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
| Pos | Player | Club/s | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Man Utd, Real Madrid, Juventus | 177 |
| 2 | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid, FC Porto | 177 |
| 3 | Xavi | Barcelona | 151 |
| 4 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona, PSG | 150 |
| 5 | Raul | Real Madrid, Schalke | 142 |
| 6 | Ryan Giggs | Manchester United | 141 |
| 7 | Karim Benzema | Lyon, Real Madrid | 131 |
| 8 | Andres Iniesta | Barcelona | 130 |
| 9 | Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid | 129 |
| 10 | Clarence Seedorf | Ajax, Real Madrid, AC Milan | 125 |
| 10= | Thomas Muller | Bayern Munich | 125 |
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).
| Pos | Player | Club | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xavi | Barcelona | 151 |
| 2 | Iker Casillas | Real Madrid | 150 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 149 |
| 4 | Ryan Giggs | Manchester United | 141 |
| 5 | Andres Iniesta | Barcelona | 130 |
| 6 | Raul | Real Madrid | 130 |
| 7 | Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid | 129 |
| 8 | Thomas Muller | Bayern Munich | 125 |
| 9 | Paul Scholes | Manchester United | 124 |
| 10 | Sergio Busquets | Barcelona | 120 |
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.
| Pos | Player | Club/s | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United, Real Madrid | 6 |
| 2 | Paolo Maldini | AC Milan | 6 |
| 3 | Patrice Evra | Monaco, Manchester United, Juventus | 5 |
| 4 | Clarence Seedorf | Ajax, Real Madrid, AC Milan | 5 |
| 5 | Edwin van der Sar | Ajax, Manchester United | 5 |
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