World Cup, Ballon d’Or, Champions League, Euros … has Rodri completed football? | The Knowledge
Rodri's Spain team won a major tournament, meaning the midfielder now holds the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League and Ballon d'Or, prompting the Guardian's Knowledge column to explore who else has achieved this rare "grand slam" of football honours. It turns out Rodri joins a small, elite group of players to have won all four, with the feat first accomplished over 50 years ago and only a handful of names managing it since.
Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller were the first to complete the set on 7 July 1974 when West Germany beat the Netherlands in the World Cup final, having already won the European Championship and Champions League with club and country. Zinedine Zidane matched it in 2002, followed by Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, each with slight caveats over unused substitute appearances. Rodri became the latest addition on Sunday, completing the quartet faster than anyone bar Beckenbauer; the achievement remains unmatched in the women's game, largely because the Ballon d'Or Féminin is only seven editions old, though Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí could complete it at the 2029 European Championship.
In short
- Rodri has now won the World Cup, Euros, Champions League and Ballon d'Or.
- Only a handful of men, including Beckenbauer, Zidane and Messi, share this feat.
- No woman has completed the set yet; Putellas and Bonmatí could by 2029.
Explained simply
Rodri is a Spanish midfielder who has won major honours with both his club and national team. The World Cup and European Championship are international tournaments, while the Champions League is a leading competition between European clubs; the Ballon d’Or is an annual award for an individual player.
Winning all four is rare because it combines success at club and international level with individual recognition. Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller were the first to do it, in 1974, and a small group including Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi have since joined them.
The women’s equivalent has not yet been achieved. The Ballon d’Or Féminin, the women’s award, has been presented only since 2018, so players have had fewer chances to combine it with the other honours.
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