Top five players who have never won a major trophy

These sensational players surprisingly never lifted a trophy in their careers.

One of the many aspects of Football is about winning trophies and collecting major honors for club and country. More often than not, a player’s overall success is gauged by the number of winner’s medals they have amassed. The biggest names of football have all managed to win numerous major honors wherever they have played, but there are some exceptions in this regard as well.

The following list of players have surprisingly never won a trophy, for club or country. These are no ordinary names, some of them are regarded as geniuses of the game, but circumstances and terrible luck has resulted in them never achieving a winner’s medal.

5. Matt Le Tissier

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Back in his playing days, Matt Le Tissier was considered as one of the most technically gifted players in England. He used to score goals that were awesome and sometimes unbelievable. An attacking midfielder in essence, he could put a shift all over the field in whichever position he liked, a truly versatile attacker. He spent most of his career at Southampton FC, after graduating from their famous academy.

The Englishman scored 109 goals for the Saints, but due to his loyalty for the club, was never in a trophy winning side. He also secured eight caps for the national side but remained trophyless.

4. Jermain Defoe

Jermain Defoe is a seasoned Premier League player who has featured for sides like West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspurs and Sunderland. The Englishman came mighty close to winning the EFL League Cup back in 2008, but was transferred to Portsmouth, one month prior to Spurs lifting the trophy. 

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The forward has famously never lifted a title in 496 Premier League appearances, scoring 162 goals. He also featured briefly for MLS side, Toronto FC, but remained without a winner’s medal there as well. He is currently playing for Scottish side, Rangers FC. 

3. Bernd Schneider

One of the most technical wingers of his era, Bernd Schneider was popularly known as the 'White Brazilian." The German playmaker spent most of his career at Bayer Leverkusen and remains one of the unluckiest players to have never lifted a major honor. He accumulated six runner’s up medals but never the winner’s medal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8i_O9nPprY

He played 366 times for Bayer Leverkusen where he scored 52 goals and managed 80 assists as well. Moreover, Schneider secured 81 international caps but still never won a major trophy, as the closest he came was finishing second to Brazil in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. 

2. Socrates

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One of the most iconic and easily recognisable figures in football, Socrates is also one of the few unlucky stars of the game to have never lifted a major trophy. He had a short career but was considered as a true genius, no wonder he had a doctorate in medicine in life outside of football as well. 

He came close to winning the 1982 World Cup with Brazil but lost out to eventual winners, Italy. He never won the Copa America as well due to a short club career mostly spent in the Serie A at ACF Fiorentina.

1. Antonio Di Natale

Antonio Di Natale is a true icon of the game and one of the most gifted footballers from Italy, a nation which is known to produce sensational defenders. The forward had featured heavily for Udinese and is considered a club legend. His display got better as he reached the latter stages of his career, like a fine aged wine.

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The Italian however, never managed to lift a major trophy, partly because of his loyalty to the club. He came closest on the international stage while playing for Italy in the 2012 Euros, but was denied by a dominant Spanish side. Di Natale had managed 445 appearances in the Serie A and scored 210 goals on top of 56 assists before hanging up his boots.