Players who have won the World Cup, Champions League and Ballon d’Or

Which players have won the World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d’Or? Uncover which footballers have won all three and which players may be next to do so.

Players who win the World Cup, Champions League, or Ballon d’Or should be considered highly successful and talented. Winning any one of these honours is a true testament to their footballing ability, even if some are team-based awards. Players who’ve won all three, however, are part of a very limited club. 

So which players have managed to win the World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d’Or? 

We’ve put together profiles of every player to have won all three prizes and looked into which players are the most likely to add themselves to this exclusive list! Incidentally, a couple of these names are taking part in the 2026 edition of the World Cup, so, if you’re backing them to lead by example, perhaps dive into the latest World Cup betting odds for all the games as they unfold.

Which players have won all three awards? 

Below, we have every player to have won the World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d’Or, with many legendary figures from the history of football featuring:

Bobby Charlton 

One of England’s and Manchester United’s best ever players, Bobby Charlton was the first to accomplish this achievement. The attacking midfielder was a mainstay both for club and country throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, contributing important goals and assists at both levels. 

Charlton’s 1966 season was arguably his best, as he won both the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or! He proved a vital part of England’s tournament-winning campaign, scoring three goals across the competition. This included one in the group phase against Mexico and two crucial ones against Portugal in the semi-finals. 

Though many of the England players were considered for the Ballon d’Or, such as Alan Ball and Bobby Moore, Charlton’s contributions just couldn’t be overlooked. 

He then went on to complete the set two years later, winning the Champions League (the then European Cup) in 1968 against Benfica. His contributions here were key, as he scored a header early into the second half before getting a second in the 99th minute during extra time. The game ended 4-1 and Man United lifted their first European Cup, allowing Charlton to tick off the third of these major honours. 

Though he didn’t win any of these awards more than once, he did finish runner-up in the Ballon d’Or in 1967 and 1968, as he still produced top level performances. 

Franz Beckenbauer 

Franz Beckenbauer is an extremely decorated player, winning many more trophies and awards than just the World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d’Or. This is no surprise, however, as he’s considered to be one of the greatest and most era-defining defenders in the history of the sport. 

Impressively, Beckenbauer won the Ballon d’Or twice, which, especially as a defender, is some achievement. His first came in 1972 after West Germany won the Euros, where he beat fellow national teammates Gerd Muller and Gunter Netzer by two points. After captaining the national team to win the trophy, he more than proved he deserved the honour. 

He then repeated the feat in 1976, having shown the world for many years that he was one of the best players on the planet at this point. He’d just won his third European Cup in a row and kept up his elite ability to roam between the midfield and the defence, helping him to dictate the tempo and flow of any football match. 

As we just mentioned, he won the Champions League for three years running, with his Bayern Munich team dominating Europe in the 1973/74, 1974/75, and 1975/76 seasons. Throughout all three of these campaigns, he demonstrated elite leadership abilities as he captained the team in each of them. 

In the middle of all this success, he won the World Cup in 1974 with West Germany, playing an instrumental role as a spare defender, dribbling forwards and helping to create chances for other teammates. 

So, with one World Cup, three Champions Leagues, and two Ballon d’Or trophies, he is one of the most highly decorated players in history. 

Gerd Muller 

Another member of the 1974 West German World Cup-winning team, Gerd Muller has also won all three of these accolades as well. The centre-forward was a key part of West Germany and Bayern Munich’s success in the 1970’s, scoring many crucial goals along the way. 

Winning the Ballon d’Or in 1970, Muller added the first award to his collection, putting in elite displays at both a club and international level. During the 1970 World Cup he netted ten times, even scoring 38 goals in 33 games in the top flight of German football. Because of the volume of goals that he scored, he was nicknamed “Der Bomber,” with his record continuing to be one of the best. 

Like Beckenbauer, he was part of the Bayern Munich side that won three European Cups in a row between 1974 and 1976. Muller scored some vital goals across these three seasons, with him netting in both the 1974 and 1975 finals! 

Then in West Germany’s World Cup-winning tournament in 1974, Muller scored four goals which put him among the top scorers at the tournament. His most important of these goals came in the final, just before half time. The ball was cut back to him in the centre of the penalty area, where he turned and shot it into the bottom left corner. This put West Germany in front, and he scored what turned out to be the winner! 

Paolo Rossi 

Legendary Italian centre-forward Paolo Rossi is the next to have won all three honours. Though maybe not as memorable as some of the other names on this list, his contributions to Italy at the World Cup and to Juventus in the European Cup truly show that he was an elite footballer. 

His first of the three came in 1982 when he won the World Cup with Italy, leading the line and scoring six goals to help guide them to their third title in the competition. He became the top scorer at the tournament, winning both the World Cup Golden Ball and the Golden Boot. 

Impressively, he was also able to win the Ballon d’Or in 1982 as well, with his goals at the Spanish World Cup making him become recognised as an instant fan favourite. Though his form at Juventus wasn’t the best at the beginning of 1982, Rossi’s exploits in the knockout stages of the World Cup changed everything. He was then able to stay in consistently impressive form until the end of the year, with his self-confidence clearly at an all-time high. 

He then completed the set when he won the European Cup with Juventus in 1985. Rossi didn’t contribute massively to this triumph, with him having a poor season. His bad form meant that the final was his last game at the club. 

Zinedine Zidane 

One of the greatest midfielders ever, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane was instrumental in both his European Cup-winning and World Cup-winning campaigns. Without Zidane, you can argue that neither Real Madrid nor France would have won these titles. 

He managed to attain the first of the three in 1998, memorably winning France’s first-ever World Cup on home soil. His two headed goals in the final propelled them to silverware, helping France to cruise past Brazil 3-0 at full time. 

In the same year, Zidane was awarded the Ballon d’Or, mostly for his heroics at the World Cup. He was also influential at his club, Juventus, with him being a crucial part of their run to the Champions League final and in winning the Serie A title. 

Finally, after transferring to Real Madrid in 2001 for a world-record fee of €77.5 million, he won the 2002 Champions League. The final against Bayer Leverkusen is remembered by his stunning goal to win the game, as he volleyed the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box. His strike is forever etched into history, with the moment cementing him as one of the greatest midfielders to ever play the game. 

Rivaldo

One of the many Brazilian stars in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Rivaldo was able to prove himself as one of the very best. The attacking midfielder is often overlooked compared to some of these other top players, yet still managed to win the World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d’Or, which few have managed to achieve. 

His first was the Ballon d’Or in 1999 after he put in some phenomenal displays with his club Barcelona. It was here where he won La Liga, beating Real Madrid by 11 points, and scored 24 goals, making him Barcelona’s top scorer. This also made him the second top scorer in the league behind Raul, who had 25! 1999 was also the year where he won the Copa America with Brazil, and it was here where he won the Best Player award for the tournament, becoming the joint top scorer with Ronaldo Nazario on five goals. 

His next big accolade came in 2002, where he played a pivotal role in Brazil’s World Cup-winning tournament. Again he won the Player of the Tournament award, as he scored five goals and was a key element to Brazil’s creativity and attacking prowess. Getting crucial goals against Belgium in the round of 16 and England in the quarter-finals, he was a huge part of the Selecao’s success at the World Cup. 

Finally, he transferred to AC Milan in 2002 and won the Champions League with them in 2003. This, however, was one trophy that he wasn’t as involved with. His performances at Milan were underwhelming which led to him not featuring at all in the final against Juventus. 

Ronaldinho

Another member of Brazil’s star-studded team across the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ronaldinho is considered to be one of the most gifted footballers to have played the game. His technical abilities were there for all to see, as he was able to manipulate the ball in ways that stunned defenders and spectators alike. 

Winning the World Cup in 2002, he was part of a deadly trio including Ronaldo and Rivaldo. Nicknamed the “Three Rs”, they struck fear into defenders’ hearts and continued their success from the 1999 Copa America. Across the World Cup, Ronaldinho made five appearances and contributed two goals and three assists, with his most memorable coming against England in the quarter-final. He first assisted Rivaldo after running the field, beating Ashley Cole using step-overs in the process. It was his free kick that grabbed the headlines, though, as he curled it into the top corner, looping over David Seaman in goal. 

The next of the accolades came in 2005, when he won the Ballon d’Or after helping Barcelona to secure their first league title since 1999 and scoring nine goals in the process. It may not have been his most prolific season of football, with him only accruing 13 goals in all competitions, but he influenced Barcelona’s team in other ways. Almost everything flowed through him as they won the league and Supercopa, all while amazing fans with his flair. 

2006 was then the year that he won the Champions League, spearheading Barcelona’s charge to the title. With memorable games like the first leg against Real Madrid where he scored twice, and decisive moments such as him scoring a mesmerising goal against Chelsea, he was no doubt key to their success. This was even more special, being Barcelona’s first Champions League title in 14 years. 

Kaka 

Concluding the Brazilians that feature on this list, Kaka is also a highly decorated individual who’s won all three. Though not necessarily as instrumental in some of these successes, he’s still managed to be involved in all of them in some capacity. 

At just 20 years old he won the World Cup with Brazil, though he played a lesser role after only making one appearance during the tournament. This came in the form of a 25-minute cameo against Costa Rica in the group stage where Brazil won 5-2. 

For his other honours, like the 2007 Champions League win, Kaka was much more influential. He produced what can only be considered a masterclass against Liverpool, clearly motivated by AC Milan’s capitulation against the Reds two years prior. Though not named Man of the Match, he terrorised Liverpool’s defence throughout the game, showcasing himself at the peak of his powers. 

Performances like his in the Champions League final were a huge reason as to why he won the Ballon d’Or in 2007. Scoring ten goals in the campaign, AC Milan may not have won the title without him. His displays allowed him to beat the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the award, making him one of few players to do so while they were at their best. 

Lionel Messi 

A man that needs no introduction, Lionel Messi only managed to add himself onto the list more recently. Arguably the best player of all time, Messi has managed to win multiple Champions Leagues and Ballon d’Ors, making him highly decorated. 

The Barcelona legend won the Champions League four times, lifting the trophy in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015. Instrumental in all these campaigns, he was a key part of Barcelona’s European exploits for many years, playing a vital role in three of these four Champions League finals. He only missed Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal after being sidelined with a hamstring injury, but for the others he was pivotal. He scored a key header against Manchester United in Barcelona’s 2-0 win in 2009, a crucial goal in the Blaugrana’s 3-1 win over Man United in 2011, and played a central role in their 2015 win against Juventus which ended 3-1. 

Regarding Ballon d’Ors, some may consider him as the face of the award considering he’s won so many. With a total of eight victories, he’s by far the player with the most, as Cristiano Ronaldo has the next most with five. Winning his first in 2009, he went on to win it again in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Arguably Messi’s best Ballon d’Or winning season was in 2012, where he scored 91 goals and got 22 assists across 69 games, winning the Copa del Rey in April and the Supercopa later in the year! 

Finally completing the set in 2022, Messi won the all-elusive World Cup. With disappointments like the loss to Germany in the 2014 final, Messi will have been wanting to avenge this, finally being able to eight years later. Though Argentina lost the first game against Saudi Arabia, after this point they were almost unstoppable with Messi leading the way. He scored seven goals, including two in the final, helping Argentina overcome the French team that was driven by a clinical Kylian Mbappe. 

Considering he’s won one World Cup, four Champions Leagues, and eight Ballon d’Ors, he’s by far the most successful on this list with regards to winning these three accolades. 

Ousmane Dembele 

Frenchman Ousmane Dembele is the most recent player to join this list, completing the collection in 2025. Despite being injury-ridden and considered a flop at Barcelona, his transfer to PSG changed everything for him and his career. 

He won the World Cup in 2018, playing in four games throughout the tournament. That said, he wasn’t a key player to France’s success as he only started in two of these matches, neither scoring nor assisting. 

He was, however, a crucial part of PSG’s Champions League-winning campaign in 2025, managing to produce eight goals and six assists in his 15 appearances. This included important goals against Liverpool and Arsenal, with him also getting two assists in the final! 

Because of his fantastic performances in Europe, helping to take PSG to their first Champions League title, he stood out as the best player in the world at the time. Despite tough competition for large portions of the season thanks to Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Mo Salah, his successes and silverware acknowledged him as the deserving winner. 

Which country has the most winners of ‘The Big Three’? 

So, now that we’ve wrapped up every player to win the World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d’Or, which nations have the most winners of ‘The Big Three’? Looking at all the players, it’s Brazil that have the most with three (Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Kaka), then France (Zidane and Dembele) and Germany with two (Beckenbauer and Muller). 

The rest of the countries have only one winner of all three, but who knows which nations will produce players to win all the honours in their careers? 

Are there any players close to joining the list? 

There are many successful players who’ve been close to joining the list but just fall short by missing out on one of the trophies. Looking at current players, though, who is close to winning them all? 

Well, Rodri has a good chance to complete the set in the summer with Spain being one of the favourites for the World Cup. Having won the 2024 Ballon d’Or and the Champions League in 2023, he’s already most of the way there! 

Cristiano Ronaldo is another to only be missing out on the World Cup so far. With five Ballon d’Ors and five Champions Leagues, he’s certainly ticked those boxes already. With this being his last World Cup, can he have the perfect ending and secure the full collection? 

Luka Modric has won both the Ballon d’Or and five Champions League titles, meaning it’s just the World Cup left. Though Croatia aren’t favourites for the 2026 tournament, they’ve reached the final and semi-final in the last two editions of the World Cup so it’s not unreasonable to suggest they could have another go and potentially complete the job! 

Finally, though Mbappe has only won the World Cup in 2018, he’s young enough to win the other two trophies later in his career. Playing for an elite club in Real Madrid and a top nation like France, there’s every chance he could become the third French player on this list!