{"id":51767,"date":"2026-07-22T08:25:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T08:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointer-sport.media\/?p=51767"},"modified":"2026-07-22T08:25:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T08:25:11","slug":"rodri-achieves-rare-feat-joining-elite-list-of-footballs-all-time-greats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointer-sport.media\/en\/rodri-achieves-rare-feat-joining-elite-list-of-footballs-all-time-greats\/","title":{"rendered":"Rodri Achieves Rare Feat, Joining Elite List of Football’s All-Time Greats"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With the recent addition of the World Cup to his accolades, Rodri has marked a significant milestone in his career, now holding the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or,\u201d notes Owen Bagnall. \u201cY a-t-il quelqu’un d’autre qui a ‘compl\u00e9t\u00e9 le football’ de cette mani\u00e8re ?\u201d<\/p>\n

Though several players have reached this pinnacle, the number remains strikingly small.<\/p>\n

Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd M\u00fcller were the trailblazers, achieving this extraordinary milestone on July 7, 1974, when West Germany defeated the Netherlands to win the World Cup, with M\u00fcller netting the winning goal. Both players entered the tournament after Bayern Munich’s successful 1974 European Cup run and had previously secured the European Championship with Die Mannschaft two years earlier. Beckenbauer captained all three teams, while M\u00fcller scored in each of the finals. M\u00fcller won the Ballon d’Or in 1970, while Beckenbauer received his in 1972.<\/p>\n

It took nearly thirty years before another player matched this success. Zinedine Zidane achieved this feat in 2002, winning the Champions League with Real Madrid\u2014where he famously scored a stunning goal\u2014adding to his accolades that included the 1998 World Cup, the 1998 Ballon d’Or, and the 2000 European Championship.<\/p>\n

\"West<\/p>\n

The following year saw Rivaldo enter this exclusive circle. After winning the Copa Am\u00e9rica with Brazil in 1999 and clinching the Ballon d’Or that same year, he completed his collection with the 2002 World Cup and the 2003 Champions League. However, it’s noteworthy that he sat on the bench as an unused substitute for AC Milan in the final against Juventus, despite featuring throughout the tournament.<\/p>\n

Ronaldinho’s achievements also come with a slight caveat; he was part of the Brazil team that won the 1999 Copa Am\u00e9rica but did not play in the final. Nevertheless, he received the medal and subsequently added the 2002 World Cup, the 2005 Ballon d’Or, and the 2006 Champions League with Barcelona to his list of accomplishments.<\/p>\n

In unsurprising developments, Lionel Messi is also among those who have achieved the coveted quartet. He first secured the Champions League in 2006 as part of the Barcelona squad and played a vital role in their 2009 victory. The Ballon d’Or followed in 2009, and after a long wait for international glory, he finally triumphed in the 2021 Copa Am\u00e9rica and the 2022 World Cup.<\/p>\n

\"Ronaldinho<\/p>\n

Now, Rodri has joined this elite group, adding the World Cup to his impressive resume, which includes the 2023 Champions League, the 2024 European Championship, and the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Remarkably, only Beckenbauer achieved this remarkable collection faster, accomplishing all four titles within just two years.<\/p>\n

As it stands, the full quartet remains unattained in women’s football, primarily due to the Ballon d’Or F\u00e9minin being a relatively new accolade with only seven editions. Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmat\u00ed have collectively captured five of those honors and both hold a Champions League title and a World Cup. However, they will have to wait until the 2029 European Championship for another chance to complete their set. Megan Rapinoe, who won the Ballon d’Or F\u00e9minin in 2019, also boasts a World Cup and a Concacaf W Championship but lacks a continental club championship, which is understandable given that Concacaf only introduced this format in 2024.<\/p>\n

Can we assist you?<\/h2>\n

inquires Michael Ross.<\/p>\n

This question seems simple but is quite intricate. Records from the early phases of the tournament are sparse, and the absence of television footage has led to significant information being lost. Thus, we can only provide somewhat accurate data from 1966 onward. Interestingly, the 2026 tournament established a new record for assists by a single player and introduced a new name at the top of the all-time list.<\/p>\n

\"France\u2019s<\/p>\n

Most assists at one tournament (from 1966): 7 Michael Olise (France, 2026); 6 Pel\u00e9 (Brazil, 1970); 5 Robert Gadocha (Poland, 1974), Pierre Littbarski (West Germany, 1982), Diego Maradona (Argentina, 1986), Thomas H\u00e4ssler (West Germany, 1994); 4 Siggi Held (West Germany, 1966), Tost\u00e3o (Brazil, 1970), Zico (Brazil, 1982), Igor Belanov (USSR, 1986), Michael Ballack (Germany, 2002), Francesco Totti (Italy, 2006), Juan Rom\u00e1n Riquelme (Argentina, 2006), Juan Cuadrado (Colombia, 2014), Bruno Guimar\u00e3es (Brazil, 2026), Brahim D\u00edaz (Morocco, 2026), Lionel Messi (Argentina, 2026), Martin \u00d8degaard (Norway, 2026), Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (France, 2026).<\/p>\n

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 Pel\u00e9 (Brazil, 1966-70), Uwe Seeler (West Germany, 1966-70), Thomas H\u00e4ssler (Germany, 1990-98), David Beckham (England, 1998-2006), Francesco Totti (Italy, 2002-06), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, 2006-14), Thomas M\u00fcller (Germany, 2010-22), Ivan Perisic (Croatia, 2014-26), Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (France, 2018-26).<\/p>\n

\"Lionel<\/p>\n

Most assists for England: 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.<\/p>\n

Ballon d\u2019Or Winners with Fewest Caps<\/h2>\n

\u201cEn lisant cette semaine sur le d\u00e9c\u00e8s de King Kev, j’ai \u00e9t\u00e9 surpris d’apprendre qu’il n’avait que 63 s\u00e9lections,\u201d reflects Steve Richards. \u201cCela semble assez faible, particuli\u00e8rement pour un double vainqueur du Ballon d’Or. Son total est-il le plus bas pour un gagnant du Ballon d’Or, surtout parmi ceux qui l’ont remport\u00e9 plusieurs fois ?\u201d<\/p>\n

In earlier times, international fixtures occurred less frequently, leading to many early Ballon d’Or winners having fewer than 50 caps, such as Luis Su\u00e1rez (Spain, 32 caps), Igor Belanov (USSR, 33), and George Best (Northern Ireland, 37).<\/p>\n

However, the Ballon d’Or winner with the fewest caps is Omar S\u00edvori, who earned 19 caps for Argentina in the mid-1950s before relocating to Italy, where he was subsequently excluded from the Argentine national team. He made nine appearances for Italy during the 1960s, including at the 1962 World Cup, bringing his total to 28 international outings. His career is detailed in a Guardian obituary penned by Brian Glanville in 2005.<\/p>\n

Among multiple winners, Alfredo Di St\u00e9fano has the fewest caps, totaling 41 for Spain, Colombia, and Argentina during his time, alongside his 1957 and 1959 Ballon d’Or awards. Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, each three-time winners, recorded 48 and 58 caps, respectively, for the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

Knowledge Archive<\/h2>\n

asked Jonathan Wilson (not that one) back in 2014.<\/p>\n

During the 2014 World Cup, a total of 3,240 balls were utilized, with 20 allocated for each match\u2014all marked with matchday details (teams, date, and venue). Each team was also provided with 20 training balls upon their arrival in Brazil. So where do these balls end up? \u201cApr\u00e8s le tournoi, les ballons sont distribu\u00e9s en souvenirs aux \u00e9quipes, aux arbitres, aux villes h\u00f4tes, aux partenaires de la FIFA et au mus\u00e9e de la FIFA,\u201d a FIFA spokesperson informed us. Specifically, Adidas, the ball manufacturer, stated: \u201cPour cette Coupe du Monde, nous avons d\u00e9cid\u00e9 de donner tous les ballons de match utilis\u00e9s lors des jeux aux \u00e9quipes de marketing des pays respectifs impliqu\u00e9s dans ce match sp\u00e9cifique. Cependant, tous les march\u00e9s n’ont pas choisi de prendre cette offre. Chaque \u00e9quipe de march\u00e9 locale est ensuite encourag\u00e9e \u00e0 effectuer un tirage au sort via les r\u00e9seaux sociaux pour donner aux fans une chance de gagner ces ballons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can You Help?<\/h2>\n

\u201cApr\u00e8s l’\u00e9limination de l’Angleterre en demi-finale, nous avons peut-\u00eatre manqu\u00e9 le v\u00e9ritable vainqueur de la soir\u00e9e,\u201d begins James Mackenzie. \u201cAvancez Anthony Gordon de Barcelone. Non seulement il est devenu un buteur en demi-finale de la Coupe du Monde pour l’Angleterre, mais il a \u00e9galement re\u00e7u le prix sans doute plus significatif d’un acc\u00e8s gratuit \u00e0 vie au salon VIP de l’a\u00e9roport de Leeds Bradford ! Y a-t-il des exemples meilleurs d’un prix de consolation plus absurde dans le football ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJ’ai remarqu\u00e9 que Shelbourne a r\u00e9cemment nomm\u00e9 John Russell comme entra\u00eeneur de son \u00e9quipe masculine,\u201d shares Alan Kinsella. \u201cIl est int\u00e9ressant de noter que leur entra\u00eeneur de l’\u00e9quipe f\u00e9minine est Sean (qui se traduit par John en irlandais) Russell. Ils ne sont pas li\u00e9s. Est-ce un premier, d’avoir des entra\u00eeneurs d’\u00e9quipe masculine et f\u00e9minine avec le m\u00eame nom ?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEn ao\u00fbt 1968, Plymouth Argyle a affront\u00e9 Exeter City au premier tour de la Coupe de la Ligue, se terminant par un match nul 0-0,\u201d recalls John Eales. \u201cUne semaine plus tard, les \u00e9quipes se sont \u00e0 nouveau rencontr\u00e9es \u00e0 St James Park pour un match de barrage. Apr\u00e8s 90 minutes sans but, la prolongation a \u00e9t\u00e9 jou\u00e9e, mais le score est rest\u00e9 0-0. Par la suite, un deuxi\u00e8me barrage a eu lieu, cette fois sur un terrain neutre (Plainmoor de Torquay United). Apr\u00e8s encore 90 minutes, vous l’avez devin\u00e9, le score \u00e9tait toujours 0-0. Avec juste une minute restante dans la prolongation, John Kirkham a marqu\u00e9 pour assurer une victoire 1-0 pour la ville. Je me suis demand\u00e9 si c’\u00e9tait un genre de record\u2014329 minutes d’un match de coupe sans qu’aucun but ne soit marqu\u00e9…\u201d<\/p>\n