Success is not an easy thing in football and given the competitive nature of the game, it needs a lot of hard work and dedication to achieve that on a consistent basis. Some of the major measuring factors of success in a footballers career are goals, assists, clean sheets, and silverware.
Though the list features some of the legends of the game, it has some surprising inclusions as well. Many of these players are a part of some of the greatest clubs like Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United.
Players like Gerard Pique, Xavi Hernandez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kenny Dalglish, Sergio Busquets, and Vitor Baia have won a lot of silverware in their respective careers.
1. Dani Alves, Trophies- 39
THIRTY-NINE. Absolutely Yes. You heard it right. The former Barcelona star has been the most successful player in football history with 36 trophies for the Catalan giants and three for the Brazil national team.
It’s a remarkable achievement by the Brazilian international who remained extremely fit to be successful at the highest level for so many years. His first career title (Campeonato Baiano) was in 2001 with Bahia in Brazil.
He moved to Spain with Barcelona and was a part of the Catalan side that dominated Spain under Pep Guardiola. He then moved to Juventus and then to Paris Saint-Germain, and continued his trophy haul.
The 35-year-old right back has played 746 competitive games in club football and 107 for his national team. He has won Copa America in 2007 and FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009 and 2013.
2. Maxwell, Trophies- 37
A surprise name on this list. Maxwell was not one those decorated football players but has proved effective throughout his career. In his footballing career with Cruzeiro, Ajax, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Maxwell was one of the most successful players in football history.
Maxwell had a trophy-laden career in every league he played. Starting with Copa do Brasil victory with Cruzeiro in 2000 to his most recent success with PSG in France, the former Brazilian international has won an astonishing 37 major silverwares. Maxwell has made only 10 appearances for his national team and has not won anything.
3. Oleksandr Shovkovskiy, Trophies- 36
Oleksandr Shovkovskiy is a Ukrainian footballer who played club football with Dynamo Kyiv for the major part of his footballing career. The goalkeeper has played 637 games for Dynamo Kyiv and 92 games for Ukraine. Shovkovskiy is one of the most successful club footballers in history and arguably the greatest Ukrainian players of all-time.
Shovkovskiy had a trophy-laden career with Dynamo Kyiv, which includes 14 Ukrainian Premier League titles. He has also won 10 Ukrainian Cup and six Ukrainian Super Cup. He has also won six other major tournaments to make it a total of 36 silverwares in his illustrious career. Shovkovskiy retired from football in 2016.
4. Ryan Giggs, Trophies- 35
Ryan Giggs is arguably the most successful player to play in English football. The Welshman was a part of the Manchester United side that dominated the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson. Giggs has played only for Manchester United throughout his footballing career and has played 963 top-flight games.
He has also played 68 games for his national team, Wales and Great Britain. He has scored 168 goals for the Red Devils and 12 for Wales. Ryan Giggs has won 35 titles with Manchester United, which includes a record 13 Premier League titles. With 162 assists, Giggs holds the record for most assists in Premier League history.
5 Andres Iniesta & Lionel Messi, Trophies- 33
Two of the most decorated footballers in history have each won 33 trophies in their illustrious careers. Andres Iniesta has won 30 trophies (nine La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles, three FIFA Club World Cup titles, and many more) for Barcelona and three (FIFA World Cup 2010, UEFA European Championships 2008 and 2012) for the Spain national team.
Lionel Messi, on the other hand, became the most honoured player in Barcelona history. He has won his 33rd trophy for the club as Barcelona beat Sevilla 2-1 to claim the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.
Messi started his title spree with the 2004/05 La Liga title and went on to win nine league titles, four UEFA Champions League titles, six Spanish Cups, seven Spanish Super Cups, three European Super Cups, and three Club World Cups. The Argentine international is 31 and on course to top this list in a few more years.