Morocco vs Portugal is next as Morocco line up against Portugal on Saturday for their first-ever World Cup quarter-final.

The 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos bagged a Round of 16 hat-trick in place of 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portugal starting lineup, announcing himself to the world while the aging superstar watched from the bench.

That sent Portugal on their way to a 6-1 thrashing and a spot in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Morocco sprung a stunning upset of Spain, managing to hold on for a 0-0 draw and winning on penalties after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made two stops in the shootout and Pablo Sarabia had hit the post.

Spain were devoid of ideas on how to break down Morocco, who looked the more likely side to score on multiple occasions.

The Atlas Lions will be hoping to become the first African nation to reach the semifinals of a World Cup, but one of the tournament's most in-form teams stands in their way.

Match Details:

• Location: Doha, Qatar
• Stadium: Al Thumama Stadium
• Date: Saturday 10 December
• Kick-off Time: 8:30 PM IST

Morocco vs Portugal: Where to Watch in India?

Watch on TV: Sports 18/HD
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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.

"CR7", "El Blicho" or Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has scored 917 goals till now in his footballing career. He appeared 217 times for Portugal, a record for the Highest International Appearance in Football. He netted 135 goals and became the Top Goal-Scorer in International Men's Football. So, let's check out the facts and stats of this "Goal-Scoring Machine."

Al-Nassar (2023-25), 74 Goals

Ronaldo's arrival at Al-Nassar following his disappointed departure from Manchester United enables him to begin a new chapter in his career. In the First Season with Al Nassar, the Portuguese forward scored 14 goals in 19 appearances. 

However, this performance was not sufficient enough, and Al-Nassar was not able to secure any silverware like the Saudi Pro Trophy, Saudi Pro Cup, or the King's Cup. But his presence in the club leads to some major arrivals in Al-Nassar in the form of Sadio Mane and Marcelo Brozovic.

Also Read | Cristiano Ronaldo's stats at Al-Nassr: Goals, Glamour But No Trophies

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Al-Nassar

Re-Union with United (2021-23), 27 Goals 

After twelve years, he reunited with the 'Red Devils' at the end of his prime. Nevertheless, at 37 years old, he scored 24 goals and emerged as a leading goal scorer for United in the following year. He had scored a total of 27 goals in two seasons in his second spell with Manchester United, a short spell nonetheless.

Also Read | Comparing Bruno Fernandes stats with & without Cristiano Ronaldo in the team

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Manchester United (Second Spell)

Shocking Move to Juventus (2018-21), 101 Goals

Juventus signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018. It was a shocking move for every Football fanatic, but he still managed to adapt his impressive form from Real Madrid to the Italian League. He was not able to win much in terms of Silverware. However, he continues his form as a prolific goal-scorer. 

He became the second-fastest player to score 50 goals in Seria A and become the all-time leading Portuguese scorer in the league's history. In his third season with Juventus, he surpassed 100 goals and secured the title of top scorer in the league with 29 goals.

Read Also | Cristiano Ronaldo Records: Ronaldo's 801 Goals in Detail

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Juventus

At Real Madrid-"The Transfer that Changed Football" (2009-18), 450 Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo's £80 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 has been considered " the transfer that changed Football forever." Ronaldo's era in La Liga was considered the 'Golden Era in Modern Football' as he shared the same stage with Lionel Messi during that period, who was playing for Barcelona then.

Read Also | Messi vs Ronaldo: The major trophies they have failed to win

He won four Champions League with Real Madrid and two La Liga titles and secured four Ballon d'Ors, a record as a European player. He became the top Real Madrid goal scorer in the 2015-16 season and the highest scorer in the history of the Champions League.

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Real Madrid

First Spell at Man United (2003-09), 118 Goals

Cristiano arrived in 2003 as a young talent during his first spell with Manchester United. Throughout that period, he was mostly popular for his dribbling and flair, rather a prolific goal scorer. He swiftly turned into a prominent goal scorer in early 2006 and finished as Manchester United's leading scorer during the final three seasons of his initial tenure at Old Trafford.

Read Also | Cristiano Ronaldo's 700 career goals by club

He also won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 and transferred to Real Madrid in 2009 at a gigantic money of £80 million (€94 million) which was the most expensive transfer during that time.

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals Stats at Manchester United (First Spell)

As a Young Talented Winger at Sporting SP (2002-03), 5 Goals

He started his professional football career as a talented youth winger and made his debut for Sporting CP in 2002. After spending one year at the senior level, he did not achieve any significant goal-scoring success, but his excellence caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson during a match that resulted in his move to Manchester United.

Read Also | Cristiano Ronaldo: 10 shocking stats we can't believe from 2022-23 so far

Ronaldo's Year-Wise Goals and Stats at Sporting SP

Cristiano Ronaldo's Goal Contribution for Portugal, 135 Goals

No doubt! Cristiano Ronaldo is a prolific goal scorer in Portugal, as he is Portugal's all-time leading goal scorer and also the player with the highest number of goals in international football history. His role as a goal scorer was vital to the victory of the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

Read Also | Europe's Top International Goalscorers: Cristiano Ronaldo extends his lead

Cristiano Ronaldo's Goal Tally as a Portugal International

So that concludes all the facts about Cristiano Ronaldo's Stats regarding his goal-scoring ability for Clubs, as well as Portugal year-wise. These stats state how prolific he is in front of the goal. He won almost every major trophy except the World Cup title. This is the dream for all the CR7 fanatics as well, that's for sure. 

Will Ronaldo be going to play in the 2026 World Cup? Will Portugal and Ronaldo lift the FIFA World Cup title for the first time ever? What do you think? Let me know!

Ronaldo's goal in every calendar year

Spain will compete against Morocco to acquire the honour of hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup final. Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, and Camp Nou in Barcelona are the frontrunners for Spain. In contrast, Morocco is vouching for the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca which is yet to be constructed. 

The scenario

Spain, Portugal, and Morocco's joint bid 'YallaVamos' has clinched the 2030 FIFA World Cup hosting rights following FIFA's official announcement on 11 December 2024. Centenary celebration matches will be held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay as FIFA confirmed on the same day following the conclusion of FIFA's virtual assembly meeting. 

However, the venues and stadiums for the 2030 World Cup are far from being decided yet, but hosting the world cup final is an honour in itself. That is why two of the host nations, Spain and Morocco have already joined in races to bring the grand World Cup final event to their country. Morocco aims to host the final in the Hassan II Stadium, which is yet to be constructed but is planned to have a capacity of hosting 115000 spectators. 

🚨🚨💣BREAKING: La maquette officielle du stade Hassan II de Benslimane (Casablanca) 🏟️

Il sera le plus grand et le plus beau stade du monde, avec une capacité d’environ 118 000 places.

𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 🇲🇦🤯 #WC2030 pic.twitter.com/QfvbFgosK2

— FRMF Xtra (@FRMFXtra) July 28, 2024

Santiago Bernabeu, the home ground of Real Madrid can hold 78,297 spectators as of now, which must reach the 80000 mark as required by FIFA. Barcelona's beloved Camp Nou stadium is currently under renovation but it will hold 105000 spectators once the constructions are complete. However, the final decision will be made in 2026 and every stadium will receive the required time to match FIFA's commitments. 

FIFA will also have full availability of the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca during the tournament, as the stadium will be under the ownership of the Moroccan Ministry of Sports. In contrast, both the Bernabeu and Camp Nou, owned by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona respectively, will not offer that level of availability due to their business operations within the stadium. This may give the African stadium a certain advantage in the race to host the final.

The tussle between the cities will also be another interesting thing to watch in the discussions to host the opening match of the tournament. Madrid and Barcelona are likely to lock horns off the pitch to host the opening match of the grand event; if they lose the final to Casablanca. Barcelona City Council has already shown interest in securing the opening match hosting rights. 

However, the confirmation of hosting the tournament in Spain after 48 years since the 1982 World Cup, has brought great optimism to every authority and layman in the country. Pilar Alegría, the minister of Education, Vocational Training, and Sports in Spain, has expressed her excitement and expectations after winning the World Cup rights. She stated:

This is magnificent news for sport, society, and the economy. An event that will allow us to showcase to the world the excellent level of organization present in Spain. We are very happy, and today we begin working on this World Cup, which fills us with excitement to host and which will enable us to work together with our neighbors in Portugal and Morocco,

José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, President of the Higher Sports Council also expressed his joy:

This is a milestone that expands the pride of the entire Spanish society. It recognizes our ability to organize top-level sporting events and pays homage to the tradition and footballing success of our country,

FIFA has rejected Morocco's claims to consider the status of Western Sahara as part of the Moroccan kingdom in its bid assessment report for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The highest governing body of world football has significantly overlooked a map submitted by Morocco during the evaluation process as the presented Western Sahara as Morocco's territory.

The 2030 FIFA World Cup will reportedly be hosted in six countries across three continents to celebrate the centenary year of the World Cup. The FIFA Council adopted a key decision in October 2023 regarding the 2030 FIFA World Cup to finalize Portugal, Spain, and Morocco's combined bid to host the grand event.  The council unanimously agreed to award Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay the hosting rights for some of the matches. 

The geopolitical tension

The Western Sahara conflict is a long-standing territorial dispute in North Africa. When Spain surrendered control of the region in 1975, Morocco solidified its claim through a mass civilian movement known as the 'Green March'. This led to an extensive war with the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi independence movement. The Polisario Front declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and established a government-in-exile in Algeria. The conflict has resulted in a divided territory, with Morocco controlling the western portion and the SADR holding the eastern region. Morocco illegally annexed Western Sahara twice in the past, in 1976 and 1979. The United Nations offered its mediation efforts, but a lasting solution remains elusive, leaving the future of Western Sahara and its people uncertain.

However, Morocco submitted a map alongside their bid assessment that included Western Sahara in its territory. This move aimed at legitimizing the Makhzen regime's expansionist ideas. In a turnaround of events, FIFA has recognized the distinct and internationally acknowledged borders between Morocco and Western Sahara. FIFA effectively avoided the Moroccan government's territorial ambitions by rejecting the map. This sensitive political situation is still profoundly worrying for the governing body of world football. 

🔴HM King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, has the great pleasure of announcing to the Moroccan people that the FIFA Executive Committee has unanimously selected the Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid as the sole candidate to organize the 2030 Football World Cup. pic.twitter.com/wCUFXBmL2c

— Moroccan Diplomacy 🇲🇦 (@Marocdiplo_EN) October 4, 2023

Some other issues also may lead FIFA to go through various talks with respective authorities and its sub-committees. Amnesty International, an organization that works on human rights and the concerning instances, submitted a report on human rights abuses in the said territory of Morocco and Western Sahara. The report was named 'The States of the World's Human Rights 2024' and it included human rights abuses allegations such as torture and ill-treatment, women's rights, impunity, and many others. 

FIFA's evaluation report

El Independiente, the renowned Spanish news outlet, has unveiled the Moroccan government's attempt to manipulate FIFA's evaluation report. The report, which assessed Morocco's bid for the 2030 World Cup, omitted a map showcasing Morocco's territorial claims over Western Sahara. This omission was deliberate, as the inclusion of such a map would have directly contradicted international law and UN resolutions. The UN firmly recognizes Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory awaiting decolonization. Morocco's efforts to assert its sovereignty over Western Sahara appear to be aimed at exploiting the region's natural resources. However, This initiative has no legal basis and is countered by FIFA's recent technical report.

El Independiente also indicated in a recent report that the controversy surrounding Morocco's falsified map, alongside other candidate-related issues, was a key topic of discussion within FIFA's committee, which includes representatives from Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. This pivotal decision by FIFA has evidently angered the Moroccan government, whose strategic plans have been significantly disrupted.

This match promises to be an interesting clash between two European heavyweights. Poland, led by its star striker Robert Lewandowski, will look to capitalize on their home advantage. Meanwhile, with the experienced Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal aims to field an experienced attack and solid midfield. Both teams have a history of tight, competitive encounters, making this a must-watch matchup. As they battle for points, expect a game filled with standout performances.

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

Match Details

Date: October 12, 2024

Time: 01:15 am (IST)

Venue: National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland.

Previous Records

🔜🇵🇱🆚🇵🇹#PartilhaAPaixão | #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/oTS1M7Gzzc

— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) October 9, 2024

Poland and Portugal have met in several competitive and friendly matches, producing a balanced rivalry. Portugal has often had the upper hand, with key victories in tournaments like Euro 2016, where they knocked Poland out on penalties in the quarterfinals. Poland, however, has also secured wins, including some notable victories in World Cup qualifiers. Both teams have played 8 times against each other. Portugal has recorded 3 wins while Poland has won 2 times, the remaining 3 games have ended in a draw. Based on these facts, the odds are slightly in favour of Portugal and not ignoring that they have a stronger squad on paper.

Read Also:Saudi Pro League: Top 5 young talents who moved to Saudi for money

Head-to-head stats from the last 5 matches

Nothing but positive vibes at the October training camp. 🍂🇵🇱#UNL pic.twitter.com/UPBED5wtod

— PSN Futbol (@PSN_Futbol) October 10, 2024

Read Also:Venezuela vs Argentina FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Where and how to watch in India? Full Streaming Details

Streaming Details

The Poland vs. Portugal match in India will be available for streaming on the Sony Liv app and website, while UEFA.tv and Sport 24 Extra will provide global coverage. In the United States, Fox Sports will broadcast the game, and in Canada and parts of Asia, viewers can tune in via the Dazn network.

In Africa, SuperSport will offer full coverage across all countries, as long as viewers are subscribed to their service packages.