An elite group of players from Germany, France and Spain have managed to win both the World Cup and the Euros.
Here, we work our way through the best of them, going from tournament to tournament chronologically and ranking players within each by their impact on their country's success.
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Legendary Bayern Munich centre-back Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck spent his whole career with the Bavarian giants – and he helped West Germany to 1974 World Cup glory at their old home ground, the Olympiastadion, as they famously came from behind to beat the Netherlands 2-1.
Two years earlier, he had contributed to their clean sheet en route to winning the European Championship final.
Another Bayern Munich great (ok, there are going to be a few of them), Uli Hoeness joined teammate Schwarzenbeck in playing all 90 minutes of the Euro 1972 and 1974 World Cup finals.
The midfielder found the net at both tournaments, making UEFA’s Team of the Tournament for the former.
Also included in the Euro 1972 Team of the Tournament, Paul Breitner starred at left-back in both finals as West Germany dominated international football in the early 70s.
One of a handful of players to appear in two World Cup finals (he was on the losing side in 1982), Breitner – who enjoyed club success with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid – equalised from the penalty spot in 1974.
Up there with the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Sepp Maier racked up 95 caps for West Germany between 1966 and 1979 and was undisputed number one throughout the 70s.
His finest hour at the international level came in 1974, as he lifted the World Cup in his hometown of Munich – where he spent his entire career with Bayern.
Few players in the history of international football have racked up the goals in such ruthlessly prolific fashion as Gerd Muller, the greatest striker of the 70s.
Yet another Bayern Munich legend, ‘Der Bomber’ struck 68 times in 62 caps, netting twice in the final of Euro 1972 – where he finished as top scorer – then bagging the winner in the 1974 World Cup final.
The ultimate sweeper and simply one of the finest footballers of all time in any position, Franz Beckenbauer inspirationally captained West Germany to European Championship and World Cup glory.
‘Der Kaiser’, who played most of his club football for – you guessed it – Bayern Munich, later became the first person to win the World Cup as both a player and manager, coaching West Germany to victory at Italia ’90.
Lothar Matthaus’ international career lasted absolutely forever (20 years, to be precise), so it’s not exactly the biggest surprise that he got his hands on both the World Cup and Euros.
The midfield icon – who starred for Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, among others, actually made his international debut as 19-year-old at Euro 1980 – which West Germany won by beating Belgium 2-1 in the final – before captaining his nation to success at Italia ’90, capping off a momentous year by scooping the Ballon d’Or.
During a 12-year international career, Thomas Hassler earned 101 caps for West Germany and a unified Germany, and tasted World Cup and European Championship glory. Not a bad return, really!
A tremendously entertaining midfielder with excellent dribbling ability, Hassler played the full 90 minutes of both the 1990 World Cup final and Euro 96 final – which the Germans won by defeating Argentina and the Czech Republic respectively.
In the space of seven years, Jurgen Klinsmann represented his nation in three major tournament finals – and won two of them.
A world champion at Italia ’90 – where he scored three goals and made FIFA’s All-Star Team – the ever-smiley striker then captained Germany to European Championship glory in 1996, finding the net three times once again.
An exceptionally well-rounded midfielder, Christian Karembeu provided vital steel to the great French side which conquered the world in 1998 and Europe two years later.
Also a 2001 Confederations Cup winner with Les Bleus, Karembeu played all 90 minutes of the World Cup final on home soil.
Highly reliable in the left-back position, Bixente Lizarazu won almost 100 caps for France, playing a prominent role at both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
Lizarazu – who was a Bayern Munich player at the time of both tournaments – also lifted the 2001 and 2003 Confederations Cups with his nation.
Versatile enough to operate as an attacking midfielder or as part of the forward line, Youri Djorkaeff played an important part in France’s two major triumphs in the space of three years.
In the final of the 1998 World Cup, he delivered the corner which Zinedine Zidane headed in to put Les Bleus 2-0 up en route to a 3-0 win over Brazil.
A bit-part player when he went to the 1998 World Cup as a 20-year-old, David Trezeguet ensured his place in French football legend by scoring the winner in the final of Euro 2000.
And he could hardly have done it in more dramatic fashion, downing Italy with a golden goal as France completed their major tournament double.
One of the last truly bonkers goalkeepers, Fabien Barthez was also good enough to wear the gloves as France marched to world and European glory around the turn of the century, achieving the first – their maiden World Cup triumph – as hosts.
Capped 87 times overall, Barthez made the team of the tournament at both finals, as well as picking up the Yashin Award as the 1998 World Cup’s standout ‘keeper.
As France’s superbly selfless skipper at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, Didier Deschamps was the first player to get his hands on the trophy each time around.
Later Les Bleus’ 2018 World Cup-winning manager, the defensive midfielder made Pele’s FIFA 100 list of the greatest living footballers in 2004.
A rock at the back, Laurent Blanc also chipped in with a fair few goals for France – included the first ever golden goal to seal victory against Paraguay in the last 16 of the 1998 World Cup.
Suspended for the final after being sent off in the semis, he featured prominently at Euro 2000 – where he scored Les Bleus’ first goal of the tournament.
In case you hadn’t worked it out by now, that France team was pretty good – and Patrick Vieira was one of its standout members come Euro 2000.
Having appeared as a substitute in the 1998 World Cup final, the Arsenal legend was one of the first names on the teamsheet at the subsequent European Championship – where his performances saw him named in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament.
Another all-time defensive great, Marcel Desailly was sent off in the 1998 World Cup final – but that didn’t take away from the immense part he played in France’s triumph.
Integral once more at Euro 2000 – where, just as two years earlier, he made the team of the tournament – Desailly later captained Les Bleus to victory at the 2001 Confederations Cup.
Like his Arsenal teammate Vieira, Thierry Henry went from prodigious talent to established team member in the short period between France 98 and Euro 2000 (which took place in Belgium and the Netherlands, incidentally).
Among the top scorers at the latter tournament with three goals – including Les Bleus’ equaliser as they came from behind to beat Portugal in the semi-finals – Henry would also win the 2003 Confederations Cup and appear in the 2006 World Cup final.
One of the classiest defenders of all time, Lilian Thuram played a pivotal role in France’s historic 1998 and 2000 triumphs.
Capped a whopping 142 times in all, Thuram only ever scored two international goals – but they were fairly significant: a brace to clinch victory over Croatia in the World Cup semi-final.
France’s quickfire major tournament double coincided with Zinedine Zidane’s ascent to the status of the best player on the planet.
His two headers from corners sent Les Bleus on their way to an emphatic victory over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final, and he then dispatched a golden-goal penalty to seal his country’s passage to the final of Euro 2000.
Named in the team of the tournament for both competitions, Zizou was also voted the player of the tournament at the latter, and scooped FIFA World Player of the Year in both years (as well as the Ballon d’Or in 1998).
A great pub quiz answer, Joan Capdevila was the only member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning starting 11 not playing their club football for either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Nope, the left-back was at Villarreal – just as he had been as La Roja secured their first ever major trophy by winning Euro 2008.
Top scorer at Euro 2008 with four goals, David Villa was also the joint leading marksman at the 2010 World Cup, where he found the net five times.
The versatile forward didn’t score in the final (or semis) of either tournament, but Spain wouldn’t have lifted either trophy without the attacking contributions of the Valencia star – who earned himself a big move to Barcelona in the summer of 2010.
Still uncapped at the time of Spain’s Euro 2008 victory, Gerard Pique had become a mainstay of the team by the 2010 World Cup – and he remained so as La Roja retained their continental crown in 2012.
Partnering club colleague Puyol in the heart of defence in 2010, he was accompanied by Sergio Ramos two years later after Puyol’s retirement – and the outcome was exactly the same: glory.
One of the most formidable centre-backs of his generation, Carles Puyol won it all with his club, Barcelona, and country.
Included in the Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament and 2010 World Cup All-Star Team, the unrestrained passion with which Puyol celebrated his semi-final winner against Germany at the latter said everything about the pride with which he represented the national team.
Like fellow Barcelona star Pique, Sergio Busquets made his senior Spain debut in 2009 and was a world champion the following year, making the World Cup All-Star Team for his elite defensive midfield displays.
He repeated the feat two years later at the Euros and went on to amass 143 caps for his country in total.
Now we’re into the really decorated players: the immortal Spaniards who starred in their countries World Cup victory and both European Championship successes. We begin with Cesc Fabregas, playmaker extraordinaire at Euro 2008 and false nine supreme at Euro 2012.
The Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea great was less involved at the 2010 World Cup – but he did come off the bench to set up Andres Iniesta’s extra-time winner against the Netherlands in the final, so it’s fair to say he made a decent contribution!
Very few players have won multiple major titles while lining up in different positions, but Sergio Ramos proved his great versatility by doing just that.
Spain’s right-back at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, he moved across to centre-half for Euro 2012 – and helped La Roja keep a clean sheet in a 4-0 thrashing of Italy in the final.
Spain’s Euro 2008-winning hero with the only goal of the game in the final against Germany, Fernando Torres excelled again four years later as he took home the Golden Boot.
In between those two continental triumphs, ‘El Nino’ featured in his country’s very first World Cup triumph, coming off the bench in extra time of the final against the Netherlands.
Among Spain’s most-capped players of all time with 114 appearances, Xabi Alonso started both the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 finals as one prong of the legendary midfield trio also comprising Sergio Busquets and Xavi.
Alonso – who made UEFA’s Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament – had previously come on as a substitute in the final of Euro 2008.
The first European captain to win three major tournaments, Iker Casillas is well and truly assured of his place in Spanish football folklore.
Up there with the very best goalkeepers around in his prime, the iconic Real Madrid custodian made it into the team of the tournament at both Euros and the World Cup, also getting his hands on the Golden Glove for the most clean sheets (five, including in all four knockout games) at the latter.
Johannesburg, South Africa, 11 July 2010: Cesc Fabregas feeds the ball through to Andres Iniesta; he buries it to clinch World Cup victory for Spain. Whipping his shirt off in celebration, it’s the most glorious moment in the nation’s football history.
That was the inimitably stylish Barcelona forward’s career-defining moment – but he won the Euros either side of that World Cup just for good measure, too.
Xavi is one of the greatest midfielders in the history of the game – of that there’s no doubt – and he didn’t need to win two Euros and a World Cup to cement that status – but he’s all the greater for doing so.
Named in the team of the tournament on all three occasions, Barcelona’s majestic metronome picked up the ultimate prize of Player of the Tournament at Euro 2008 – where he assisted Ferando Torres’ winner in the final against Italy.
