With Manchester City chasing the Treble, Julian Alvarez has a unique opportunity to join a very exclusive club.
The Argentine striker already has the World Cup, Copa Libertadores and Copa America ticked off his list of honours. And now, the Champions League is in his sights as City look to complete what would be an incredible feat — last achieved by rivals Manchester United back in 1999.
In fact, should Alvarez help City end their long quest for European success, he will become just the fourth player in history to lift the World Cup, Champions League, Copa Libertadores and Copa America. That’s a surprisingly small list but, then, it is a very difficult trio of trophies to get your hands on in one career.
Who are the other three? Well, here’s a clue: they’re all Brazilian…
1. Cafu
- World Cup: 1994, 2002 (Brazil)
- Champions League: 2006/07 (AC Milan)
- Copa Libertadores: 1992, 1993 (Sao Paulo)
- Copa America: 1997, 1999 (Brazil)
Arguably the greatest right-back of all time and a player who maintained world-class standards long into this thirties, Cafu achieved almost everything there was to achieve in the game. The defender started out in his native Brazil and found success early, winning back-to-back Copa Libertadores titles with Sao Paulo, before heading to Europe and establishing himself in Serie A, first with Roma and then with AC Milan. It was with the latter where he won the 2007 Champions League, but not before he’d already lifted two World Cups and two Copa Americas with Brazil.
One of the legends of the game.
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2. Dida
- World Cup: 2002 (Brazil)
- Champions League: 2002/03, 2006/07 (AC Milan)
- Copa Libertadores: 1997 (Cruzeiro)
- Copa America: 1999 (Brazil)
During his career, Dida actually came in for quite a bit of criticism for some of his decision-making. Looking back, however, history will be more kind. He was, after all, a player who turned up in big moments and stayed at the top of the game for years and years.
Like Cafu, the Brazilian stopper won the World Cup with his country in 2002 and the Copa America three years prior, before going on to lift two Champions League titles in five years with AC Milan. A 1997 Copa Libertadores success with Cruzeiro laid the foundations, of course.
3. Ronaldinho
- World Cup: 2002 (Brazil)
- Champions League: 2005/06 (Barcelona)
- Copa Libertadores: 2013 (Atletico Mineiro)
- Copa America: 1999 (Brazil)
If Cafu is one of the legends of the game, Ronaldinho deserves his place among the footballing gods. There was a spell for Barcelona between 2003 and 2008, where the winger brought more joy to supporters than any other player we’ve seen, with his tricks, skill and infectious smile. His light-hearted approach to the game was a joy to watch, but also served to deceive opponents with terrifying effectiveness.
Shortly before joining Barca, Ronaldinho became a World Cup winner with Brazil, famously scoring in the quarter-finals against England. He then went on to lift the 2006 Champions League title with the Blaugrana as they kick-started their domination of European football, while also becoming a close mentor to one Lionel Messi.
Unlike Cafu and Dida, who used Libertadores success to supercharge their careers, Ronaldinho actually reached the summit of South American football towards the end of his career, helping Atletico Mineiro lift for the first time in 2013, scoring four goals in 14 games along the way.
Ronaldinho is also the only player in football history to win the Champions League, Copa Libertadores, World Cup, Copa America and the Ballon d’Or. So, who knows what the future has in store for La Arana?
First up for Alvarez, though: Istanbul on June 10.