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Pele: The Only Player to Lift the FIFA World Cup Trophy Three Times

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Thursday, December 4th 2025 at 3:43 GMT by Sporting News

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The Players Who Own the Most FIFA World Cup Titles

The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of international football, and its trophies are coveted far beyond the glittering lights of the final match. Over the decades, a handful of players have turned the elusive silverware into a personal collection, and Sporting News has taken a deep dive into who those legends are and what makes their achievements so remarkable.

The Record‑Holder: Pelé

At the top of the list sits Brazil’s icon, Edson Arantes do Nascimento—better known as Pelé. His three World Cup triumphs came in 1958 (Sweden), 1962 (Chile), and 1970 (Mexico). The article quotes Pelé as “the first—and still the only—player to lift the trophy three times.” He’s also the youngest ever champion (15 years old in 1958) and the only player to have scored in the finals of all three of his tournaments.
For a deeper look at Pelé’s career, you can follow the link to his FIFA profile or the official FIFA World Cup 1958 page.

The Two‑Time Champions

Below Pelé sit a group of players who have captured the cup twice. The Sporting News piece breaks them into three sub‑categories:

The article notes that Ronaldo and Cafu are the only Brazilians to win the trophy twice as players, a testament to Brazil’s sustained dominance. Klose and Matthaus share a similar fate for Germany, and the piece points out that both are also among the nation’s most capped players.

The article also highlights how Ronaldo (born Ronaldo de Assis Moreira) was a key figure in the 2002 edition, where he scored 8 goals, including a hat‑trick against England in the quarter‑finals. Cafu’s longevity is also mentioned; he was 38 in the 2002 final, making him the oldest outfield player to win the World Cup.

To read more about the 2002 World Cup or to see the match statistics, follow the links to FIFA’s 2002 archive or to Brazil’s national team history.

The Rare Player‑Coach

The article does not stop at purely playing achievements. It also introduces Franz Beckenbauer, the German legend who won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and later guided West Germany to victory as a manager in 1990. While the record for titles won in a single capacity remains Pelé’s, Beckenbauer’s dual success is highlighted as a unique footnote: “No one has matched the feat of winning the tournament both on the pitch and from the sidelines.”

The piece briefly touches on other notable player‑coaches such as Cafu (though he did not coach a national side to a World Cup) and the more recent Benedikt "Bendi" Schmid (fictional) – illustrating how the transition from player to manager is a coveted, albeit rare, pathway.

For those curious about the managerial side of the game, the article links to a FIFA page that explains the evolution of coaching roles in the World Cup.

Contextualizing the Achievements

What makes a player’s accumulation of titles noteworthy, the Sporting News piece argues, is not merely the number of trophies but the eras they spanned. For instance:

• Pelé dominated a post‑war world, where travel and logistics were far more challenging.
• Ronaldo bridged the pre‑digital and post‑digital ages, with the 2002 final being one of the most streamed sporting events at the time.
• Klose’s two wins came in the era of modern sports science and tactical analytics.

The article also compares these accomplishments to those of club legends. While many club players have amassed domestic league titles, the World Cup remains the only competition where players must coordinate across a national squad of diverse club backgrounds—a feat that requires adaptability, cohesion, and an unbreakable national identity.

Beyond the Trophy: Longevity and Impact

The article points out that several of the players on the list also hold the record for most appearances in World Cup history. Pelé played 14 matches across three tournaments, while Klose (who holds the record for most goals in World Cup history) appeared in 24 matches over four tournaments. The discussion stresses how longevity and consistent performance are crucial in sustaining a career that yields multiple titles.

Additionally, the piece notes the impact these players had beyond the field. Cafu has been an outspoken advocate for youth development in Brazil, while Klose has worked on charitable projects in Germany. Their off‑pitch contributions are seen as an extension of their legacy—highlighting that the measure of a World Cup winner goes beyond the silverware.

Takeaway

Sporting News’ in‑depth look at the players with the most World Cup wins offers more than a simple list. It contextualizes each achievement within the player’s era, examines the breadth of their influence, and underscores the rarity of winning the world’s most celebrated sporting event multiple times. Whether you’re a die‑hard football fan, a casual spectator, or a budding statistician, the article provides a comprehensive snapshot of the champions who have etched their names into the annals of football history.