PSG won the league title in style by beating Monaco 3-1 after a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick gave the 20 year old Frenchman his 7th trophy of his career. But another story emerged as the dust settled down and the Champagne spilled at the Parc des Princes last Sunday night and that was the incredible fact that Dani Alves, PSG’s defender became the most successful player in the history of the game.
The Brazilian won his 42nd trophy which is now classified as an official record. One of those is a youth one but it is being counted. It has been an incredible haul of trophies for Alves who has won leagues in Brazil, Spain, Italy and France in a glittering career and has also won the Copa America for Brazil and 3 Champions Leagues with Barcelona. The World Cup is going to elude him, but if he stays with PSG he is likely to win even more trophies.
Indeed Alves could make it trophy no 43 as early as this weekend when PSG take on Rennes in the Coupe de France final, and if he is at the club next year, he could push that total to much more.
But what of two incredibly successful players- the players that have changed the game in the past decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo- and will they one day be able to take Alves crown?
Messi currently has 34 trophies overall. And by the end of the season that could be 36 if Barcelona win the league and the Copa del Rey. They are almost certain to win the league so 35 looks assured at least. Messi will be 32 when the season kicks off next and at the very top level looking at his fitness he might have another four seasons left, and perhaps he has a chance to break Alves record, but then again it depends which player will have the longest career.
As for Ronaldo he has won 28 trophies and while his fitness means he will carry on for a few good more years yet it looks unlikely he will bother Alves incredible record.
Here is what Alves has won in a fantastic career- the question is can he get to 50 trophies?
Bahia (2001-02):
Campeonato Baiano – 2001
Copa do Nordeste – 2001, 2002
Copa del Rey — 2006-07
Supercopa de Espana — 2007
UEFA Cup — 2005-06, 2006-07
UEFA Super Cup — 2006
La Liga — 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16
Copa del Rey — 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16
Supercopa de Espana — 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
Champions League — 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
UEFA Super Cup — 2009, 2011, 2015
FIFA Club World Cup — 2009, 2011, 2015
Serie A — 2016-17
Coppa Italia — 2016-17
Trophee des Champions — 2017
Coupe de la Ligue — 2017-18
Coupe de France — 2017-18
Ligue 1 — 2017-18, 2018-19
Copa America — 2007
Confederations Cup — 2009, 2013
FIFA World Youth Championship – 2003
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