting yet another shutout in Round of 16 first-leg triumph at Feyenoord, extending to go ahead 4-1 on aggregate.

Despite the objectives not coming in the league phase (four 1-0 wins) – a reflection on Serie A where the Nerazzurri had scored 55 in their opening 21 matches – they knocked out Feyenoord clinically before a memorable display at Munich secured a 2-1 first-leg victory of their quarter-final. 

It was chilling at times, but they scraped over the line with a 2-2 draw against an adamant Bayern at the Stadio San Siro to complete the business.

Paris Saint-Germain

PSG could not manage top speed during the league phase. Though victories over Girona and Salzburg strengthened their bid, their quest was plagued with danger. Luis Enrique's team did not struggle to create chances, but turning them into results proved to be their undoing until the miraculous 4-2 comeback against Manchester City. 

Following a dominating elimination of home opponents Brest in the play-offs for qualification to the knockout phase, that very same lack of clinical cutting edge was on display once again as Paris squandered many opportunities in a 1-0 first leg round of 16 loss to Liverpool.

But they buried deep to pick up at Anfield, coming back 1-0 on the evening previous to remain composed to win on penalties, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma the man of the day with two phenomenal saves. Italian goalkeeper was key once again as they made their way to the semi-finals, making some important saves in the 3-2 loss to Aston Villa in the return leg, which came after 3-1 first-leg victory at Parc des Princes.