A striking statistic has revealed the remarkable dominance of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi—now playing for Inter Miami—over some of Europe’s most storied football clubs in terms of trophies won throughout his professional career.
Last Saturday, Messi added yet another title to his unparalleled collection, leading Inter Miami to victory in the Leagues Cup after defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1 in the final held at Chase Stadium.
This triumph marked the 47th trophy of Messi’s career across all teams he has represented—Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami—as well as the Argentine national team. According to Sport newspaper, Messi’s trophy total exceeds that of Europe’s major clubs since he made his official debut for Barcelona in 2004.
Messi’s first appearance for the Catalan giants came on 16 October 2004 against Espanyol in La Liga’s seventh round that season. Since then, no club has matched his sustained success. Bayern Munich is the closest, but still trails him by five titles.
Barcelona, the club where Messi became a global icon, ranks fourth with 40 trophies over the same period—35 of which were achieved during Messi’s era. He also surpasses giants such as Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Below is the tally of major European clubs compared to Messi’s trophies since his professional debut:
- Lionel Messi: 47 titles
- Bayern Munich: 42 titles
- Paris Saint-Germain: 41 titles
- Barcelona: 40 titles
- Real Madrid: 33 titles
- Manchester City: 24 titles
- Chelsea: 23 titles
- Inter Milan: 22 titles
- Manchester United: 21 titles
- Juventus: 20 titles
