Top 10 Most Decorated Managers in Football History (2025 Rankings)

 

Football is full of legendary managers who have shaped eras, dominated leagues, and lifted countless trophies. 

From tactical masterminds to man-management geniuses, these coaches have written their names into the history books.

Here, we rank the 10 most decorated managers in football history based on their total major trophies won.

1. Sir Alex Ferguson – 49 Trophies

🇬🇧 Scotland | Aberdeen, Manchester United

The undisputed king of football management. 

Ferguson transformed Manchester United into a global powerhouse, winning 13 Premier League titles, 2 Champions Leagues, 

and countless domestic cups. He also achieved remarkable success at Aberdeen, including a famous European triumph in 1983.

2. Mircea Lucescu – 34 Trophies

🇷🇴 Romania | Shakhtar Donetsk, Dynamo Kyiv, Galatasaray, Besiktas

A true journeyman, Lucescu enjoyed massive success across Eastern Europe and Turkey. Most notably, he won 22 trophies with Shakhtar Donetsk, including a UEFA Cup in 2009, dominating Ukrainian football for over a decade.

3. Pep Guardiola – 35 Trophies (and counting)

🇪🇸 Spain | Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City

One of the most influential managers of modern football. 

Guardiola reinvented the game with tiki-taka at Barcelona, 

dominated Germany with Bayern, and has turned Manchester City into a European superpower. 

With 5 Premier Leagues in a row (2018–2025) and a historic treble in 2023, his tally will only grow.

4. Valeriy Lobanovskyi – 30+ Trophies

🇺🇦 Ukraine | Dynamo Kyiv, USSR National Team

A tactical innovator, Lobanovskyi turned Dynamo Kyiv into a European force during the Soviet era. 

He won 8 Soviet league titles, multiple Ukrainian titles, and 3 Cup Winners’ Cups, while also guiding the USSR to a Euro 1988 final.

5. Carlo Ancelotti – 27 Trophies

🇮🇹 Italy | AC Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, Everton, Real Madrid (second spell)

The most successful Champions League manager ever, with 4 UCL titles (2 with Milan, 2 with Madrid). 

Ancelotti is also the only manager to win league titles in all of Europe’s “Big Five” leagues.

His calm leadership has made him one of the greatest of all time.

6. Luiz Felipe Scolari – 26 Trophies

🇧🇷 Brazil | Brazil NT, Palmeiras, Gremio, Guangzhou Evergrande, Portugal NT

Scolari famously guided Brazil to World Cup 2002 glory, before taking Portugal to the Euro 2004 final. 

He dominated club football in Brazil and China, cementing his place among the game’s most successful.

7. Jose Mourinho – 26 Trophies

🇵🇹 Portugal | Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Roma, Fenerbahce

“The Special One” backed up his words with silverware. From a shock Champions League win with Porto in 2004, to trebles at Inter, 

and league dominance at Chelsea and Madrid, Mourinho’s tactical genius made him one of football’s most iconic managers.

8. Ottmar Hitzfeld – 25 Trophies

🇩🇪 Germany | Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Switzerland NT

A German giant, Hitzfeld is one of the few managers to win the Champions League with two different clubs (Dortmund 1997, Bayern 2001). He won 7 Bundesliga titles and remains a legendary figure in European football.

9. Jock Stein – 25 Trophies

🇬🇧 Scotland | Celtic

The first manager to lead a British side to European Cup glory (1967 with Celtic’s “Lisbon Lions”). Stein dominated Scottish football, winning 10 league titles and 25 trophies in total, becoming a true icon of the game.

10. Giovanni Trapattoni – 23 Trophies

🇮🇹 Italy | Juventus, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Italy NT

A master of defensive organisation, Trapattoni enjoyed huge success in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. 

He won 7 Serie A titles, the European Cup, and countless domestic honours across Italy, Germany, and Portugal.

Final Thoughts

From Sir Alex Ferguson’s unmatched dominance to Pep Guardiola’s ongoing dynasty, these managers have set the benchmark for footballing greatness. 

While players come and go, these tacticians built legacies that will inspire generations.

As modern managers like Guardiola, Ancelotti, and Mourinho continue adding to their tallies, the debate over who is the true 

GOAT of football management will never end.