Top 10 Football Managers with the Most Trophies in History

Top 10 Football Managers with the Most Trophies in History

Trophies define the careers of football managers, whether they coach at home or abroad. The list below reveals the managers who have amassed the greatest number of titles across their careers. Among them, only Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho, and Luiz Felipe Scolari are still active in management.

Sir Alex Ferguson tops the list by a significant margin, holding 49 trophies, which is 10 more than the second-place manager.

10. Ottmar Hitzfeld – 26 Trophies

Hitzfeld spent his career managing in Switzerland and Germany, retiring in 2014. He started in Switzerland with clubs like Grasshoppers before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 1991, where he won two Bundesliga titles and lifted Dortmund's first Champions League in 1997. After leaving Dortmund due to tensions, he joined Bayern Munich, winning four Bundesliga titles (three consecutively) and another Champions League in 2001. His second Bayern stint ended in 2008, after which he managed the Swiss national team until retirement.

• SC Zug: Nationalliga B
• Aarau: Swiss Cup
• Grasshopper: 2x Swiss Super League, 2x Swiss Cup, Swiss Super Cup
• Borussia Dortmund: 2x Bundesliga, Champions League, 2x DFB-Supercup
• Bayern Munich: 5x Bundesliga, Champions League, 3x DFB-Pokal, 4x DFB-Ligapokal, Intercontinental Cup

9. Jock Stein – 26 Trophies

Scottish legend Jock Stein began with Celtic’s reserves before managing Dunfermline and Hibernian. His major success came with Celtic, where he won 10 league titles (nine consecutive), eight Scottish Cups, six Scottish League Cups, and the European Cup in 1967—the first British club to win it. He also briefly managed Scotland part-time.

• Dunfermline: Scottish Cup
• Celtic: European Cup, 10x Scottish League Championship, 8x Scottish Cup, 6x Scottish League Cup

8. Luiz Felipe Scolari – 26 Trophies

'Big Phil' Scolari built a global reputation with spells across Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, and China. He won multiple state leagues and national cups, including the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian Serie A with Gremio and Palmeiras. He led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title and won the 2013 Confederations Cup. Despite an infamous Chelsea tenure, he earned trophies everywhere else.

• Al Qadisiya: Kuwait Emir Cup
• Criciuma: Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Catarinense
• Gremio: 3x Campeonato Gaucho, Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, Copa do Brasil, Copa Libertadores, Recopa Sudamericana
• Palmeiras: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, 2x Copa do Brasil, Copa Mercosur, Copa Libertadores
• Jubilo Iwata: J1 League
• Bunyodkor: Uzbek League
• Gangzhou Evergrande: 3x Chinese Super League, AFC Champions League, Chinese FA Cup, Chinese FA Super Cup
• Kuwait: Arabian Gulf Cup
• Brazil: FIFA World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup

7. Jose Mourinho – 26 Trophies

Known as 'The Special One,' Mourinho's managerial journey began as an assistant before breaking through at Porto, where he won a European treble including the 2004 Champions League. At Chelsea, he won three Premier League titles and several cups. Later success included a historic treble with Inter Milan, a La Liga title with Real Madrid, and trophies with Manchester United and Roma.

• Porto: 2x Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, UEFA Cup, UEFA Champions League
• Chelsea: 3x Premier League, FA Cup, 3x Football League Cup, FA Community Shield
• Inter Milan: 2x Serie A, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, UEFA Champions League
• Real Madrid: La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España
• Manchester United: EFL Cup, FA Community Shield, UEFA Europa League
• Roma: UEFA Europa Conference League

6. Bill Struth – 30 Trophies

Struth was Rangers' manager for 34 years starting in 1920. Known for his strict discipline, he led Rangers to 18 Scottish Premiership titles, 10 Scottish Cups, and 2 Scottish League Cups before retiring in 1954.

• Rangers: 18x Scottish Premiership, 10x Scottish Cup, 2x Scottish League Cup

5. Carlo Ancelotti – 30 Trophies

Since 1995, Ancelotti has earned trophies in all top five European leagues. He has won the Champions League five times as a manager—more than anyone else—including twice with AC Milan and three times with Real Madrid. His league titles come from Italy, England, Germany, Spain, and France. Recently, he led Real Madrid to a La Liga title in 2023/24 and now manages Brazil.

• Juventus: UEFA Intertoto Cup
• AC Milan: Serie A, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, 2x UEFA Champions League, 2x UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
• Chelsea: Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield
• Paris Saint-Germain: Ligue 1
• Real Madrid: 2x La Liga, 2x Copa del Rey, 2x Supercopa de España, 3x UEFA Champions League, 3x UEFA Super Cup, 2x FIFA Club World Cup
• Bayern Munich: Bundesliga, 2x DFL-Supercup

4. Valeriy Lobanovskyi – 30 Trophies

Lobanovskyi revolutionized Soviet football during his tenure at Dynamo Kyiv. Using scientific methods and emphasizing pressing, he led Kyiv to eight Soviet Top League titles, six Soviet Cups, and continental successes including two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups and a European Super Cup. After the Soviet Union collapsed, he guided Kyiv to dominate Ukraine with five national league titles and three Ukrainian Cups.

• Dnipro Dniproetrovsk: Soviet First League
• Dynamo Kyiv: 8x Soviet Top League, 6x Soviet Cup, 3x Soviet Super Cup, 5x Ukrainian National League, 3x Ukrainian Cup, 2x European Cup Winners' Cup, European Super Cup, 3x CIS Cup

3. Mircea Lucescu – 38 Trophies

Lucescu enjoyed success across Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Italy. Starting with Romanian clubs and winning domestic titles, he later managed Brescia in Italy, where he won the Anglo-Italian Cup. His most notable achievements came at Shakhtar Donetsk, winning eight Ukrainian Premier Leagues, six Ukrainian Cups, seven Ukrainian Super Cups, and the 2009 UEFA Cup. He also secured trophies with Zenit Saint Petersburg and Dynamo Kyiv before retiring in 2023.

• Dinamo Bucuresti: Divizia A, Cupa Romaniei
• Brescia: Anglo-Italian Cup
• Rapid Bucuresti: Divizia A, Cupa Romaniei, Supercupa Romaniei
• Galatasaray: Super Lig, UEFA Super Cup
• Besiktas: Super Lig
• Shakhtar Donetsk: 8x Ukrainian Premier League, 6x Ukrainian Cup, 7x Ukrainian Super Cup, UEFA Cup
• Zenit Saint Petersburg: Russian Super Cup
• Dynamo Kyiv: Ukrainian Premier League, Ukrainian Cup, Ukrainian Super Cup

2. Pep Guardiola – 41 Trophies

Guardiola may be heading toward becoming the greatest trophy-winning manager ever. Starting at Barcelona, he won 14 trophies in four years, including a treble and the first-ever sextuple. At Bayern Munich, he added multiple Bundesliga and cup titles but never reached a Champions League final. His spell at Manchester City has been dominant, delivering six Premier League titles, multiple domestic cups, and finally securing the Champions League in 2023. His recent 2026 League Cup win makes him the most successful manager in that competition.

• Barcelona: 3x La Liga, 2x Copa del Rey, 3x Supercopa de España, 2x UEFA Champions League, 2x UEFA Super Cup, 2x FIFA Club World Cup
• Bayern Munich: 3x Bundesliga, 2x DFB-Pokal, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup
• Manchester City: 6x Premier League, 3x FA Cup, 5x EFL Cup, 2x FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup

1. Sir Alex Ferguson – 49 Trophies

Ferguson’s trophy haul spans from his early days at St Mirren to Aberdeen and, famously, Manchester United. With Aberdeen, he broke the Old Firm's dominance, winning three league titles, four Scottish Cups, and the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup. Joining Manchester United in 1986, he transformed the club into a global powerhouse, winning 38 trophies there including 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 10 Community Shields, 2 Champions Leagues, and world titles. His record remains unmatched.

• St Mirren: Scottish First Division
• Aberdeen: 3x Scottish Premier Division, 4x Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup, European Super Cup
• Manchester United: 13x Premier League, 5x FA Cup, 4x Football League Cup, 10x FA Community Shield, 2x UEFA Champions League, European Cup Winners' Cup, European Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, FIFA Club World Cup

Summary: The Top 10 Managers by Number of Trophies

• Sir Alex Ferguson: 49 trophies (1974-2013)
• Pep Guardiola: 41 trophies (2007-present)
• Mircea Lucescu: 38 trophies (1979-2023)
• Valeriy Lobanovskyi: 30 trophies (1969-2001)
• Carlo Ancelotti: 30 trophies (1995-present)
• Bill Struth: 30 trophies (1920-1954)
• Jose Mourinho: 26 trophies (2000-present)
• Luiz Felipe Scolari: 26 trophies (1982-present)
• Jock Stein: 26 trophies (1960-1985)
• Ottmar Hitzfeld: 26 trophies (1983-2014)