Morocco vs Croatia is next as Morocco face 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia on Wednesday morning in the opening match of Group F.

Match Details:

• Location: Al Kohr, Qatar
• Stadium: Al Bayt Stadium
• Date: Wednesday 23 November
• Kick-off Time: 3:30 PM IST
• Watch: Sports 18/HD, Jio Cinema App

Morocco vs Croatia: Match Preview:

Surprise 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, led by Golden Ball winner Luka Modric, will look to storm the world yet again as they take on Morocco in Group F play.

This is #Croatia.
This is the #FIFAWorldCup.
We believe. #Family ❤️‍🔥 #Vatreni pic.twitter.com/2O9o6veOCk

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) November 21, 2022

Croatia pipped Argentina to the top of Group D, and then toppled Denmark, Russia, and England to reach the 2018 final.

This year, they'll look to begin a new journey against a Morocco side that slumped out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the quarterfinals back in February.

المكسيك 70و86، الولايات المتحدة 94، فرنسا 98، روسيا 2018 وقطر 2022
حان وقت زئير الأسود 🦁
⏮️ From 1970 to 2022!
This year's marks Morocco's 6th participation to the World Cup 🇲🇦#DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/gAHmnOdCKg

— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) November 21, 2022

Still, the Atlas Lions passed a number of their pre-World Cup tests. Morocco took care of Georgia and Chile in pre-World Cup friendlies, plus a draw with Paraguay and defeat to the United States in the tournament run-up.

Team News:

Morocco:

The luckless Amine Harit sprained his cruciate ligament in Marseille's final league match before the international hiatus. Ironically, the Monaco player that committed the foul, Axel Disasi, was a late addition to France's World Cup squad after injury opened an extra slot in Didier Deschamps' squad.

الصورة الرسمية لبعثة المنتخب الوطني بقطر 🦁

📷 The official picture of our Team for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 🤩#DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/C89NreWmwM

— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) November 17, 2022

Burnley's Anass Zaroury has replaced Harit in Morocco's setup.

Selim Amallah hasn't featured for Standard Liege since September but was still called up Walid Regragui. The Barcelona loanee Ez Abde has also been nursing a muscular complaint which leaves his involvement in the opener uncertain.

Croatia:

Croatia emerged unscathed from their final pre-World Cup friendly with Saudi Arabia. Marko Livaja and Kristijan Jakic were the only members of the 26-man squad that didn't feature in Riyadh – though neither are thought to be injury doubts.

As you prepare for tomorrow's opener against Morocco, check out #Croatia's Monday national team activities 🎥👇#FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 #Family ❤️‍🔥 #Vatreni pic.twitter.com/R8MXbi4oLO

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) November 22, 2022

Morocco vs Croatia: Head to Head:

The two teams will be meeting for just the second time. This will be the first meeting of these two sides in an official game, as their only previous encounter took place in the Hassan II Trophy, a friendly tournament in 1996.

The game ended 2-2 in regular time and had to be decided on penalties. Croatia came out on top in the shootout, securing a 7-6 win.

السيد باتريس موتسيبي رئيس الاتحاد الافريقي لكرة القدم يدعم لاعبي المنتخب الوطني 🙌🏻

Patrice Motsepe, President of CAF, visited our National Team before their training session, in company of Mr Fouzi Lekjaa, to motivate and encourage them for their next games #DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/g4Zx9BWxTK

— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) November 21, 2022

Predicted Line-ups:

Morocco Starting 11 (4-3-3): Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss, Mazraoui; Amallah, Amrabat, Ounahi; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal.
Bench: Mohamedi, Tagnaouti, El Yamiq, Dari, Benoun, Attiyat Allah, Zaroury, Chair, Aboukhlal, El Khannous, Jabrane, Hamdallah, Sabiri, Abde, Cheddira.

Croatia Starting 11 (4-3-3): Livakovic; Juranovic, Sutalo, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Vlasic, Kramaric, Perisic.
Bench: Grbic, Ivusic, Stanisic, Barisic, Erlic, Lovren, Vida, Majer, Pasalic, Sucic, Jakic, Livaja, Petkovic, Budimir, Orsic.

Tko to ne bi zasuzio?

Dogodio se i taj dan. Dan koji je zauvijek promijenio hrvatsku nogometnu i sportsku povijest. F I N A L E. Ej! I to na dvadesetu obljetnicu povijesne bronce. 🤩

📰 https://t.co/sUEtPzO7o1#FIFAWorldCup #Obitelj ❤️‍🔥 #Vatreni pic.twitter.com/6A2IfIPBRn

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) November 21, 2022

MOR vs CRO: Dream11 Predictions:

For more Morocco vs Croatia, follow Sports Point.

Football is a sport that often brings limelight to certain footballers but sometimes keeps many at bay. Around football discussions worldwide, these footballers are not mentioned often, even after achieving significant accolades. 

Talking about the underrated footballers in International football, we must understand that it is very different from club football. It is tougher to leave a mark except performing in the continental and World Cup-like tournaments in every four years.

However, these footballers have always performed masterfully well while donning their national kit, bringing noteworthy achievements to their respective nations. Still, they have remained underrated in the consideration of either the fans or the football pundits.

Sportz Point explores the top 20 most underrated players in international football in this special article. This list is not a rank, but a summarisation of some underrated footballers who deserve more praise. 

Top 20 Most Underrated Players in International Football

Angel Di Maria

• National team: Argentina
• Position: Right Winger
• Appearances: 145
• Goals: 31
• Assists: 32

Notable trivia: Angel Di Maria is not given the importance he deserves for the recent successes of the Argentina National team. The 36-year-old winger retired from international football in July 2024, leaving behind an unmatched legacy. 

Most importantly, Di Maria won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, two Copa America titles in 2020 and 2024, and the Finalissima 2022, as he scored in each of the finals for Argentina except for the 2024 Copa, showing his towering presence for the national team. 

Di Maria remained underrated for the gigantic presence of Lionel Messi as his teammate, but nothing can belittle his huge contribution to Argentina's recent success of winning four trophies in four years.

Thomas Muller 

• National team: Germany
• Position: Attacking Midfielder
• Appearances: 131
• Goals: 45
• Assists: 41

Notable trivia: Thomas Muller has 10 goals and 6 assists in 19 World Cup appearances for Germany. The attacking midfielder registered 5 goals and 3 assists in his first-ever World Cup campaign in 2010, earning him the Golden Boot.

In the following World Cup, Muller was pivotal in Germany's World Cup glory, having scored 5 goals and 3 assists. Although he lost the Golden Ball to Lionel Messi that year, Muller was undoubtedly the best player of the German team, along with Manuel Neuer and Miroslav Klose.

Muller won the 2014 World Cup and finished third in EURO 2012 with Germany, as he retired in July 2024 after Germany's elimination from the EURO 2024.

Olivier Giroud

• National team: France
• Position: Forward
• Appearances: 137
• Goals: 57
• Assists: 15

Notable trivia: Despite playing for a country that produced goalscorers such as Thierry Henry, Michel Platini, Karim Benzema, and David Trezeguet, Olivier Giroud tops the list of the all-time top scorers for the France national team with 57 goals.

Giroud's achievements are often overlooked both at the international and club levels, though he is one of the best French footballers of this generation. Giroud finished the EURO 2016 as the joint second-highest scorer, with 3 goals and 2 assists. 

Giroud was also part of the 2018 World Cup and 2021 Nations League-winning France team, providing significant contributions to the team. He also scored 4 goals for France in the 2022 World Cup. However, the striker retired from international football in July 2024.

Davor Šuker

• National team: Croatia
• Position: Forward
• Appearances: 68
• Goals: 45
• Assists: 6

Notable trivia: Davor Šuker is arguably the greatest Croatian footballer ever, leaving an unparalleled legacy behind him for the national team.

The year 1998 is popularly known as the 'Davor Šuker Year' among football fans, as the forward led the Croatia team to a third-place finish in the 1998 World Cup. He also scored 6 goals in 7 appearances in the tournament to earn the Golden Boot. 

Šuker also won the Silver Ball as the second-best player of the tournament in 1998 WC. He is the top Croatian goalscorer of all time as well, bagging 45 goals in 68 official appearances before retiring in 2002.

Antoine Griezmann

• National team: France
• Position: Attacking Midfielder
• Appearances: 137
• Goals: 44
• Assists: 38

Notable trivia: Antoine Griezmann achieved innumerable honours with the France national team, but sadly, is often not regarded as one of the greatest international footballers ever. 

Griezmann led France to a second-place finish in EURO 2016, scoring 6 goals and 2 assists to win the Golden Boot. He was also named the Player of the Tournament in that edition.

However, Griezmann achieved his first senior international silverware in 2018, when France won the World Cup in Russia. The attacking midfielder was crucial for the team with a tally of 4 goals and the tournament-most of 4 assists, also being named the third-best player of the tournament.

Apart from the 2021 UEFA Nations League title, Girezmann orchestrated the French attack in the 2022 World Cup, providing three assists to be the joint-top assist provider. However, he retired from international football in September 2024.

Sergio Busquets

• National team: Spain
• Position: Defensive Midfielder
• Appearances: 143
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 9

Notable trivia: We all are yet to see a central-defensive midfielder in modern football who has such a high IQ in reading the game, such as Sergio Busquets. 

Busquets was popularly called 'Octopus' for his immaculate passing ability and intimidating defensive screening without breaking a sweat most of the time. the Spanish midfielder became the heart of Barcelona but his contribution was often overlooked at the national team level.

In a star-studded midfield with Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, Busquets emerged as the only one of his kind, making significant contributions to Spain's World Cup glory in 2010 and EURO 2012 victory. Busquets retired from international football in December 2022.

Hugo Lloris

• National team: France
• Position: Goalkeeper
• Appearances: 145
• Clean sheets: 68

Notable trivia: It is said in football, that being a goalkeeper is a 'thankless job'. Goalkeepers are always the last guardian of a team, but their contributions are hugely overlooked. Hugo Lloris, the former French goalkeeper is a burning example of that sensation.

Lloris kept three clean-sheets in all 7 appearances for France in the World Cup 2018, leading the team to the final glory. The French custodian has kept a staggering 68 clean-sheets overall for France in 145 appearances.

He also captained the Les Bleus in three World Cup editions from 2014 to 2022. Lloris retired from the national team in January 2023, being the most-capped player for France in history.

Edin Džeko

• National team: Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Position: Forward
• Appearances: 139
• Goals: 67
• Assists: 29

Notable trivia: Edin Džeko is not often mentioned as one of the best international footballers in the modern era, only because he represents a country like Bosnia, that mostly fail to apear in big tournaments.

Yet Džeko, the greatest Bosnian footballer, led the Bosnia team to its first-ever World Cup appearance in 2014 after scoring a whopping 10 goals to be the second-top scorer in the qualification round.

He also scored 9 goals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying round to be the second-top scorer in the qualification round as well. Džeko also ranks sixth among the active footballers with most international goals.

Michael Laudrup

• National team: Denmark
• Position: Midfielder
• Appearances: 103
• Goals: 37
• Assists: 14

Notable trivia: Michael Laudrup is often considered the greatest Danish footballer of all time, yet he doesn't always receive the full recognition that his remarkable talent deserves. He delivered outstanding performances for Denmark, scoring 37 goals in 103 appearances.

Laudrup won the 1995 Confederations Cup with Denmark, providing commendable performances throughout the tournament. German legend Franz Beckenbauer praised the Danish midfielder in the best possible way, saying, “Pele was the best in the 60s, Cruyff in the 70s, Maradona in the 80s, and Laudrup in the 90s.”

Gabriel Batistuta

• National team: Argentina
• Position: Forward
• Appearances: 78
• Goals: 56
• Assists: 14

Notable trivia: Gabriel Batistuta was nicknamed 'Batigol' for his ability to score from almost anywhere on the pitch with unmatched power and precision.

Batistuta was mostly recognized for his inhuman performance in the 1991 Copa America, as Argentina won the title and he was the highest goalscorer of the tournament with 6 goals. He won his second Copa with Argentina in 1993, scoring a brace in the final.

Although he could not achieve the coveted success in the World Cups, Batistuta was one of the greatest footballers for Argentina in the World Cups, with 10 goals in 12 appearances.

Andrea Pirlo

• National team: Italy
• Position: Midfielder
• Appearances: 116
• Goals: 13
• Assists: 25

Notable trivia: Current UEFA vice-president and former Polish footballer Zbigniew Boniek praised Andrea Pirlo by saying something that probably best defines the Italian midfielder. He stated, "To pass the ball to Andrea Pirlo is like to hide it in a safe."

Andrea Pirlo is inarguably one of the most prolific playmakers who ever graced the football pitch. Famous for his outstanding passing and free-kick skills, Pirlo was essential to Italy's victory in the 2006 World Cup. Pirlo won three man of the match awards in the tournament, most by any player in that edition. 

Retiring in 2017, Pirlo remains one of the supreme players who played exceptionally well at international levels, but the recognition was never enough to praise the midfied maestro.

Ronald Koeman

• National team: Netherlands
• Position: Defender
• Appearances: 78
• Goals: 14
• Assists: 10

Notable trivia: Ronald Koeman is often overlooked, but he was a top-tier central defender known for his exceptional passing ability and masterful free-kick skills. With a record of 238 goals across club and international levels, Koeman is the highest-scoring defender in football history. 

However, the defender was a crucial part of Rinus Michels' formidable Netherlands team in the 90s, which won the 1988 European Championship. He also won the Dutch Footballer of the Year award twice in 1987 and 1988.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

• National team: Netherlands
• Position: Forward
• Appearances: 76
• Goals: 42
• Assists: 12

Notable trivia: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is often overlooked among the contemporary Dutch stars of his generation. The forward is the third-highest goalscorer for the Dutch national team, with 42 goals.

Although he had a brief appearance in the 2010 World Cup, Huntelaar proved himself crucial for the team, scoring the most goals (12) in the 2012 European championship qualification round.

However, he was also a part of the Netherlands squad that finished third in the 2014 World Cup. He retired in 2021 but never got the recognition he deserved.

George Best

• National team: Northern Ireland
• Position: Winger
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 9
• Assists: 0

Notable trivia: "Maradona Good, Pele Better, George Best" is the greatest quotation that can define how good George Best was. The Irish winger is also considered as the greatest footballer who never played in a World Cup. 

Despite having immense talent and potential, he is often overlooked in the discussion of the greatest footballers. He was named European Player of the Year in 1968, delivering consistent performance for his club and national team.

If he did not struggle with his self-destructing lifestyle, he may have achieved more accolades with Northern Ireland before retiring in 1982.

Gheorghe Hagi

• National team: Romania
• Position: Attacking Midfielder
• Appearances: 124
• Goals: 35
• Assists: 23

Notable trivia: Gheorghe Hagi was such a good player that he was nicknamed "Maradona of the Carpathians". The attacking midfielder was also called 'Regele', which translates to 'The King' for his immaculate shooting ability, playmaking skills, and vision on the pitch.

The attacking midfielder was the heart of an exciting Romania team of the 1990s. Hagi put up a memorable performance for Romania in the 1994 World Cup, scoring 3 goals and providing 4 assists to lead the team to the quarter-finals, where they eventually lost against Sweden.

He retired in 2001 but still holds the record for the most goals scored for the Romania national team, alongside Adrian Mutu, with 35 goals.

Günter Netzer

• National team: Germany
• Position: Midfielder
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 6
• Assists: 9

Notable trivia: Günter Netzer played an integral role in Germany's 1972 European Championship victory.
The midfielder provided two assists in the semi-final of the tournament, inspiring a 2-1 win over Belgium.

Netzer was also included in the 1974 World Cup squad for Germany. Although he did not play in the final, Netzer is still regarded as the first World Cup winner who, at the time of his victory, played for a club based outside his home country.

Despite not having many opportunities to represent the national team, he was often considered as one of the best German footballers in the 70s.

Hristo Stoichkov

• National team: Bulgaria
• Position: Winger
• Appearances: 83
• Goals: 37
• Assists: 8

Notable trivia: Hristo Stoichkov was the standout performer in the 1994 World Cup as he inspired Bulgaria to a fourth-place finish and was awarded the Golden Boot for being the top scorer with 6 goals. In the tournament, he scored in the shock wins against Argentina in the Group stage and against Germany in the quarter-finals.

Stoichkov, who re-defined the 'inverted winger' role in world football, scored 37 goals in 83 games for the Bulgarian national team before retiring from international football in 1999.

Gaetano Scirea

• National team: Italy
• Position: Sweeper Defender
• Appearances: 78
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 1

Notable trivia: Despite Franco Baresi's absence, Gaetano Scirea was pivotal in Italy’s victorious 1982 World Cup-winning campaign. The defender, who played mostly as a sweeper, remained underrated due to his contemporary Italian defenders. 

Playing for a country where the best defenders are born and brought up, Scirea always stayed out of the recognition. His untimely death at the age of 36 in 1989 also restricted his legacy.

Rudi Völler 

• National team: Germany
• Position: Forward
• Appearances: 90
• Goals: 47
• Assists: 18

Notable trivia: Rudi Völler was a very dependable player striker at both club and international levels. He came off the bench to equalize in the 1986 World Cup Final after scoring in the semi-final against France. Unfortunately, the Germans lost the final against Argentina. However, after four years, he played a crucial role for Germany that became World Champions in 1990, scoring 3 goals and 2 assists.

His contemporary Jurgen Klinsmann always received the highlight for the Germans, but it can not tear down his achievements with the national team. Völler's international goal-scoring record is impressive with a staggering 47 goals in 90 caps.

Matthias Sammer

• National team: Germany
• Position: Defensive/Central Midfielder
• Appearances: 51
• Goals: 8
• Assists: 3

Notable trivia: Matthias Sammer was sometimes overlooked compared to their contemporary Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini. However, he played a crucial role in Germany's victory at the 1996 European Championship, where he was named the tournament's best player. 

The midfielder also won the Ballon d'Or in 1996 and was also named the German Footballer of the Year in 1996, after earning the same accolade in 1995.

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.

Luis de la Fuente's Spain thrashed Zlatko Dalić's Croatia by 3-0 in the third game of the  UEFA Euro 2024 at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Germany on 15th June, Saturday. 

Spain, who were coming from huge victories in the friendlies, continued their form in the group stage as well. Morata was the first one to score for them while Fabian Ruiz and Carvajal extended their lead in the first half itself. In the second half, though Croatia were awarded a penalty, the goal from Petkovic was denied due to an encroachment. 

In this Spain vs Croatia game, Spain's Lamine Yamal became the youngest ever to play and assist in the European Championships. Along with him, Morata also created history by becoming the third-highest goalscorer in Euro history.

Read Also: Denmark vs Slovenia UEFA Euro 2024 Match Preview, Head-to-head, Possible Lineups and Fantasy XI Prediction

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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

The UEFA EURO 2024 draw took place on Saturday, December 2. Wales will take part in the play-offs in March of next year, and discover who awaits them in the finals should they qualify. Germany are the host nation for next summer's tournament. West Germany hosted the tournament back in 1988, but this will be the first time Germany has staged the European Championship since reunification. Defending Champion Italy will face Spain for the fifth EURO in a row, while hosts Germany will meet Scotland in the opening game of the competition.

Also Read: FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023: List of all the award winners

In total, 24 teams will qualify through the results of the European Qualifiers. 21 of the 24 teams are now known, with only the three teams to progress from the play-offs still to be decided.

EURO 2024 Playoffs:

Semi-Finals (Thursday 21 March) -

• Path A: Poland vs Estonia, Wales vs Finland

• Path B: Israel vs Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Ukraine

• Path C: Georgia vs Luxembourg, Greece vs Kazakhstan

Finals (Tuesday 26 March) -

• Path A: Wales / Finland vs Poland / Estonia

• Path B: Bosnia and Herzegovina / Ukraine vs Israel / Iceland

• Path C: Georgia / Luxembourg vs Greece / Kazakhstan

Euro 2024 Groups:

• Group A - Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland

• Group B - Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania

• Group C - Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England

• Group D - Play-off winner A, Netherlands, Austria, France

• Group E - Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Play-off winner B

• Group F - Turkey, Play-off winner C, Portugal, Czech Republic

Also Read: Top 10 Defenders with Most Goals in the 21st Century

Host Cities:

• Berlin - Olympiastadion Berlin

• Cologne - Cologne Stadium (RheinEnergieSTADION)

• Dortmund - BVB Stadion Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park)

• Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf Arena (MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA)

• Frankfurt - Frankfurt Arena (Deutsche Bank Park)

• Gelsenkirchen - Arena AufSchalke (Veltins-Arena)

• Hamburg - Volksparkstadion Hamburg

• Leipzig - Leipzig Stadium (Red Bull Arena)

• Munich - Munich Football Arena (Allianz Arena)

• Stuttgart - Stuttgart Arena (MHPArena)

The final will take place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday July 14.

UEFA Euro 2024 Group Stages Fixtures:

Friday, June 14:
Germany vs Scotland (Munich)

Saturday, June 15:

• Spain vs Croatia (Berlin)

• Italy vs Albania (Dortmund)

• Hungary vs Switzerland (Cologne)

Sunday, June 16:

• Serbia vs England (Gelsenkirchen)

• Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia vs Netherlands (Hamburg)

• Slovenia vs Denmark (Stuttgart)

Monday, June 17:

• Austria vs France (Dusseldorf)

• Belgium vs Slovakia (Frankfurt)

• Romania vs Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland (Munich)

Tuesday, June 18:

• Portugal vs Czech Republic (Leipzig)

• Turkey vs Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg (Dortmund)

Wednesday, June 19:

• Croatia vs Albania (Hamburg)

• Scotland vs Switzerland (Cologne)

• Germany vs Hungary (Stuttgart)

Thursday, June 20:

• Spain vs Italy (Gelsenkirchen)

• Denmark vs England (Frankfurt)

• Slovenia vs Serbia (Munich)

Friday, June 21:

• Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia vs Austria (Berlin)

• Netherlands vs France (Leipzig)

• Slovakia vs Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland (Dusseldorf)

Saturday, June 22:

• Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg vs Czech Republic (Hamburg)

• Turkey vs Portugal (Dortmund)

• Belgium vs Romania (Cologne)

Sunday, June 23:

• Switzerland vs Germany (Frankfurt)

• Scotland vs Hungary (Stuttgart)

Monday, June 24:

• Croatia vs Italy (Leipzig)

• Albania vs Spain (Dusseldorf)

Tuesday, June 25

• Netherlands vs Austria (Berlin)

• France vs Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia (Dortmund)

• England vs Slovenia (Cologne)

• Denmark vs Serbia (Munich)

Wednesday, June 26:

• Czech Republic vs Turkey (Hamburg)

• Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg vs Portugal (Gelsenkirchen)

• Slovakia vs Romania (Frankfurt)

• Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland vs Belgium (Stuttgart)

UEFA Euro 2024 Knockouts Fixtures:

Round of 16:

Saturday, June 29:

• 37 1A vs 2C (Dortmund)

• 38 2A vs 2B (Berlin)

Sunday, June 30:

• 39 1B vs 3A/D/E/F (Cologne)

• 40 1C vs 3D/E/F (Gelsenkirchen)

Monday, July 1:

• 41 1F vs 3A/B/C (Frankfurt)

• 42 2D vs 2E (Düsseldorf)

Tuesday, July 2:

• 43 1E vs 3A/B/C/D (Munich)

• 44 1D vs 2F (Leipzig)

Quarter-Finals:

Friday, July 5:

• 45 W39 vs W37 (Stuttgart)

• 46 W41 vs W42 (Hamburg)

Saturday, July 6:

• 47 W43 vs W44 (Berlin)

• 48 W40 vs W38 (Dusseldorf)

The Semi-Finals:

Tuesday, July 9:

49 W45 vs W46 (Munich)

Wednesday, July 10:

50 W47 vs W48 (Dortmund)

The Final:

Sunday, July 14:

W49 vs W50 (Berlin)

Also Read: 'It was never a debate': Jamie Carragher's shocking Messi vs Ronaldo statement

How can fans book their tickets?

Ticket applications for the UEFA Euro 2024 opened on October 3 through the tournament's official website. The initial window closed on October 26. There will be other opportunities to buy tickets as teams confirm their places at the tournament, including through the play-offs next year. There will also be a resale platform that opens in Spring 2024.

More than 80 percent of the 2.7m tickets available will be for the fans of the participating teams and the general public. Group-stage prices range from €30 (£26/ 2,719.38 Rs.) to €200 (£174), increasing in price with each round. Tickets for the final range from €95 (£83/ 8,611.38 Rs.) to €1,000 (£870).

UEFA Euro 2024: Format

The format will be the same as for the last time around. The top two teams from each of the six final tournament groups will proceed to the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed finishers.