Winning the World Cup is a dream for every footballer. It is so hard to win this international top prize. Equally, the Champions League is regarded as the top domestic prize and the trophy all top players dream of lifting proudly during their careers. It's not that simple. The Champions League is a tireless campaign consisting of a group stage and high-pressure knockout rounds against some of the biggest clubs in world football. On the other side, World Cup only happens once every four years, so the chances of winning it are even less than being successful in Europe's premier club competition.

After lifting the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar back in December, the 23 years old Manchester City striker Julián Álvarez became the 10th player to win the two most prestigious prizes in football in the same season. He booked his place in history as the first player to win a treble of the European Cup, League, Domestic Cup, and World Cup in the same season.

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Players to win the World Cup and Champions League in the same season

Sepp Maier – 1974

One of six individuals who did it together in 1974, Maier represented West Germany at four consecutive World Cups. He won the third one on home soil off the back of lifting the European Cup with Bayern Munich a few months earlier.

Sepp Maier was the first-choice goalkeeper and at the very peak of his powers as West Germany managed a sensational 2-1 victory over the Netherlands just after helping Bayern to a third consecutive European crown by seeing off Atletico Madrid.

Paul Breitner – 1974

Breitner scored from the penalty spot after 25 minutes to get his country back on level terms in the final, having fallen behind just two minutes into the game. A versatile left-back who could also slot into midfield, Breitner was a part of the Bayern squad that lifted the European Cup in 1974 but left that same year to sign for Real Madrid after the triumph.

Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck – 1974

It was Schwarzenbeck's equaliser against Atletico in the dying embers of extra time that pushed Bayern on to win the cup in the replay. An iconic defender and another one-club man, Schwarzenbeck doubled down on that domestic success by playing a key role in West Germany's World Cup win, two years after winning Euro 1972.

Franz Beckenbauer – 1974

A man who needs no introduction, Beckenbauer was the inspiration for the ball-playing central defenders in today's game. Capped 104 times for West Germany, he won the European Championships in 1972 and the World Cup in the same year as captain of the team. If that wasn't enough, he then went and won the World Cup with West Germany again in 1990, this time as a manager.

Gerd Müller – 1974

Gerd Müller was so good at finding the back of the net. 68 goals in 62 appearances for his country, 365 in 427 Bundesliga appearances with Bayern, but perhaps the most important of all of those came against the Netherlands in 1974. Muller bagged the winning goal after 43 minutes, his fourth at the tournament, and then he scored in the replay of the European Cup final.

Uli Hoeness – 1974

Hoeness unfortunately is remembered for fouling Johan Cruyff from kick-off in the 1974 final, which allowed the Netherlands to take an early lead. It didn't matter in the end, though, with Hoeness always being able to say he won the World Cup and European Cup in the same year.

Read Also: 10 ex-European players that will be Lionel Messi's team-mates at Inter Miami

Christian Karembeu – 1998

Born on the island of New Caledonia with a population of around just 238,000 people, Karembou moved to France at the age of 17 to study and play football, which changed his life forever. He began at Nantes and then moved to Sampdoria in 1995. He spent two years in Italy before being snapped up by Real Madrid, where he would win the Champions League in 1998, before playing four matches and winning the 1998 World Cup in France.

Roberto Carlos – 2002

One of the best fullbacks in the world, the Brazilian scored the winning goal in the 2002 Champions League final, before playing a key role in Japan and South Korea for his country in the World Cup. He became the eighth player to lift the Champions League & FIFA World Cup in the same season.

Raphael Varane – 2018

Varane was among the nominees for the Best Young Player award at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He returned with the World Cup trophy four years later, also with three more Champions League titles under his belt. The central defender would play every single minute of football for France in 2018, off the back of winning his fourth Champions League with Real Madrid, playing a key role as Les Bleus won the competition for only the second time.

Julián Álvarez - 2022-23

Julián Álvarez became the tenth and the most recent player to achieve that rare feat. He won the World Cup with Argentina after defeating France in the Final. Álvarez netted four goals during the 2022 World Cup and finished as the third top scorer at the 2022 World Cup. He finished the season as City's second top scorer with 17 goals, despite starting fewer than half their games.

City won the Premier League title by five points from Arsenal, beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final, and defeated Inter Milan in the Champions League final after Argentina beat France in the World Cup final in December. Alvarez did not get on the pitch in their 1-0 win over Inter in Istanbul but still got his hands on the trophy afterward.

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest football players and goal scorers ever, has won 36 trophies in his senior career so far. The Portuguese legend is among the top 10 football players with the most trophies in history as well. 

Ronaldo, till now, has won 17 different trophies in his career, and among them, two are with his country, Portugal. Today, in this article, we will discuss every single trophy Cristiano Ronaldo has won in his career.

Read Also | 11 players who have won the most trophies in football history

Cristiano Ronaldo's international trophy cabinet

Ronaldo got the taste of winning a trophy with Portugal on only three occasions so far. In the historic and emotional 2016 European Championship, he was able to lift the trophy, despite being sidelined for the most amount of time due to a knee injury in the final. 

Éder's lone goal helped Portugal lift the EURO 2016 and Ronaldo lift his first international trophy with Portugal.

Read Also | Greatest Premier League XI Ever: Rooney, Ronaldo or Salah?

Ronaldo's second international trophy came three years after that European success. In the UEFA Nations League 2019 final, Goncalo Guedes scored the lone goal for Portugal against the Netherlands to lift the inaugural Nations League title.

Ronaldo then became the oldest player to score in a Nations League final as Portugal won their second UEFA Nations League in 2025, becoming the first team to do so. They defeated Spain in the penalties to win the title.

Cristiano Ronaldo's club trophies

One of the most successful players ever, Cristiano Ronaldo, won trophies across three major European Leagues. He won his first-ever trophy in 2003, with Sporting CP, by lifting the Portuguese Super Cup. 

His winning momentum then reached a great high at Manchester United as he went on to win 3 Premier League titles, 1 UEFA Champions League title, 2 English League Cups, 1 English Super Cup, the FA Cup and FIFA Club World Cup for the Red Devils.

But, Ronaldo's success reached its peak when he joined Real Madrid for then a record fee of €94 million. With Real Madrid, Ronaldo won another four Champions League titles, which made him one of the most successful players in the tournament's history.

Read Also | Players with the most champions league titles 

Not only that, he also went on to win 2 La Liga titles, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups and two Spanish Cups and Spanish Super Cups. 

However, Ronaldo did not stop there as he went on to conquer Italy with Juventus. With Juventus, Ronaldo won 2 Serie A titles, 2 Italian Super Cups and one Italian Cup. 

In all, Ronaldo till now has won 33 club trophies in his career. His last club trophy came with Al-Nassr when he won the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023.

Read Also | Statistical Overlook of Messi vs Ronaldo Debate: Who Is the G.O.A.T?

Every single trophy Cristiano Ronaldo has won in his career

The UEFA Nations League, officially commenced in September 2018, has quickly established itself as a significant title in European Football. It succeeded in igniting competitive fire in international friendlies with its innovative tournament structure.

As we are about to witness another thrilling final with Portugal and Spain aiming for their second title, it is now time to check out the UEFA Nations League past winners list.

1. Portugal | 2018-19 UEFA Nations League

• Host: Portugal 
• Winner: Portugal
• Runners-up: Netherlands
• Score: 1-0

Portugal won the inaugural season of UEFA Nations League (2018-19) on home soil, with spectacularly dominating throughout. Cristiano Ronaldo was the top-scorer and star performer for the team, who scored a hat-trick against England in semifinal clash, to secure their final berth.

They defeated Netherlands (1-0) in the Finals, which was decided by a single goal from Goncalo Guedes in the 60th minute of the game.

Read Also: Football facts: Players with most Champions League finals without winning it ever

2. France | 2020-21 UEFA Nations League 

• Host: Italy
• Winner: France
• Runners-up: Spain
• Score: 2-1

France emerged as the new champion in the second season of UEFA Nations League (2020-2021). After topping the group stage that included teams like Portugal, Croatia and Sweden, they took the winning streak to the next level.

In the Final, Spain took lead with a goal from Mikel Oyarzabal in the 64th minute. However, France responded swiftly with Karim Benzema's goal in the next 2 minutes (66') and finally, Kylian Mbappé secured the victory with another in the 80th minute of the game.

Read Also: Youngest Goalscorers in Champions League finals

3. Spain | 2022-23 UEFA Nations League

• Host: Netherlands
• Winners: Spain
• Runners-up: Croatia
• Score: 0-0 (5-4 penalties)

In the 2022-23 season of UEFA Nations League, Spain clinched their first title and became the second national team, following France, to win three major titles (World Cup, European Championship, Nations League).

They faced Croatia in the finals, and neither side could score in the 120 minutes, leading to a penalty shootout. Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon made crucial saves in the penalties, and Dani Carvajal calmly converted the decisive goal, securing a 5-4 victory.

4. Portugal | 2024-25 UEFA Nations League

• Host: Germany
• Winners: Portugal
• Runners-Up: Spain
• Score: 2-2 (5-4 penalties)

Portugal became the first team to lift the UEFA Nations League more than once, as they lifted the 2025 edition by beating Spain in the final. Spain scored early, but Portugal kept on fighting back. Nuno Mendes showed great class as a left-back and also scored a goal. 

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 138th international goal to take the game to extra time and finally to penalties.

Diogo Costa made the important save as Alvaro Morata missed the penalty to hand Portugal the trophy. 

The participating teams' line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has started taking shape, as Iran and Argentina have booked their place from the qualification round into the finals of the tournament.

In 2022, the FIFA World Cup provided an unforgettable experience for over 1 billion viewers who tuned in. Lionel Messi-led Argentina to victory, giving the nation moments of joy and a fitting tribute to the late Diego Maradona while solidifying his place among players who have won every major trophy. 

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

Key Details on the FIFA World Cup 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his team in their bid to improve the quality of the World Cup and promote inclusivity increased the number of teams that will participate in the World Cup from an initial 32 teams to 48 teams.

The teams will be split into 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top 2 of each group and the 8 best third-placed teams progressing to a new Round of 32, 

The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994 and will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one nation.

Read Also: FIFA World Cup 2026: The groups are set for the European qualifiers

How Do Teams Qualify for the World Cup?

Qualification for the World Cup is done based on the regions of the World. Each  regional Confederation is responsible for its qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats  

• Confederations can use a League format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
• A single round-robin format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing association
• A Knockout format in which each team in a round plays one other team over two legs once at home and once away.
• With FIFA's permission, a tournament is held in one of the participating nations or neutral territory.
• With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.

Europe has 16 slots, Asia has 8 slots with one extra from playoffs making it 9, Africa has 9 slots with one extra coming from playoffs, South America has 6 with one extra coming from playoffs making a total of 7, North America has 6 slots with 3 already taken due to the host nations.

Teams That Have Qualified

With qualifications still ongoing the only nations that have qualified are the host nations namely the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada qualification process for the World Cup will be ongoing till the end of November 2025, and till then teams will be struggling to qualify.

1. The USA

Despite not predominantly being a football nation, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has managed to establish a formidable team with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.

The appointment of Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach shows some sign of intent that the country intends to go as far as possible in the World Cup.

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2. Mexico

Mexico has qualified for every World Cup in the past decade, but playing on home soil will give them the advantage of fan support. While they may be without their veteran goalkeeper Ochoa, who has been crucial in past tournaments, they remain a team not to be underestimated.

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3. Canada

Canada had a memorable 2022 World Cup in Qatar, highlighted by their surprising win against Belgium. However, they lost their remaining group games to Morocco and Croatia, leading to their early exit from the tournament.

Known for their attacking football, Canada relies on pace in midfield and attack, with Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies being key to their World Cup ambitions.

Teams from the Qualifier Rounds

4. Japan

Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup from the qualification round. On March 20, Thursday, Hajime Moriyasu's side beat Bahrain 2-0 in Group C of the AFC World Cup qualifiers.

Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to inspire the Samurai Blue to ensure their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, guaranteeing a top-two finish in the qualifiers standings.

🇯🇵 Japan have qualified for #FIFAWorldCup 26!#WeAre26 | @jfa_samuraiblue

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 20, 2025

Japan surprised the world with their impressive run in the 2022 World Cup, before bowing out from the Round of 16 in a narrow penalty shoot-out defeat against eventual third-place finishers Croatia. However, Japan defeated both Germany and Spain in the group stage to march onto the next round.

5. New Zealand

New Zealand has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the third time with a 3-0 home win over New Caledonia in the OFC Qualifiers Final on Monday, March 24.

Three second-half goals from Michael Boxall, Kosta Barbarouses, and Elijah led New Zealand to a comfortable 3-0 win at Eden Park in Auckland. This win marks the All Whites' return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 when they registered three draws against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay in South Africa.

SEE YOU IN ‘26 🇳🇿🏆 pic.twitter.com/PiCofS1bVn

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) March 24, 2025

For the first time, the All Whites qualified directly for a World Cup, as Oceania received an automatic spot in next year’s 48-team tournament, rather than having to go through an intercontinental play-off as they did in the past.

6. Iran

Iran have become the second Asian side to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals following a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan on March 25 in the third round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers Group A.

Mehdi Taremi's brace secured a point for Iran to stay atop the Group A table with 20 points in 8 matches, securing the guaranteed top two finish in the group stage. On the other hand, Uzbekistan is just one victory away from their inaugural World Cup appearance.

Tino pai to our fantastic national football team🙌
Mean as! Iran has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the third team to qualify after Japan and @NZ_Football
Ka mau te wehi 🇮🇷
This marks our fourth consecutive appearance after 2014,2018,and2022!#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/2RjE9j2gpa

— The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@iranembassy_nz) March 25, 2025

Despite the qualification format being made easier for Asia due to the expanded 48-team World Cup, Iran has sealed the passage to their fourth World Cup finals in a row, and seventh in their history.

In the AFC Qualifiers, the top two teams qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups will enter an additional qualifying round.

7. Argentina 

The reigning World Champions have stormed into the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 4-1 crushing over eternal rivals Brazil in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers on March 26. 

Argentina produced a bolstering performance, beating the Selecaos 4-1, powered by goals from Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Giuliano Simeone. Matheus Cunha netted the only goal for Brazil.

🇦🇷 Argentina have qualified for #FIFAWorldCup 26!#WeAre26

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 25, 2025

La Albiceleste currently top the table with 31 points in 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela, with the required seven points at this point.

8. Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the 8th team to qualify till now. They have qualified in virtue of finishing in the top two in Group A of the AFC's third-round of qualifiers.

Read Also | 7 big footballing nations which can miss the FIFA World Cup 2026

This is the first time they have qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Not only that, they are the first Central Asia country to qualify for the grandest stage of football.

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9. South Korea

South Korea qualified for their 11th straight FIFA World Cup after finishing in the top two of the AFC third round qualifiers. Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in all will be ready to star for South Korea in the upcoming World Cup.

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10. Jordan

While South Korea sealed their spot at the FIFA World Cup with that 2-0 victory over Iraq, their win also ensured that Jordan will be playing at their first-ever FIFA World Cup next year. 

Ali Olwan's hat-trick has given them a big 3-0 win over Oman, and after South Korea's win, they will now create history at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

In Group B of the AFC Third round qualifiers, Jordan lost only one match and finished in the top two of the group, below South Korea. 

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Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the UEFA Nations League semi-final match between Spain and France in Germany tonight. 

Spain are looking to become the first team to retain the Nations League since the tournament was introduced in 2018. Meanwhile, the 2021 winners, France, are also looking to win their first Nations League title since then.

Spain defeated the strong Netherlands to enter the final four, while France came from behind to defeat Croatia to earn a place in the semis.

Both teams are set to miss some important players for this tie, and this makes the match more interesting. 

This is Koushik Biswas, who will bring you all the updates of the Spain vs France, UEFA Nations League 2025 semi-final. Stay tuned and enjoy the coverage. 

Current European champions Spain will face France in the UEFA Nations League 2025 semi-final tonight in Germany. Before the two European football giants go against each other, we bring you all the information you need ahead of the match.

Match Details

Match: Spain vs France

Tournament: UEFA Nations League 2024-25, semi-final.

Date: 6 June 2025

Time: 12.30 am IST

Venue: MHP Arena, Germany.

How to watch the match? 

Football fans from India can watch the Spain vs France UEFA Nations League 2024-25 semi-final match on Sony Sports Network TV Channel. They can also watch the match live on the Sony LIV app and website with a paid subscription.

Jio TV will also stream the match.

Read Also | UEFA Nations League 2025 Semifinals: Everything you need to know about the fixtures

Spain vs France: Head-to-head stats

Till now, Spain and France have played 37 games against each other, including friendlies. 

Spain have won 7 times while France have dominated with 13 wins. 17 games have ended in draws. 

France, in those 37 games, have scored 66 goals, while Spain scored 40 goals. 

Team News: Spain

Spain are in a run of an impressive 20-game unbeaten run across all competitions (W15, D5) and are looking to become the first team to retain the UEFA Nations League since the tournament began in 2018. 

They managed 16 points from a possible 18 points in the group stage. Then, they knocked out the Netherlands in the quarter-final in penalties after an exciting two-legged contest. 

But Luis de la Fuente's side will be without the current Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who is still undergoing his recovery at Manchester City. Along with Rodri, Spain will also miss the services of Ferran Torres, who underwent surgery for appendicitis.

Real Betis captain Isco is in contention to make his senior Spain return since 2019. Meantime, Gavi will also be returning to the national side since 2013. Pau Cubarsi will also be returning to the squad after missing the previous international break through injury.

Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Nico Williams, along with Mikel Oyarzabal, will lead Spain's attack.

↪️ Asistencia de tres dedos de Lamine Yamal.

⚽️ Remate de volea de @mikelmerino1.

🤷🏻‍♂️ ¿Alguien duda del resultado de esta jugada?#VamosEspaña | #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/xGTnUXTFVA

— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) June 4, 2025

Team News: France

France, on the other hand, accumulated 13 points to finish top of League A Group 2. In the quarter-finals, they then made a huge comeback in the second leg to win from a 0-2 position against Croatia. 

Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele were the scorers for France that night before Mike Maignan saved a penalty kick to hand them a place in the semis.

Les Bleus ont fêté ensemble les 20 ans de Désiré Doué ce soir ! 🎂💙 pic.twitter.com/92aGyiVRfA

— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 3, 2025

Didier Deschamps will have Champions League player of the final, Desire Doue, and Champions League player of the season, Ousmane Dembele, at hand to go full throttle against Spain. However, in defence, he will miss Upamecano, William Saliba and Jules Kounde.  Benjamin Pavard and Malo Gusto will then fight to replace them, alongside Ibrahim Konate being an obvious choice for the left-back role. 

Kylian Mbappe, alongside Rayan Cherki, would be France's strikers' option for Deschamps.

Read Also | Deschamps will step down as France manager after the 2026 World Cup: Is the door finally open for Zidane?

Possible Lineups | Spain

Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Le Normand, Cucurella; Zubimendi, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, N. Williams; Oyarzabal

Possible Lineups | France

Maignan; Pavard, Konate, L. Hernandez, Digne; Tchouameni, Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Kolo Muani, Mbappe