Lisandro Martinez became the fifth player to win the World Cup while playing for Manchester United.
His Argentina side defeated Raphael Varane’s France in the final of the 2022 tournament, with the Frenchman also looking to add his name to the list, previously winning it as a Real Madrid player.
Here, United in Focus takes a look at the Manchester United players who have won the World Cup while representing the club…
Manchester United players who have won the World Cup
Bobby Charlton
One of the greatest players in the history of England and Manchester United whose legacy for club and country is assured.
Having survived the Munich air disaster, the midfielder went on to make over 750 appearances for United and racked up over 100 caps for the Three Lions.
Charlton’s best and prime years when he was at the peak of his powers were in the mid-60s where he enjoyed success with United and England.
He won the First Division title with United in 1964-65 and 1966-67 and the European Cup in 1967-68.
Charlton was also a vital cog of the England side that beat Germany 4-2 to win the 1966 World Cup.
Nobby Stiles
Charlton was partnered in midfield for England’s 1966 World Cup final against Germany by his Reds teammate Stiles.
The deep-lying and all-action midfielder loved a tackle and he was hard as nails.
The Manchester-born stalwart is another of United’s greatest players who will always remain part of the twenty-time champions’ folklore.
Stiles was a mainstay in United’s side for well over a decade (1960 to 1971) and during that period the club won two league titles, the FA Cup and European Cup.
John Connelly
Connelly scored 180 goals across his career which saw him represent Burnley, United, Blackburn and Bury.
The winger won the league title with the Clarets and the Reds, and he was also part of Sir Alf Ramsey’s 1966 World Cup-winning side.
He started the opening match of the tournament, a 0-0 draw against Uruguay, but didn’t feature beyond that.
Paul Pogba
One of the many frustrations with Pogba for United fans was that the Frenchman always seemed to produce his best form for Les Bleus.
In 2018, Pogba became the first Manchester United player to lift the World Cup since 1966.
United’s all-time record signing relished the role of being France’s leader in Russia four-and-a-half years ago.
Alongside the energy and grit of N’Golo Kante and Blaise Matuidi, Pogba helped fire Didier Deschamps’ side to their first World Cup triumph in 20 years, and he scored in the final at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium as France beat Croatia 4-2.
Manchester United players who won the World Cup when they were at other clubs
Fabien Barthez (France – 1998) – moved to Manchester United from Monaco in 2000 and spent four years with the club. He won two Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson and made 139 appearances for the club.
Laurent Blanc (France – 1998) – Blanc moved to Old Trafford during the twilight stages of his career and spent two seasons with the club before calling time on his playing career. The former centre-back made 75 appearances and won one league title.
Kleberson (Brazil – 2002) – a year after winning Brazil’s last World Cup in a star-studded Selecao side, Sir Alex signed the defensive midfielder, but Kleberson proved to be a flop at the Theatre of Dreams and only made 30 appearances.
Gerard Pique (Spain – 2010) – having come through the ranks at the time that Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were arguably the best centre-back partnership in the world, Pique returned to Barcelona and went on to become one of the most decorated players in the history of football, before announcing his retirement earlier this year.
Juan Mata (Spain – 2010) – the left-footed playmaker was David Moyes’ second and final signing as United boss. Mata left United in the summer as a free agent and is currently plying his trade with Turkish giants Galatasaray.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany – 2014) – the Bayern Munich legend was brought to Old Trafford by his former Munich boss Louis van Gaal, but the midfield maestro was no longer at the peak of his powers, and he was frozen out by Jose Mourinho before moving to the MLS with Chicago Fire.
Ron-Robert Zieler (Germany – 2014) – the six-time Germany international never played for the Red Devils first team following his move from Cologne in 2005, but alongside Roman Weidenfeller – the former Leicester City goalkeeper was Manuel Neuer’s understudy for Germany’s triumph in Brazil 2014.
Raphael Varane (France – 2018) the four-time Champions League winner was signed from Real Madrid last summer and the 29-year-old has the chance to become one of the most decorated players in football history with a win on Sunday.