There is a popular quote stating that "attack wins you games, defence wins you titles". The saying couldn't have been more perfect. Although every team needs a quality defender who will not let the other team score, goal-scoring defenders are very rare. Moreover, when it comes to the most elite European Club competition, every goal matters. Let us look at the defenders who have the most Champions League goals to their name.

Also Read: Top 10 Highest scoring Defenders in the 21st century

Top 5 Defenders with the most Champions League goals:

#5 Ronald Koeman (13 Goals)

The former Barcelona defender Ronaldo Koeman features at number 5 in this list of defenders with the most Champions League goals having scored 13 goals in 52 appearances. However, he scored all his goals in the Champions League for three different clubs. He scored 4 goals out of the 13 in the European Cup and the rest 9 in the Champions League.

European Cup goals breakdown: 1 goal for Barcelona in 11 appearances. 3 goals for PSV in 12 appearances.
Champions League goals breakdown: 8 goals for Barcelona in 12 appearances in the 93/94 season. 1 goal for Barcelona in 8 appearances in 8 appearances in the 94/95 season.

#4 Ivan Helguera (15 Goals)

Iván Helguera Bujía is a Spanish former footballer. He played as either a central defender or defensive midfielder and had excellent defensive and offensive skills. He scored 15 goals in 87 appearances for Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. However, he joined Valencia CF in the latter stages of his career. His best season in the UCL was in the 2000-2001 season where he scored 6 goals and provided 2 assists in 14 appearances.

=2 Roberto Carlos (16 Goals)

The explosive Brazilian left-back features at no.2 in the list of defenders with the highest number of goals in the Champions League. Best known for his curved and swirling free-kick, the Brazilian represented two different clubs in the Champions League. However, he scored all of his 16 goals for the Los Blancos.

Roberto Carlos scored 16 goals in 120 appearances in the UCL and also provided 25 assists in the meantime. Although he has 13 appearances for Fenerbahce SK from 2007-09 in the UCL, he failed to register his name on the scoresheet.

2. Gerard Pique (16 Goals)

The ever-dependable Barcelona legend Gerard Pique also has 16 goals in 128 appearances under his belt. Pique scored his goals in the Champions League for two different clubs, Manchester United and FC Barcelona.

Champions League goals breakdown:
For Barcelona - 14 goals in 118 appearances from 2008-2023.
For Manchester United - 2 goals in 4 appearances from 2004-2008.

Also Read: 10 players who have won the most trophies in football history

#1 Sergio Ramos (17 Goals)

Former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is the only defender this century to crack 100 goals, clocking in with 126 in 890 games. On the other hand, when it comes to the Champions League the Spaniard is also on the list of highest-scoring defenders.

The Famous 92:48

Ramos always had a knack for scoring match-winning goals. His 93rd-minute (92:48) header for Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final helped the Los Blancos equalise and eventually win the title.

He has netted the ball 15 times in 129 appearances for the Los Blancos. Ramos also provided 8 assists and played a whopping 11,399 minutes in the Royal Whites. The current Sevilla defender has netted two goals and assisted once in the Champions League for his current team and became the defender with the most Champions League goals.

N.B. The stats are accurate as of October 21, 2021.

Lamine Yamal just created his greatest football XI of all time with Real Madrid and Barcelona legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The recently turned 18 year old teenage star has been one of the best footballers in the world currently from two seasons. 

The Spaniard had a Ballon d'Or 2025 worthy season with FC Barcelona as he helped the Catalan club regain La Liga and win a domestic treble. Not only that, he was super influential in Spain winning the Euro 2024 as he was named the best young player of the tournament.

The La Masia product has recently signed a groundbreaking contract with FC Barcelona till 2031. Moreover you will be wearing the famous No. 10 jersey of Lionel Messi from 2025-26 season. 

Yamal made an appearance on China Media Group's "Total Soccer" program and he was asked to create his greatest football XI of all-time. The youngster made an scintillating attack consisting Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine great Lionel Messi. Not only that he had four Spain legends in his lineup as most of his XI players are from La Liga giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Read Also | 10 legendary Barcelona players to wear jersey no. 10

Lamine Yamal's Greatest Football XI

Goalkeeper

Iker Casillas

With more than 400 clean sheets in his entire career Iker Casillas is one of the greatest goalkeepers of the modern football. The Spaniard was not only athletic but was brave in making decisions while pulling up some great saves for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team.

Read Also | 10 great goals scored by goalkeepers

Iker Casillas is the player with second most apperances for Los Blancos and led them to many titles in his career. Not only that as he was as much a key player for Spain as he led the La Roja to their first major trophy in 44 years when they won the Euro 2008. Casillas had only conecced two goals in that entire tournameent.

Casillas won 23 major trophies in his career which includes 3 UEFA Champions League, 2 European Championships, 5 La Liga titles, and a FIFA World Cup.

Right-Back

Dani Alves

43 career trophies, the second most in football history, trophies across Europe, 280 goal contributions as a right-back and countless brave tackles, Dani Alves is surely one of the greats of the game. 

Although the Brazilian ended his career with bitter sweet experiences and cotroveries, no one can deny his ceredbilty as a footballer. 

Alves won 43 trophies in career, which had 3 Champions Leagues with FC Barcelona and 9 League titles across three leagues along with one Olympic title with Brazil.

Read Also | Reliving Barcelona's Golden Era: A Tribute to Footballing Brilliance

Center-Backs

Gerard Pique & Sergio Ramos

Here comes the two of the greatest center-backs of the modern era. Both defenders were part of the Golden generation of Spanish football where they won back-to-back three international trophies from 2008 to 2012. 

Pique, who won 39 trophies for FC Barcelona, Manchester United and Spain, had a stellar career as a defender. The FC Barcelona legend won four Champions League titles along with 9 La Liga titles, which makes him one of the most successful defenders of all-time.

Meantime, Ramos who is one of highest scoring defenders in football history is known for his performances in clutch moments. Moreover, he was crucial for Real Madrid as a leader and defender while winning four Champions League for them.

Left-back 

Marcelo

Marcelo, the Brazilian defender is one of the most loved players of the modern era. Quoted by Cristiano Ronaldo as the one of the best players he has played with, the Real Madrid legend won 5 Champions League titles and 6 La Liga, all for the Los Blancos.

Marcelo played 546 games for Real Madrid while having 58 appearences for Brazil.

Attacking mid-field

Zinedine Zidane

Now if we are talking about class, clutch moments, flair and midfield greatness, you will have to have Zinedine Zidane in your playing XI. Lamine Yamal thus had the French and Real Madrid great in his playing XI.

Zidane, the 1998 Ballon d'Or winner with Juventus, helped Franch win the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In total he won 16 major trophies in his career. 

Zidane formed a teriffic mid-field in that Galactico team in the mid 2000s with Luis Figo, Ronaldo Nazario, David Beckham and Roberto Carlos. His peformance in big moments influenced Yamal chose over Barcelona legends like Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets in his greatest football XI.

Zidane won only Champions League title, in which he scored in the final, against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002.

Read Also | Kylian Mbappe named all-time XI including Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldinho & Neymar

Neymar Jr.

Probbaly the greatest showstopper of the modern football, Neymar Jr., formed one of the greatest trios of football alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. 

The Brazilian's dribbling skill had made him one of the biggest attackers in the world which made PSG sign him for a controversial record fee of £200m. Neymar scored the most goals for his country, Brazil while raking up goals for teams like FC Barcelona, PSG and Santos.

Read Also | MSN vs BBC: Rivalry of football's greatest trio in stats

Lionel Messi

The greatest playmaker in football history, Lionel Messi was a no-brainer in Lamine Yamal's greatest football XI of all-time. With 46 trophies, Messi is the player with most trophies in football history. Moreover, the Agrentine is the player with most goal contributions in football history. 

El calendario solidario de la @FundacioFCB 2008 en colaboración con @sport protagonizado por Leo Messi, Lamine Yamal y otros jugadores del primer equipo. 🤩

Una acción social para recaudar fondos para UNICEF y para los programas de protección de la infancia de la Fundación Barça… pic.twitter.com/PHqBhEYGaT

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) July 10, 2024

The 8-time Ballon d'Or winner, just like Lamine Yamal himself, was a La Masia product. Not only that, he was the one who had early connection with Yamal, in a once-in-a-generation photos for UNESCO, where Messi was seen holding a toddler Lamine Yamal.

Messi, who has the record of most non-penalty goals in 21st century, scored the most goals for FC Barcelona and Argentina and surely will be there in everyone's all-time football XI. 

Right Wing

Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho's presence on the right wing proves how much Lamine Yamal is influenced with Brazilian style of football. Ronaldinho, the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner was one of the most eye-catching footballers of his time. 

The former FC Barcelona legend had the flair, style and skill which made even the opponents appreciate him. 

However his off-field life shoretned his carrer, which could have become more legendary. He won 11 major trophies including one Champions League and one FIFA World Cup.

Read Also | Top 12 players with most hat-tricks in football in the 21st century

Left Wing

Cristiano Ronaldo

The greatest goalscorer of the world with 938 goals and counting for his clubs and country combined, is a must in any World XI. Ronaldo, who started as a winger at Manchester United, became a goal scoring machine at Real Madrid. 

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has won 36 major trophies in his career, including 5 Champions League titles and one European Championships.

Ronaldo's pace, agression, and will to score goal is an asset for any team and looks like Yamal knows that too.

Striker

Ronaldo Nazario

Now, here is the ultimate striker. The finishing skill, goal scoring ability, flair, agression, shooting and the ball control - all of these makes Ronaldo Nazario the ultimate striker. 

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner is the youngest winner of the award, when he won it in 1997 while playing for Inter Milan, after a successful 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Read Also | The greatest football XI as per Ronaldo Nazario: Check out the team

Ronaldo won 18 major trophies in his career and is the only player on this list two have played for both Ral Madrid and FC Barcelona. However, he is the only player not to win the Champions League which he has compensted by winning two FIFA World Cup titles.

Free kicks or set pieces are one of the most effective methods to score a goal. However, it is also the hardest thing in football. But be it from outside the box or 30 yards from the box, free-kicks are one of the most beautiful things to watch in football when done correctly.

In this article, today we will list the player with the most free-kick goals in football history. 

Who has scored the most free-kick goals?

This is a regular question asked in football quizzes. To give your answer, it is Juninho Pernambucano from Brazil who has scored the most free-kick goals. He has scored 77 free-kick goals in his career.

Most Free-Kick Goals: Messi or Ronaldo?

Whenever one discusses any football record, you can not leave Messi and Ronaldo out of it. At least, the fans can not leave it out. So, who has scored the most free-kick goals? Messi or Ronaldo?

Lionel Messi has overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of the most free-kick goals scored. Messi now has 69 free-kick goals, whereas Cristiano has 64 free-kick goals.

Read Also: Messi vs Ronaldo: Longest goal-scoring streak

If we break down the records of both Messi and Ronaldo, Messi has only 5 Champions League goals from the dead ball, and Ronaldo has 12. Messi has scored 58 free-kick goals in his club career, while Ronaldo has 53 against his name.

Read Also: 10 Most FA Cup Winners List: FA Cup in detail

Most Free-kick goals in the Premier League

The Premier League is said to be one of the toughest places to play football. Many greats have failed in the Premier League; however, many have flourished in the league as a legend of the game.

David Beckham has scored the most goals by a free-kick in Premier League history. He has scored as many as 18 times from the dead ball in his Premier League career.

Here is the list of players with the most free-kick goals in the Premier League-

1. David Beckham - 18 goals
2. James Ward-Prowse - 17 goals
3. Cristiano Ronaldo - 12 goals
4. Thierry Henry - 12 goals
5. Gianfranco Zola - 12 goals

Read Also: Most Free-Kick Goals In Premier League

Top 10: Most Free-kick Goals In Football History

#1 Juninho Pernambucano - 77 free-kick goals

Known as the magnificent 7, Juninho was the best when it came to scoring from a dead-ball situation. The former Olympique Lyonnais legend and midfielder scored as many as 77 goals from set-pieces. Juninho is considered the greatest free-kick taker of all time.

He was also the inventor of the knuckle-ball technique shoots as well.

#2 Pele - 70 free-kick goals

The king of football, Pele, has scored 70 goals from set pieces. Pele could bend the ball both ways with fierce power.

Moreover, his immense game knowledge to out-think the goalkeeper helped him net the ball more often than not. The Brazilian striker's 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which include friendlies, are recognised as a Guinness World Record.

#3 Lionel Messi: 69 Free-kick goals

There is hardly any top 10 attacking list or record in football where you will not find the Argentine maestro, Lionel Messi. Although before 2014, Messi was not considered prolific from the dead ball, he has just proved everyone wrong with his free-kick record since then.

Till now, the Argentinian legend has scored 69 free-kick goals. 58 of those have come for the clubs he has played and 11 for Argentina.

More than that, Messi now has scored a free-kick in every 16.1 match, which speaks volumes for his accuracy from the dead-ball position.

El mejor de todos los tiempos 🎯😮‍💨 #Messi pic.twitter.com/51pkfmbAVW

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 13, 2025

#4 Víctor Legrotaglie - 66 free-kick goals

The Argentine from the 1970s is considered to be the greatest player in Mendoza football. Along with his stunning shooting ability, Victor was known for his 12 Olympic Goals for Argentina as well. There is a stadium named after him in Argentina.

#5 Ronaldinho- 66 free-kick goals

The magician from Brazil was brilliant from any position. Ronaldinho had everything as a footballer. Hence, having the skill to net the ball from a distance was also in his armoury. The Brazilian legend scored 66 goals from set-pieces in his career.

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

#6 David Beckham: 65 Free-kick goals

The famous phrase, "Bend it like Beckham", suggests how good Beckham was when it came to scoring from a free-kick. Beckham scored 65 goals from set-pieces in his career. His free-kick to take England to the 2002 FIFA World Cup is still cherished as one of the best moments in English football.

Read Also: Erling Haaland: Top 10 fastest to 20 UEFA Champions League goals

#7 Cristiano Ronaldo - 64 free-kick goals

With his latest free-kick goal in the Saudi Pro League 2024 against Al-Fayha FC, Ronaldo has now moved to the seventh position in the most free-kick goals list. The Portuguese legend now has 64 free-kick goals against his name. With this free-kick goal, Ronaldo now has scored a free-kick goal every season since 2003-04.

Ronaldo till now has scored 53 free-kick goals for the clubs he has featured for and 11 for his national team, Portugal. He has now scored a free-kick in every 20.0 games.

#8 Diego Maradona- 62 free-kick goals

The legend of Argentine football is one of the best in the history of the game. Maradona scored nearly 20% of his career goals with free-kicks. His free-kick against Juventus for Napoli is known as the 'Divine Free-Kick'. Diego scored 62 goals from set pieces in his career.

#9 Zico - 62 free-kick goals

Brazilian legend Zico scored 62 free-kick goals in his career. He was very accurate in his shooting skills. Zico is considered one of the world's best players of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The attacking midfielder was very accurate with his kicks. Along with his accuracy, his languid run-up was very famous in his era.

Read Also: Defenders who have won the Ballon d'Or award

#10 Ronald Koeman- 60 goals

The former Barcelona player and manager is known as one of the highest-scoring defenders of all time. The Dutch defensive midfielder also had his share of success with Ajax.

Koeman has scored nearly 25% of his goals with free-kicks. He is one of the high-scoring defenders in his era. Koeman scored 215 goals in his career and is one of the highest-scoring defenders ever.

#11 Rogerio Ceni - 59 goals

To the shock of everyone, Ceni was a goalkeeper and he has scored 59 goals from dead-ball situations in his career. Ceni is the highest-scoring goalkeeper in the history of the game. He has scored 131 goals in his career.

Except for one goal, all of them came from penalties and free-kicks. The Brazilian played for 25 years, most of that for São Paulo.

Read Also: Goals by Goalkeepers: Top 5 Highest scoring goalkeepers

12. Marcelinho - 59 goals

Marcelinho is nicknamed "Pé-de-Anjo" for his accuracy with free-kicks. The attacking midfielder from Brazil has collected more trophies with Corinthians than any other player in their history. However, Marcelinho failed to feature in any World Cup matches for Brazil. Marcelinho has 505 goals in his career.

Note: States are accurate as of 13th July, 2025.

A game like football is filled with passion, skill, and intense moments. In a fast paced sport like this, player discipline and sportsmanship in the field of play matters a lot. We have witnessed players crossing the line multiple times and get a Yellow Card for it.

Sometimes, things get too far and even leads to a sanction of Red Card. These cards are direct consequences of actions that are too serious for a game.

But what exactly is it and who has the most red cards in football history? We will answer all of it for you here.

Understanding the Red Card

A red card is one of the most severe penalties a player can receive during a match. It is a physical card that the referee holds up to show a player as to warrant their removal from the game.

Once a player receives the card, they must leave the game immediately and cannot be replaced by another teammate. This marks a disadvantage for the team as they has to play with one less player for the rest of the match.

It also leads to suspension as the red-carded player faces a ban from playing in future matches. The length of the ban depends on severity of the offense.

Read Also: Highest scoring footballers of the 21st century

When is a Red Card awarded?

Red cards are given for serious offenses. These can include:

• Serious foul play: for example- a two-footed tackle from behind
• Violent conduct such as physical aggression towards match officials, opponent, or others.
• Any act of spitting (at an opponent or other person)
• Denying an Obvious Goal-Scoring Opportunity (DOGSO)
• Using offensive, insulting, or abusive language or gestures
• Receiving a second Yellow Card in the same match

Who has the most Red Cards in Football?

The highest count of red cards received by a player is 46 in the history of football. We have prepared an accurate list of Top 10 players who received it the most times. This includes some popular names from around the globe.

Get ready to read them all:

10. Fernando Amorebiata (19 red cards) | Venezuela

• Apperances: 398
• Red Cards: 19
• Yellow Cards: 142

The former Venezuelan centre-back, Fernando Amorebiata, holds the 10th position with 19 red cards in his career. Known for his physical defensive style, and an imposing height of 6'4, his presence in the backline for clubs like Athletic Bilbao was always felt.

He left his mark as a feared defender, who often intimidated the opponents, a little too forcefully, which led to this number of red cards.

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

9. Matteo Contini (20 red cards) | Italy

• Appearances: 534
• Red Cards: 20
• Yellow Cards: 162

The Italian defender Matteo Contini had an aggressive and commited approach to winning, that often got him at the centre of heated moments. Throughout his career with various Italian clubs like Parma and AC Milan, he received 20 red cards.

From elbowing Gonzalo Higuain in a match against Real Madrid, to other fouls that tested the patience of referees, Matteo became one among the infamous list of red cards.

8. Felipe Melo (20 red cards) | Brazil

• Appearances: 804
• Red Cards: 20
• Yellow Cards: 258

The former Brazilian midfielder, Felipe Melo, is widely known for not just his defensive contributions, but mostly for his fiery temper. His determination to win and going to extremes for that led to 20 red cards throughout his career.

Melo received a red card and a three-game ban for an aerial kung-fu kick against Lazio's Lucas Biglia in an intense clash. His violent stamping on Arjen Robben also got him one, along with many other fouls.

His streak of fouls led to intense criticism in Brazil, which worsened as Melo got into a fight with the fans. He is also the player with highest number of yellow cards (258) in this list.

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

7. Rafael Marquez (21 red cards) | Mexico

• Appearances: 633
• Red Cards: 21
• Yellow Cards: 150

One of the best Mexican footballers, Rafael Marquez, hold the 7th position with 21 red cards in 633 appearances. He got them while playing for his nation, as well as for Barcelona, back in his club career.

Despite his calmness on field, Marquez was involved in several extreme fouls, which includes leaving a high boot on an opponent's chest, a deliberate aerial head-butt on Cobi Jones, and many more such incidents.

6. Paolo Montero (21 red cards) | Uruguay

• Appearances: 436
• Red Cards: 21
• Yellow Cards: 70

The former Uruguayan defender, Paolo Montero, holds the unwanted record of receiving most no. of red cards in the history of Serie A. He received multiple while playing for Juventus and struggled with disciplinary issues in a particular period.

Montero got 21 red cards in total, which places him in the 6th rank in here.

5. Alexis Ruano Delgado (22 red cards) | Spain

• Appearances: 428
• Red Cards: 22
• Yellow Cards: 135

Alexis Ruano Delgado, the Spanish defender, was another strong presence in the central defense. Throughout his career in La Liga, he got involved in several damaging encounters, which led to 22 red cards and placed him at the top 5 of most red cards in football history.

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

4. Cyril Rool (25 red cards) | France

• Apperances: 443
• Red Cards: 25
• Yellow Cards: 177

French midfielder Cyril Rool was one of the most infamously aggressive players of his generation. His playing style was full of strong tackles and a hot temper. He accumulated 25 red cards in his career.

Rool was highly criticised for his obscene gesture opponents' bench of Monaco, which earned him a red card in 2003.

3. Edgar Davids (25 red cards) | Netherlands

• Appearances: 581
• Red Cards: 25
• Yellow Cards: 106

The iconic Dutch midfielder, Edgar Davids, enters he top 3 of most red cards in football with a count of 25. Known as "The Pitbull" for his ferocious tackling, he often got involved in confrontations.

His brilliant career is inversely proportional with the kind of disciplinary record he had (106 yellow cards, 25 red cards).

2. Sergio Ramos (30 red cards) | Spain

• Appearances: 825
• Red Cards: 30
• Yellow Cards: 244

The Spanish defender, Sergio Ramos, is a living legend known for his leadership, skillset, and his notoriously high number of red cards. His fierce and competitive nature often led to taking out his frustration on opponents.

Ramos has been sent off multiple times against Barcelona in El Classicos. His attempts to stop Lionel Messi from scoring was once labelled as "criminal tackle" due to its intensity. With 30 red cards, he is currently the most red-carded player in top-tier European football history.

Read Also: Football teams with most international trophies

1. Gerardo Bedoya (46 red cards) | Colombia

• Appearances: 319
• Red Cards: 46
• Yellow Cards: 118

The Colombian defensive midfielder, Gerardo Bedoya holds the most red cards in football by a big margin. His aggressive presence and tendency of going physical, accumulated a total 46 red cards, which will be unmatched for a long time.

Bedoya was sent off the field many times, along with multiple bans. His major offence got him suspended from 15 matches straight. He was also known as world's "dirtiest" footballer, for his records of red cards and fouls.

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 (36 trophies)

Arguably one of the greatest players in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo has 36 trophies in his cabinet at the moment. The Portuguese legend won his latest trophy for Portugal, as he lifted the UEFA Nations League 2025 for his country.

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 European Cup with Portugal in 2016. Besides 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.

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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.

The Champions League has always been a huge honour for any team. Teams like Real Madrid have won the trophy as many as 15 times while AC Milan, FC Barcelona, Ajax and Bayern Munich have won found success in Europe's biggest club competition. 

As a result, the players from such elite teams as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Ajax, and AC Milan dominate the charts of players with the most Champions League titles.

Also Read: Most Champions League titles won by Football Clubs

Players who have won the most Champions League titles

Iconic Real Madrid left-winger Paco Gento used to hold the record for the most Champions League titles by a player. He has won six trophies in his 18 years at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Real Madrid legends Toni Kroos, Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric and Nacho have equalled his record and became the only players to win six Champions League titles in the UCL era. 

Former Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is tied up at 5 UCL titles with players like Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Larence Seedorf as well as other Real Madrid giants in Hector Rial and Marquitos, Lucas Vázquez, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and a few others.

Also Read: Top 5 Defenders with the Most Champions League Goals

Former Barcelona superstars, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, and Gerard Pique won four titles as a player. 

List of Players who have won more than four UCL titles: