Paris Saint-Germain's Marquinhos has moved to the top of an unusual but fascinating leaderboard: the list of players with the most club trophies won during their careers. The Brazilian defender collected his 40th piece of silverware when PSG defeated Aston Villa in the Super Cup, prompting a closer examination of exactly how his honours haul compares to the game's other serial winners.
According to a detailed breakdown, Marquinhos has actually amassed 41 trophies across his career at PSG. His collection includes one Copa Libertadores, 11 Ligue 1 titles, eight Coupes de France, six Coupes de la Ligue, 10 Trophées des Champions, two Champions League crowns, two Super Cups and one Intercontinental Cup. That combination puts him narrowly ahead of anyone else in the sport, at least by this count.
Running him closest is Lionel Messi, whose 40 trophies span three different clubs and two continents. The Argentine's haul consists of 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey triumphs, seven Supercopa de España wins, four Champions Leagues, three Super Cups, three Club World Cups, two Ligue 1 titles, one Trophée des Champions, one MLS Cup, one Supporters' Shield and one Leagues Cup, reflecting his time at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.
Interestingly, there is a wrinkle in Messi's tally. Barcelona, Fifa and Spain's Royal Football Federation all officially credit him with also winning the 2005 Supercopa de España, which would lift his total to 41 and draw him level with Marquinhos. However, records show Messi did not appear in the matchday squad for either leg of that tie, so most assessments choose not to count it toward his personal collection.
Behind the two modern superstars sits a name less familiar to European audiences: Egyptian midfielder Hossam Ashour, who spent his career with Al Ahly. Ashour's trophy cabinet contains 39 honours, made up of 13 Egyptian League titles, four Egypt Cups, 10 Egyptian Super Cups, six CAF Champions Leagues, one CAF Confederation Cup and five CAF Super Cups — a testament to Al Ahly's dominance in African club football during his time there.
Fourth on the list is Dani Alves, whose well-travelled career took in spells at Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and São Paulo. The Brazilian full-back's honours include one Copa do Nordeste, five Copas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, two Uefa Cups, four Spanish Super Cups, six La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups, one Serie A title, one Coppa Italia, two Ligue 1 titles, one Coupe de France, one Coupe de la Ligue, one Trophée des Champions and one Campeonato Paulista.
The rankings underline just how remarkable sustained success has been for a select group of players over the past two decades, with PSG's continued domestic dominance in France now proving decisive in pushing Marquinhos past Messi at the summit — at least until anyone can point to a player who has won more.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.