Lionel Messi won the World Sportsman of the Year Award at the Laureus Sports Awards 2023 held in Paris. He also collected another award as part of Team of the Year for Argentina's victory at the FIFA World Cup last year. Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the Sportswoman of the Year award on her sixth nomination.

Read Also: Bundesliga Title Predictions 2022-23

Laureus Sport Awards 2023: Every Winner

This is Messi's second individual title after sharing the honour with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton in 2020. He also became the first athlete to win the individual and team awards in the same year.

"I was looking at the names of the incredible legends that won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award before me: Schumacher, Woods, Nadal, Federer, Bolt, Hamilton, Djokovic… it really sunk in what unbelievable company I'm in and what a unique honour this is," the Argentine said.

History maker! Lionel Messi is the first ever athlete to win the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year and Laureus World Team of the Year Awards in the same year.#Laureus23 pic.twitter.com/WJeaBghAMA

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) May 8, 2023

Fraser-Pryce's exploits last year included winning the 100-meter gold at the World Athletics Championships for a staggering fifth time. She has won three Olympic and 10 world championship gold medals. Fraser-Pryce called her award "one of the greatest honours of my career."

🏆 @realshellyannfp is the 2023 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year.

The Mommy Rocket extended her phenomenal legacy on the track last year by winning a fifth @WorldAthletics 100m title and a fifth @Diamond_League trophy. #Laureus23 pic.twitter.com/JLoNN23qPu

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) May 8, 2023

• Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open last year as a teenager and climbed to the top of the ranks. He was honoured with the Breakthrough of the Year award.

• The Sport for Good Award was presented to TeamUp – a programme for children displaced by war – by Barcelona and Poland star Robert Lewandowski.

• Meanwhile, Chinese-American Olympic ski freestyle champion Eileen Gu won the World Action Sportsperson accolade.

• Denmark and Manchester United star Christian Eriksen earned a Comeback Award. He returned to the top of the European game after collapsing with cardiac arrest during the Euros two years ago.

• Swiss para-athlete sensation Catherine Debrunner meanwhile picked up the Disability Award after triumphing in her opening two marathons

The Laureus World Sports Awards were held in person in Paris for the first time since 2020. They were held virtually on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

Competing on the grandest stage of them all, the Olympic Games, is an aspiration for athletes worldwide. Earning a single medal by getting ahead of the best around the world is a massive deal. But not just one win, imagine multiple medals in a single edition of Olympics? That's an extraordinary achievement.

For a nation like India, despite centuries of sporting heritage, this monumental feat has only been achieved by two athletes. 

Get ready to delve into the stats for most medals by an Indian in a single Olympics.

Read Also: Olympic Facts: Most Consecutive Olympic Gold Medals

Norman Pritchard: India's first Olympic medalist and multi-medal pioneer

• Sport: Athletics
• Olympic Edition: 1900 Paris Olympics
• Medals Won: 2
• Event: Men's 200m sprint, Men's 200m hurdles

Hailing from Kolkata, West Bengal, Norman Pritchard was a British-Indian athlete who marked India's debut in the Olympic Games with huge success. He not only holds the record of being the first-ever Olympic medalist from India, but also one of the only 2 athletes to win multiple medals in a single Olympics.

At the 1900 Paris Olympics, Pritchard secured two silver medals in athletics (Men's 200m and Men's 200m hurdles), setting the bar high and inspiring the future generations. His multi-medal success was the only standing record for over a century.

Read Also: Olympic Facts: From Youngest to Oldest to most successful medalists and more

Manu Bhaker: A modern-day multi medallist, 124 years later

• Sport: Shooting
• Olympic Edition: 2024 Paris Olympics
• Medals Won: 2
• Event: Women's 10m air pistol, Mixed 10m air pistol team

More than a century after Pritchard's historic record, 2024 Paris Olympics witnessed another extraordinary individual brilliance from an young Indian athlete. Manu Bhaker, a professional shooter from Haryana, stunned everyone with her multi-medal feat.

Bhaker became the second Indian athlete to win multiple medals in a single Olympics with her 2 Bronze medals in shooting. She won the first one at an individual event (Women's 10m air pistol) and the second one alongside Sarabjot Singh in mixed 10m air pistol team.

Acknowledging the nuance regarding Pritchard's British roots and the ongoing debate about his nationality despite the IOC crediting India, Manu Bhaker is widely considered the first Indian athlete in the post-independence era to win most medals in a single Olympics.

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 66 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 57 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: 68 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 68 free-kick goals. 57 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 16.3 match, which speaks volumes for his accuracy from the deadball position.

Different stage. Same act.@InterMiamiCF | #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/uXOGMXcu5N

— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 19, 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.

What does it truly mean to be a world champion club? The FIFA Club World Cup provides the answer, pitting the best against one another in a quest for global dominance.

As the 21st edition of Club World Cup is ongoing, with highly competitive and strong clubs fighting for the ultimate glory, it is time to look back at the history of this tournament.

This article will explore all the past winners, top scorers, most successful teams, all at once.

FIFA Club World Cup: Past Winners

The FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament designed to crown the world's best club team, first took place in 2000. It then paused for several years, from 2001 through 2004, before returning as an annual event.

Now, 2025 marks the beginning of an entirely new era for the Club World Cup, featuring an expanded format and a fresh vision for global club football.

Check out the past winners list below:

FIFA Club World Cup: Top Scorers

Here comes the elite list where individual dominance shines:

FIFA Club World Cup: Most Successful Teams

Real Madrid holds the tag of most successful team in FIFA Club World Cup history with 5 titles. Check out the other clubs that follow:

• Real Madrid: 5 wins
• Barcelona: 3 wins
• Bayern Munich: 2 wins
• Corinthians: 2 wins

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.

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.

The French Open, often known as Roland-Garros, is an annual tennis tournament held at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. The French Open is the second Grand Slam of the year. It is the only Grand Slam played on clay court, making it one of the most anticipated tennis events of the year. It is thought to be one of the most arduous grand slams to win, as the best-of-five-sets format on clay makes the battle extremely exhausting, and only the fittest can win. However, during its 131 years of reigning, the French Open has been a witness of several unexpected moments. From one man unbelievably acquiring 13 French Open titles to the rise of numerous unexpected champions, the event has seen it all. Let us have a trip to memory lane and look at the male French Open winners from the Last 10 years.

Also Read: Players who won the Golden Slam in their career

French Open Winners: (Men)

1. French Open 2016 winner: Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal, then 9-time French Open champion, resigned from the event in 2016 after consecutive straight-set triumphs and great form due to a significant wrist injury. Top seed Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, had a number of his strongest rivals eliminated or debilitated at the Open. With the 'King of Clay' out of the competition, Djokovic seemed to have only Andy Murray to contend with, who was floundering against far lower-ranked opponents. Furthermore, the Serbian did not waste this rare opportunity and performed admirably to come back from a set down to eliminate Andy Murray. As a result of his victory, he won his maiden French Open title, and he became the first man since 1969 to retain all four Grand Slam titles in a row.

2. French Open 2017 winner: Rafael Nadal

Nadal accomplished 'La Decima'( It means The Tenth in Spanish) with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 annihilation of Stan Wawrinka in the final, giving him a perfect ten at Roland Garros that year. Not just because of the title but the way he sailed through seven rounds, solidified his position as the best clay-courter of all time. On his approach to the triumph, the Mallorcan did not drop a single set and only lost 35 games, the fewest he has ever lost when claiming a Grand Slam title.

Read also: Oldest Grand Slam Champion | Top 10 List

3. French Open 2018 winner: Rafael Nadal

The Spaniard's triumph at Roland Garros in 2018 handed him 17 Grand Slam championships in his career and expanded his record for most Grand Slam titles in a single major. Furthermore, He earned this honour by thrashing Dominic Thiem in straight sets(6–4, 6–3, 6–2). Nonetheless, At that time, on the clay at Roland Garros, Nadal won 11 trophies, tying the legendary Margaret Court for the most titles at a single Grand Slam and again cementing his position as the 'King of Clay.'

4. French Open 2019 winner: Rafael Nadal

Coming into the final, the Spaniard had only dropped one set and was coming off a convincing semi-final triumph against Roger Federer. His opponent, Dominic Thiem, on the other hand, was hoping to build on his win over Novak Djokovic, as well as his straight-sets victory over Nadal in the Barcelona Open semi-final, to reach his second Grand Slam final. Thiem was on the verge of achieving his dreams by claiming the second set, however, an inexorable Nadal bounced back in a poised fashion and extended his record-breaking reign at Roland-Garros by winning a 12th men's singles title with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory.

5. French Open 2020 winner: Rafael Nadal

Tennis fans were drooling at the idea of another dramatic battle in one of the sport's most historical rivalries, but it turned out to be one of the most one-sided Grand Slam finals in the Open era. Although, The odds were stacked against the Serbian in his match against the 34-year-old Nadal, who was attempting to win his 13th title on the red clay courts of Roland Garros. However, putting a stop to the speculations, the 'King of Clay' delivered one of the most humiliating defeats on great rival Novak Djokovic, demolishing the world number one 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to claim a record-tying 20th Grand Slam men's singles title.

Also Read: Youngest Grand Slam Champion (Men) | Top 10 List

6. French Open 2021 winner: Novak Djokovic

Djokovic spun up some more magic on the court less than 48 hours after defeating 13-time champion Rafael Nadal in one of the best tennis knockdowns. However, after falling behind two sets to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece—a 22-year-old who was playing in his first Grand Slam final—Djokovic rebounded to win in five games, 6–7 (8), 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4. Eventually, he was richly compensated for his spectacular comeback by winning the French Open 2021, his second in Paris and the 19th Grand Slam title.

Read also: Novak Djokovic co-owns major bio-tech company in Serbia reveals company's CEO

7. French Open 2022 winner: Rafael Nadal

The "King of Clay" Rafael Nadal lived up to his title once again, overwhelming Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 to win the French Open 2022 title. It was his record-extending 14th French Open title and record-extending 22nd major title overall. It marked the first time in his career that he won the Australian Open and the French Open in the same calendar year. Nadal also became the third man to defeat four top 10 players en route to a major title since the introduction of ATP rankings in 1973.

8. French Open 2023 winner: Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic won his men's-record 23rd Grand Slam title with a victory over Casper Ruud in French Open 2023 Final. Djokovic broke a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men's tennis. The Serb moves into the outright lead of men's majors ahead of Rafael Nadal. He also becomes the first man to win all four majors at least three times. By winning his 23rd Slam title at the French Open beating Norwegian world No. 4 Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 in the final. In addition, Djokovic broke away from Rafael Nadal in the men's pecking order. Joining Serena Williams on the most Slam count by any player in the Open Era, he also became the first man to win all the Majors at least thrice.

Also Read: Grand Slam record: Most wins in grand slams

9. French Open 2024 winner: Carlos Alcaraz

The 21-year-old Spaniard became the youngest man to win a major across all three tennis surfaces, claiming the French Open singles crown. He toppled Olympic champion Alexander Zverev in five sets, 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2. Carlos Alcaraz has roared to a perfect 3-0 in major finals, adding his win in Paris on clay to his US Open triumph (hard court) in 2022 and Wimbledon (grass) last year.

Also Read: 2024 French Open (Men's Singles): Carlos Alcaraz creates history by defeating Alexander Zverev

Alcaraz also joins Spanish compatriot Rafael Nadal as the only man to win a Roland-Garros title under the age of 22 since the year 2000 (Nadal did so 2005-07).

10. French Open 2025 winner: Carlos Alcaraz

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from two sets down, saving three championship points on the way to beat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in an incredible French Open 2025 men's singles final. It was the longest final in tournament history (5 hours, 29 minutes) in the Open Era.

This was the second longest grand slam final in the Open Era; Alcaraz is just the sixth player ever to come back from two sets down to win a French Open final; and the Spaniard is also the youngest player to win two straight men’s singles titles in Paris since Nadal, the King of Clay, won four in a row between 2005 and 2008.

Alcaraz has now won his fifth major title aged 22 years, one month and three days old, the exact same age his hero Rafael Nadal was when he won his fifth at Wimbledon in 2008.