• Top lists

The 10 players with the most Champions League appearances of all-time

Cristiano Ronaldo, Champions League
Getty Images
Advertisement

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and more stars feature as we run down the list of the players with the most Champions League appearances.

The UEFA Champions League is the glitziest and biggest competition in European club football. Not only does it generate millions in profits from viewership, but it provides teams with an opportunity to prove their mettle against the very best. Seeing the top footballers go toe-to-toe is an added perk.

Only 40 players, however, have crossed the 100-game threshold in the competition’s history.

So who are the players with the most Champions League appearances? Who has played the most games for one club in the competition? And who has reached the most finals? Let’s check it out.

Which player has the most appearances in the Champions League?

The players with the most Champions League appearances in history are Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas. The Real Madrid legends are tied for a record 177 appearances in the competition.

Ronaldo should surpass Casillas this week, or later in the season. The Portuguese ace could make it 178 games in the competition this Wednesday as Manchester United face Villarreal at Old Trafford.

The 10 players with the most Champions League games

PosPlayerClub/sGames
1Cristiano RonaldoMan Utd, Real Madrid, Juventus177
2Iker CasillasReal Madrid, FC Porto177
3XaviBarcelona151
4Lionel MessiBarcelona, PSG150
5RaulReal Madrid, Schalke142
6Ryan GiggsManchester United141
7Karim BenzemaLyon, Real Madrid131
8Andres IniestaBarcelona130
9Sergio RamosReal Madrid129
10Clarence SeedorfAjax, Real Madrid, AC Milan125
10=Thomas MullerBayern Munich125

Players with the most Champions League appearances for one club

Lionel Messi’s Barcelona exit in the summer cost him the chance to break Xavi Hernandez’s record for the most Champions League appearances at one club.

The Argentina international, who joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, has to settle for third-best in the UEFA list.

Cristiano Ronaldo obviously doesn’t feature in the top 10. He is, though, the only player to make 50 or more Champions League appearances for two clubs – Manchester United (53) and Real Madrid (101).

PosPlayerClubGames
1XaviBarcelona151
2Iker CasillasReal Madrid150
3Lionel MessiBarcelona149
4Ryan GiggsManchester United141
5Andres IniestaBarcelona130
6RaulReal Madrid130
7Sergio RamosReal Madrid129
8Thomas MullerBayern Munich125
9Paul ScholesManchester United124
10Sergio BusquetsBarcelona120

Players with the most appearances in the final

Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to break Paolo Maldini’s record for the most Champions League final appearances this season. The two legends are tied for a record six finals at the moment.

PosPlayerClub/sGames
1Cristiano RonaldoManchester United, Real Madrid6
2Paolo MaldiniAC Milan6
3Patrice EvraMonaco, Manchester United, Juventus5
4Clarence SeedorfAjax, Real Madrid, AC Milan5
5Edwin van der SarAjax, Manchester United5
x