Representing your country on a global stage is an honor for any soccer player. But only a select few have done it at both the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. An even slimmer selection of men have won a World Cup and captured Olympic gold.
Entering the 2026 World Cup, which will be played from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, 15 men have accomplished the feat. Only two -- Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María -- have done it in the post-World War II era (since 1945).
Messi set up Di María for the decisive goal in Argentina's 1-0 victory over Nigeria in the gold medal match at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Fourteen years later, the pair helped the Argentines overcome a hat trick by Kylian Mbappé in a win over France in the final of the 2022 World Cup.
With the victory in Lusail, Qatar, Argentina claimed its first World Cup title in 36 years, and Messi, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, finally secured the one major trophy that had eluded him over his illustrious career.
Here is a look at the men's players who have won both a FIFA World Cup and an Olympic gold medal:
Ángel Di María and Lionel Messi (Argentina)
▪︎ World Cup champion - Qatar 2022
▪︎ Olympic gold - Beijing 2008
Sergio Bertoni, Alfredo Foni, Ugo Locatelli and Pietro Rava (Italy)
▪︎ World Cup champion - France 1938
▪︎ Olympic gold - Berlin 1936
José Leandro Andrade, Héctor Castro, Pedro Cea, Lorenzo Fernández, Álvaro Gestido, José Nasazzi, Pedro Petrone, Héctor Scarone and Santos Urdinarán (Uruguay)
▪︎ World Cup Champion - Uruguay 1930
▪︎ Olympic gold - Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928
Check out the ESPN FIFA World Cup hub page for the latest news, scores, stats, schedule, standings and more.
