“Adding the World Cup to his résumé means Rodri has now won the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or,” writes Owen Bagnall. “Has anyone else ‘completed football’ like this?”
Indeed, Rodri’s accomplishment aligns him with a select group of football legends.
Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller were pioneers in this regard, achieving their own illustrious quartet on the same day—July 7, 1974—when West Germany triumphed over the Netherlands to secure the World Cup, with Müller netting the decisive goal. Both players entered that tournament following Bayern Munich’s victory in the 1974 European Cup and had previously clinched the European Championship with Die Mannschaft two years earlier. Beckenbauer led all three teams as captain, while Müller made his mark by scoring in each of the finals. Müller earned the Ballon d’Or in 1970, and Beckenbauer followed suit in 1972.
Nearly three decades passed before another player matched their feats. Zinedine Zidane accomplished this by winning the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2002, where he scored a memorable goal. This achievement complemented his previous titles: the 1998 World Cup, the 1998 Ballon d’Or, and the 2000 European Championship.
Rivaldo entered this elite circle the following year. Having secured the Copa América with Brazil in 1999 and the Ballon d’Or that same year, he completed his collection with the 2002 World Cup and the 2003 Champions League title, although he was an unused substitute for Milan in the final against Juventus.
Similarly, Ronaldinho’s accolades come with a slight caveat; he was part of Brazil’s squad in the 1999 Copa América but did not play in the final. Nonetheless, he earned the medal and went on to achieve the 2002 World Cup, the 2005 Ballon d’Or, and the 2006 Champions League with Barcelona.
In predictable fashion, Lionel Messi also boasts the full set. He first won the Champions League in 2006 as a member of the Barcelona team and played a vital role in their 2009 victory. The Ballon d’Or followed in 2009, but it took longer for Messi to claim international honors, which he finally secured with the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup.
Rodri’s addition to this esteemed list occurred recently, as he claimed the World Cup along with the 2023 Champions League, the 2024 Euros, and the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Notably, Beckenbauer was the only player to achieve all four titles faster, accomplishing it in just two years.
In women’s football, the complete quartet remains elusive, primarily due to the Ballon d’Or Féminin’s relatively short history, with only seven editions held so far. Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí have collectively won five of these awards and both have a Champions League title and a World Cup. However, they will have to wait until the 2029 European Championship for another opportunity to complete their set. Megan Rapinoe, who won the Ballon d’Or Féminin in 2019, also boasts a World Cup and a Concacaf W Championship, but has yet to secure a continental club championship, a challenge considering the Concacaf only established one in 2024.
Can we assist you?
“Who has the most World Cup assists?” asks Michael Ross.
This seemingly straightforward question is complicated by historical data gaps. Accurate statistics from the tournament’s early years are scarce due to the absence of comprehensive records and TV footage, making it difficult to track assists before 1966. The recent 2026 tournament produced a remarkable record for individual assists, with one player reaching new heights.
Most assists at one tournament (from 1966): 7 Michael Olise (France, 2026); 6 Pelé (Brazil, 1970); 5 Robert Gadocha (Poland, 1974), Pierre Littbarski (West Germany, 1982), Diego Maradona (Argentina, 1986), Thomas Hässler (Germany, 1994); 4 Siggi Held (West Germany, 1966), Tostão (Brazil, 1970), Zico (Brazil, 1982), Igor Belanov (USSR, 1986), Michael Ballack (Germany, 2002), Francesco Totti (Italy, 2006), Juan Román Riquelme (Argentina, 2006), Juan Cuadrado (Colombia, 2014), Bruno Guimarães (Brazil, 2026), Brahim Díaz (Morocco, 2026), Lionel Messi (Argentina, 2026), Martin Ødegaard (Norway, 2026), Kylian Mbappé (France, 2026).
Most assists overall (from 1966): 12 Lionel Messi (Argentina, 2006-26); 8 Diego Maradona (Argentina, 1982-94); 7 Grzegorz Lato (Poland, 1974-82), Pierre Littbarski (West Germany, 1982-90), Michael Olise (France, 2026); 6 Pelé (Brazil, 1966-70), Uwe Seeler (West Germany, 1966-70), Thomas Hässler (Germany, 1990-98), David Beckham (England, 1998-2006), Francesco Totti (Italy, 2002-06), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, 2006-14), Thomas Müller (Germany, 2010-22), Ivan Perisic (Croatia, 2014-26), Kylian Mbappé (France, 2018-26).
Most England assists: 6 David Beckham; 4 Harry Kane; 3 Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon; 2 Tommy Taylor, Bobby Moore, Keith Newton, Steve Hodge, Paul Gascoigne, Harry Maguire, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice.
Ballon d’Or Winners with Fewest Caps
“When reading about King Kev at his sad passing this week, I was surprised to learn that he only had 63 caps,” reflects Steve Richards. “That seems very low, especially for a two-time Ballon d’Or winner. Is his number of caps the lowest for a Ballon d’Or winner, especially a multi-winner?”
Historically, international fixtures were less frequent, resulting in several early Ballon d’Or winners having fewer than 50 caps. Notable examples include Luis Suárez (Spain, 32 caps), Igor Belanov (USSR, 33), and George Best (Northern Ireland, 37).
The record for the fewest caps among Ballon d’Or winners belongs to Omar Sívori, who garnered just 19 caps for Argentina in the mid-1950s before relocating to Italy, where he was eventually excluded from La Albiceleste. He made nine appearances for Italy in the 1960s, including at the 1962 World Cup, totaling 28 international matches. Further details about his intriguing career can be found in his Guardian obituary penned by Brian Glanville in 2005.
Among multiple winners, Alfredo Di Stéfano has the fewest caps, totaling 41 for Spain, Colombia, and Argentina, along with his Ballon d’Or wins in 1957 and 1959. Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, both three-time winners, accumulated 48 and 58 caps, respectively, for the Netherlands.
Knowledge Archive
inquired Jonathan Wilson (not that one) in 2014.
During the 2014 World Cup, a total of 3,240 balls were utilized—20 for each match—each emblazoned with personalized matchday details (teams, date, and venue). Additionally, each team received 20 training balls upon their arrival at their training camp in Brazil. So what becomes of them? “What happens to World Cup balls used throughout the tournament,” a FIFA spokesperson revealed. Adidas, the ball’s manufacturer, added: “The balls are used after a tournament for souvenirs for the teams and referees, host cities, Fifa partners and the Fifa museum,”
Can You Help?
“For this World Cup we opted for all used matchballs from the games to be given to the marketing teams in those countries involved in that particular game. However, not all markets opted to take up this option. Each local market team is then encouraged to run a giveaway through social media to allow fans the chance to win the balls.” begins James Mackenzie. “In the aftermath of England’s semi-final exit we may have overlooked the real winner on the evening,”
“Step forward Barcelona’s Anthony Gordon. Not only did he join the club of being a World Cup semi-final goal scorer for England he also bagged arguably the bigger award of a lifetime’s free access to Leeds Bradford airport’s VIP lounge! Are there any better example of a more ludicrous consolation prize in football?” writes Alan Kinsella. “I noticed that Irish Premier Division side Shelbourne recently appointed John Russell as the men’s team manager,”
“Their women’s team manager is Sean (Irish for John) Russell. They aren’t related. Is this a first having men’s and women’s team managers of the same name?” recounts John Eales. “In August 1968, Plymouth Argyle hosted Exeter City in the first round of the League Cup. The match ended 0-0,”
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“A week later, the two teams met in a replay at St James Park. After another goalless 90 minutes, extra time was played, but still the score remained 0-0. A few days later, a second replay took place, this time on neutral territory (Torquay United’s Plainmoor ground). After 90 minutes, you’ve guessed it, the score was 0-0. With a minute of extra time remaining, John Kirkham scored to give City a 1-0 win. I was wondering whether this is some sort of record? 329 minutes of a cup tie without a goal being scored …”
