The 13 players to win the Champions League & Copa Libertadores: Neymar, David Luiz…

Believe it or not, only 13 players have ever won the most prestigious cup competitions of South American and European club football.

Both trophies are incredibly prestigious and there’s only a select group of footballers privileged enough to win each of them.

It might not be as surprising to learn that only Brazilian and Argentine players have ever managed to lift both trophies. Here are the 12 players to have won both trophies and when they managed to win them.

Pablo Sorin

Argentinian international Pablo Sorin was the first player who was able to achieve the feat of winning both trophies. Impressively enough he actually won both competitions in the same calendar year.

Sorin began the 1995-96 season with Juventus, but he only featured in five games for the Italian side. His 45-minute cameo against Borussia Dortmund in the group stages meant that he was eligible to collect a Champions League medal.

In January he moved back to Argentina and won the Copa Libertadores just a few months later with River Plate.

Cafu

Cafu was a two-time winner of the Copa Libertadores with Sao Paulo in the nineties. The Brazilian full-back was also part of AC Milan’s iconic 2006-07 Champions League winning side against Liverpool.

He would have won another Champions League medal in 2005, had it not been for Steven Gerrard’s heroics…

Danilo

Danilo was a two-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid in 2016 and 2017. He started each final on the bench and was used as a second-half substitute in the 2016 San Siro final against Atletico Madrid.

The Brazilian also won the Copa Libertadores prior to his success in Madrid with Santos in 2011.

Dida

Dida produced the heroics in the 2002-03 Champions League final as he saved three penalties in a shootout against Juventus.

The Brazilian keeper won the competition twice with AC Milan and won the Copa Libertadores during his early years with Cruzeiro.

Neymar

Neymar at Santos was truly one of a kind.

The Brazilian superstar scored in the 2011 Copa Libertadores final as well as in the 2014-15 Champions League final.

His performances from the 2014-15 Champions League campaign with Barcelona – a season in which they won the treble – earned him third place in the 2015 Ballon d’Or.

When will we ever see a footballer like Santos Neymar.. pic.twitter.com/3pIOkFOQbb

— 🇵🇸 (@michaelnoodles) May 26, 2023

Rafinha

Rafinha made over 250 appearances for Bayern Munich between 2011-2019 and won the Champions League in 2012-13.

The Brazilian defender also won the Copa Libertadores later in his career with Flamengo in 2019.

Ronaldinho

Everyone remembers when Ronaldinho was the best player in the world, winning the Champions League with Barca. But do you know the story of when he ruled South America with Atletico Mineiro?

READ: The last goodbye: When mid-30s Ronaldinho cemented his legacy

Roque Junior

A Copa Libertadores winner in 1999. A World Cup winner in 2002. A Champions League winner in 2003.

Perhaps the most bizarre period of Roque Junior’s illustrious career came just after his Champions League triumph with AC Milan. The Brazilian defender moved to Leeds United on loan, but his spell at Elland Road was nothing short of a disaster.

Across his seven appearances for the club, Leeds conceded 25 goals and he was sent off in his home debut. Still, he did manage to score a brace against Manchester United.

David Luiz

There was never a dull moment with David Luiz around.

The flamboyant defender won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2011-12 and scored in the penalty shootout after doing his iconic 20-yard-run-up.

The Brazilian also had success in the Copa Libertadores last year with Flamengo.

Ramires

Ramires was successful in the Copa Libertadores with Palmeiras in 2020 and he will always be fondly remembered at Stamford Bridge.

After all, it was his audacious lob against Barcelona which sparked Chelsea’s comeback at the Camp Nou.

As Ramires ran onto Frank Lampard’s perfect through ball who thought the Brazilian had this in his locker?

The midfielder stunned the Nou Camp on an incredible night in Barcelona 👊

Chelsea European Classics | BT Sport 1 HD | Sunday 7pm pic.twitter.com/kJ6VuVpOWW

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 26, 2020

Carlos Tevez

Tevez spent his younger years with Boca Juniors and would then go on to retire at the club he started out at. Tevez had great success whilst in Argentina and won the Copa Libertadores back in 2003.

He was then part of the most formidable attacking trios we have ever seen at Manchester United. Along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, he lifted the Champions League trophy in 2008.

Walter Samuel

Walter Samuel was the backbone of Inter Milan’s iconic 2009-10 Champions League-winning team. Jose Mourinho’s side only conceded nine goals throughout their entire European campaign that year.

The defender was also a Copa Libertadores champion with Boca Juniors back in 2000.

Julian Alvarez

Alvarez is only 23 but has basically completed football after Man City’s Champions League final victory over Inter in June.

The young attacker won the Copa Libertadores with River Plate when he was just 18, featuring in extra time at the Bernabeu in the Superclasico second leg in 2018, and has already lifted both the Copa America and World Cup with Argentina.

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