Football Facts: Players With Champions League, World Cup and Ballon d'Or

Football is the biggest sport in the world as nearly every country in the world plays the sport. As a global sport, sometimes it is really tough to make it big in football, just because of competition. And, if you are talking about winning the three biggest trophies in world football, it is a rare incident. However, with some geniuses on the field, we have seen some remarkable football facts happening over the years. So, it gives us a chance to take a look at those players with great achievements and football facts. Today we will take a look at those players who won the Champions League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or.

UFA Champions League

The Champions League is the biggest club tournament in the Europe. Also, it is considered as the best football tournament in the world. The top clubs from the top tier national leagues participate in this tournament. The competition had started in 1955 and since then Real Madrid has been the most successful club in the tournament. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most successful player in the Champions League with 134 goals in the tournament.

Read Also: Most Champions League Goals In History

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest international tournament in the world. 32 qualified countries compete with each other for the biggest prize in international football. Brazil is the most successful team in the world cup with 5 titles. Meanwhile, Miroslav Klose is the top scorer in the Football World Cup with 16 goals against his name.

Ballon d'Or

Ballon d'Or is the biggest individual prize in football. The award is given to the best player in the world for a single season. The award is being given to the players since 1956 and is the most prestigious individual award in football history. However, from 2011-2015 the award was merged with FIFA World Player of the year. Lionel Messi has won the most Ballon d'Or award (6) than any other player in football history.

Football Facts : Players with Champions League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or

As you already got the idea of how big these three trophies are in football world, you can imagine how tough it can be to win all of them in a career. There are only 8 players who won Champion League, FIFA World Cup and Ballon d'Or in their career. Let's find them out in this special football facts segments.

#1 Sir Bobby Charlton

The England legend was the first player to achieve this feat of winning all the big trophies in football. Booby Charlton spent 17 years in Manchester United when the club became one of the biggest football clubs in England. Chalrton scored 115 goals in his club career before retiring in 1979.

Sir Bobby Charlton won the FIFA World Cup in 1966 and was adjudged as the best player in the world too. He won the 1996 Ballon d'Or award. Charlton had scored 3 goals in that World Cup and had some major contributions to the team.

Read Also: Most Premier League Titles by English Clubs: Premier League 2021

#2 Franz Beckenbauer

Nicknamed as the "Der Kiser (The Emperor)", Beckenbauer is the second player on our list of this special football facts. The German was a defender known for his leadership skill and elegant football. The Bayern Munich legend won the Ballon d'Or award twice in 1972 and 1976.

Beckenbauer also managed to win 3 Champions League which was called the European Champion's Club Cup Winner. He won it with Bayern Munich in 1974, 1975 and 1976.

But, the major success in his career came in 1974 when he won the FIFA World Cup. That was West Germany's second FIFA World Cup title.

Read Also: Most Champions League titles won by Football Clubs

#3 Gerd Muller

Gerd Muller is regarded as one of the best football players in the history of the game. He has the most goals per match ratio (0.95) in the Champions League history.

The center forward from the Germany won 1 Ballon d'Or, 3 Champions League and 1 FIFA World Cup. Actually, it was his 15 years at Bayern Munich that made him the legend that he is.

Muller was a teammate of Beckenbauer that won the 1974 FIFA World Cup. In fact along with Beckenbauer, he played a major role in Bayern Munich winning the Champions League in three consecutive years in 1974, 1975 and 1976. However, Muller won the Ballon d'Or in the year 1970.

#4 Paolo Rossi

The center forward from Italy won it all when it comes to football. With 133 goals in his club career he was one of the best of his times. The 1980's was a successful decade for him.

Rossi won the FIFA World Cup in 1982 and that made him earn the Ballon d'Or award as well. He was the top scorer of 1982 FIFA World Cup with 6 goals.

Then the Italian legend went on to win the 1984/85 Champions League with Juventus FC. However, Rossi had nearly 11 transfers in his club career, which is quite astonishing as well.

#5 Zinedine Zidane

The France international might be the most influential player in his country's recent football history. Zidane is known for his style of play, skills and control on the ball and goal scoring ability.

The Juventus and Real Madrid legend managed to win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and then went on to win the 1998 Ballon d'Or as well.

Zidane won the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid. It was also the only Champions League he won in his career. However, the 2006 FIFA World Cup incident finished his international career infamously.

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

#6 Rivaldo

Rivaldo, the former Brazilian captain had everything that a captain should have. Moreover, when you are representing the rich football history of Brazilian football, either you soak the pressure or you rise above it.

The Brazilian forward has 35 international goals in his career. Also, he has scored 233 goals in his club career as well. Rivaldo won the 1999 Ballon D'or following Zidane's success at 1998.

Rivaldo won the FIFA World Cup in 2002 as a captain in Japan. Then he went on to win the UEFA Champions League in 2002-03 season with AC Milan as well. Therefore, Rivaldo becomes the 6th player on our football facts list.

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

#7 Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is probably the most skillful player of this generation. If it was not for his life-style, he might have been the best to play the game. With a game making knowledge and dribbling skill, he was loved by everyone in football world.

With 197 goals, Ronaldinho is one of the most successful midfielder of the last 20 years. His bonding with Kaka and contribution in Messi's early career is still a beautiful football story.

Ronaldinho won the 2002 FIFA World Cup along with Rivalodo and Kaka. Then he went on to win the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and UEFA Champions League in 2005/06 season with Barcelona.

Read Also: Top 10 highest scoring midfielders in the 21st century: Football facts

#8 Kaka

It is not astonishing to see that the most recent players to win Champions League, World Cup and Ballon d'Or are from Brazil. This is how the good the Brazil team was at that time.

Along with Rivaldo and Rolandinho, Kaka won the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Then, while playing for the AC Milan, he won everything in football. In 2007, he won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan and then he went on to in the Ballon d'Or also in the same year.

In addition to that, Kaka became the highest-paid footballer in the world after AC Milan extended their contract for nearly $12 Million.

Who do you think can enter this astonishing list of football facts?