Cristiano Ronaldo lifts 36th career trophy as Lionel Messi’s historic record remains unmatched

This Thursday, Al Nassr defeated Damac in the final match of the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season and secured the title. For Cristiano Ronaldo, the victory marked his 36th professional trophy, an impressive milestone that places him among the most decorated players in soccer history. However, he still trails Lionel Messi, who leads the all-time rankings with 48 trophies.

Since joining Al Nassr in December 2022, Ronaldo had been chasing his first official title with the Saudi club. After losing three finals and winning the unofficial 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, he finally achieved that goal.

The achievement also allows Ronaldo to maintain a remarkable streak: winning at least one title with every club he has played for. Early in his career, he captured the 2002 Portuguese Super Cup with Sporting CP. At Manchester United, he won 10 trophies, including one UEFA Champions League title and three Premier League crowns.

Later, the most successful stretch of his career came with Real Madrid, where Ronaldo won 16 trophies, including two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies. With Juventus, he added five domestic titles, while with the Portugal national team, he won the Euro 2016 title and two UEFA Nations League trophies.

Lionel Messi’s titles

While Cristiano Ronaldo’s 36 titles are impressive, they still fall short compared to Lionel Messi’s record. The Argentine forward not only leads this comparison but is also the most decorated player in soccer history with 48 trophies.

Most of Messi’s titles came during his 17 years with Barcelona, where he won 35 trophies, including four Champions League titles and 10 La Liga championships. At Paris Saint-Germain, Leo added three more trophies, while with Argentina, he claimed six, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup title. More recently, Messi lifted three trophies with Inter Miami: the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, and the 2025 MLS Cup.

Messi leads all-time trophy rankings

With his Saudi Pro League triumph, Cristiano Ronaldo is now just one title away from breaking into the top 10 players with the most trophies in soccer history. Once there, he would join legends such as Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Andres Iniesta, Karim Benzema, and Gerard Pique.

Here is the list of players with the most trophies in soccer history:

1- Lionel Messi (48)
2- Dani Alves (43)
3- Marquinhos (42)
4- Andres Iniesta (40)
4- Hossam Hassan (40)
6- David Alaba (39)
6- Hossam Ashour (39)
8- Karim Benzema (38)
8- Gerard Pique (38)
10- Maxwell (37)
11- Sergio Busquets (36)
11- Angel Di Maria (36)
11- Cristiano Ronaldo (36)
11- Ryan Giggs (36)
11- Ibrahim Hassan (36)