Ranking the 10 teams with most trophies in international football
There's no bigger honour for a player or a team than winning trophies in international competitions. The frequency of these prestigious competitions and the knockout nature makes it difficult for any international team to rack up trophies.
The FIFA World Cup is arguably the biggest honour in football. The tournament takes place every four years. Winning that trophy is the dream of every player and international team.
There are also continental trophies up for grabs. However, owing to the huge difference in quality at the continental level, only a handful of teams have enjoyed success in such competitions.
This year saw Lionel Messi finally win his first major senior international trophy for Argentina. That was the first major title for La Albiceleste since 1993, helping them equal Uruguay's record of most Copa America titles (15).
Teams like Spain and France have enjoyed a lot of success in the 21st century. However, there have also been international sides that have outshone them in terms of trophies won.
On that note, here's a look at the ten international teams with the most trophies thus far.
#10 Cameroon - 5 trophies
Cameroon have enjoyed moderate success in international competitions. Although they have made more appearances in World Cup finals than any other African team, they have gone past the group stage only once.
They make it onto our list with five trophies to their name. All of them have been Africa Cup of Nation triumphs. They first tasted success in the competition in 1984, beating Nigeria in the final.
Their latest win in the competition was in 2017. They are one of only two African teams to win the gold medal at the Olympics. They beat Spain on penalties in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Australia and New Zealand also have five trophies to their name, but most of them have come in the OSC Nations Cup.
#9 Italy - 6 trophies
Italy are the first European national team on our list, with six trophies to their name. Their success at EURO 2020 this summer was their sixth major international honour, the first since the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
They first enjoyed success at the international level in the 1934 FIFA World Cup. There, they beat the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia at that time). They were again victorious in 1938, defeating Hungary in yet another all-European final.
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For a nation with such a rich footballing history, six trophies at the international level seems a bit low. However, they were runners-up in the FIFA World Cup (1970, 1994) and EUROs (2000, 2012) twice.
#8 United States - 7 trophies
Unites States make onto our list, having won two trophies in 2021. The North American team have emerged as the best team in CONCACAF in recent years, with highly talented young players in their ranks.
They have won seven trophies to date. All but one of them have come in the 21st century. They have won the prestigious CONCACAF Gold Cup six times, including a triumph over Mexico this summer.
They were also the winners in the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Nations League. They beat Mexico in the final, with Christian Pulisic scoring the winning goal in extra time.