Top seven players who won Champions League, Premier League and World Cup

Julian Alvarez becomes the recent addition to this list

Perhaps there is no greater honour in a footballer’s career than lifting the prestigious FIFA World Cup. On the international front, there is no bigger, more historic title to win. While millions grow up aspiring to help their countries reach the pinnacle of the sport, only a handful of people have managed to do so. A player’s nationality could define whether or not one can even compete at a World Cup, let alone win it.

Qualifying for the quadrennial tournament is a long process that many lesser-known nations fail to achieve. Even if they do, the level of competition is brutal, as they are likely to come up against star-studded squads such as France, Portugal, and other great sides. Although an upset could be on the cards, the likelihood is quite low. Unfortunately, this directly puts great players born into lesser-established footballing nations at a great disadvantage.

Players from lesser-established nations have a much higher possibility of winning club honours. They could be purchased by top teams and compete in the UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, and other historic competitions. However, there are a select few in football history who have enjoyed the best of both worlds. Superstars who have experienced international success as well as immense success at club level.

Here we look at some of those players who have achieved this incredible feat:

1. Thierry Henry (France, Arsenal, Barcelona)

Henry was part of the France squad that won the 1998 WC on home soil and finished the tournament as their top scorer with three goals. But he remained on the bench throughout their 3-0 win over Brazil in the final. He spearheaded Arsene Wenger's Arsenal to two league titles in 2001 and 2004, including their famous Invincibles season, but just missed out on the UCL, losing the 2006 final to Barcelona.

As the old saying goes, "If you can’t beat them, join them," and the striker swapped Arsenal for Barcelona in the summer of 2007. The mercurial Frenchman completed the set by helping Pep Guardiola's Barcelona win the UEFA Champions League. He scored five goals and set up a further three during their triumph in 2008-09.

2. Fabien Barthez (France, Manchester United, Marseille)

Rated by pundits as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation, in his prime, Barthez was considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He was extremely athletic and was known for his elevation, as well as his decision-making, bravery, ability to read the game, and commitment when coming out to collect the ball, which made him effective in the air and enabled him to command his area effectively in spite of his short stature.

He already had a UCL medal to his name prior to his World Cup heroics, as he helped Olympique Marseille win it in 1992. Barthez conceded just four goals and kept seven clean sheets in his 10 games that season. He then won two Premier League titles between 2000 and 2004 with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United to complete the set.

3. Juliano Belletti (Brazil, Chelsea, Barcelona)

One of the more underappreciated players during his club career, Juliano Belletti, has played in each the PL, CL, and WC. That being said, he's had varying levels of involvement in his sides, winning said honours. Belletti didn't have too much of a contribution to make during Chelsea's and Brazil's Premier League and World Cup, respectively.

He was largely a bit-part player during the Blues' victorious 2009-10 campaign and played five minutes in Brazil's 2002 World Cup triumph. It was a whole different story at Barcelona, however, as he featured ten times in their UCL campaign and scored in the final. Belletti came on as a substitute and scored the eventual winning goal, his first-ever goal for Barcelona, from a Henrik Larsson assist.

4. Gerard Pique (Spain, Manchester United, Barcelona)

A La Masia academy graduate, Pique left Barcelona for Manchester United in 2004 in search of regular first-team football. He was part of the United side that won the Premier League and the CL in 2007-08, making 12 appearances in those competitions. But the centre-back returned to his boyhood club, Barcelona, and missed United’s Club World Cup win in December 2008.

Pique didn’t have to wait very long to get his hands on the trophy as Barcelona beat United in the 2009 Champions League final before overcoming Estudiantes at the Club World Cup. The Spain international also started all seven matches at the 2010 World Cup and kept five clean sheets, including their 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the final. He’s also won two more Champions Leagues and two more Club World Cups since completing the set in 2010.

5. Pedro (Spain, Chelsea, Barcelona)

The fourth Barcelona player to feature on this list, Pedro, was promoted to the first team ahead of 2008-09 and was part of the side that won the treble. He only made a cameo appearance against Manchester United in 2009 but scored in both the semi-final and the final of the Club World Cup. The winger was also named in Spain’s squad for the 2010 WC and set up David Villa’s winner in the quarterfinal before starting in the semi-final and the final.

Pedro won another Club WC and two more Champions Leagues with Barcelona before signing for Chelsea in 2015. He was a key player for Antonio Conte as Chelsea won the Premier League in 2016–17, registering nine goals and 10 assists in 35 league appearances.

6. N'Golo Kante (France, Chelsea & Leicester City, Chelsea)

Kante was a relatively unknown 24-year-old when he moved to Leicester City from Ligue 1 side Caen in a £5.6 million deal in 2015. But he took the Premier League by storm, and his brilliant performances helped propel Leicester from 17th to the title within 12 months.

The diminutive midfielder was the heartbeat of Chelsea's midfield as he fired them to the league title in 2016-17. He put together a string of breathtaking performances in the UCL knockout rounds to help the Blues win the competition. Kante was also the driving force behind France's near-indomitable midfield at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He helped them win their first World Cup since 1998 and was one of the Blues' indispensable players.

7. Julian Alvarez (Argentina, Manchester City)

Julian Alvarez is the most recent name to be added to this unique list, following Manchester City's Champions League triumph against Inter Milan in the final. In fact, the Argentine is the youngest footballer to ever achieve this feat. Alvarez is also the only player on the list to have won the FIFA World Cup before the Champions League, due to the Winter World Cup in Qatar last year.

Although Alvarez has not played a whole lot of football this season, he has produced moments of magic that have helped Manchester City win the treble. Regardless, the centre-forward has a lot of potential and could play a key role in the Citizens winning many more accolades in the years to come.