The European Cup was rebranded forward of the 1992/93 season, giving beginning to the Champions League.
As a substitute of a knockout competitors that includes the champions from every European nation, the brand new format included the highest groups from the larger leagues.
That meant extra matches, with a league part adopted by knockout video games in a while.
In over 30 years for the reason that Champions League started, quite a few gamers have made greater than 100 appearances within the competitors. Right here, a have a look at the footballers who’ve featured probably the most…
17. Robert Lewandowski
A yr after dropping out in a Champions League ultimate for Borussia Dortmund towards Bayern Munich in 2013, Robert Lewandowski moved to the Bavarian membership.
Massively profitable in eight seasons at Bayern, the Polish striker finally received the Champions League in 2020 and completed because the competitors’s prime scorer that season with 15 targets. In complete, he had revamped 120 appearances within the competitors for Dortmund, Bayern and Barcelona by November 2024.
16. Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf was probably the greatest midfielders of his era and when it got here to the Champions League, the previous Dutch worldwide was in the precise place on the proper time.
A winner with Ajax in 1995, Seedorf claimed the title once more at Actual Madrid in 1998 and went on so as to add two extra with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. Seedorf made 125 Champions League appearances in complete: 11 at Ajax, 25 for Madrid and 89 with AC Milan.
15. Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué made his first 4 Champions League appearances at Manchester United and he was on the membership for his or her 2008 win, although not within the squad for the ultimate.
Again at Barcelona the place he had come by the youth system, Piqué was a part of the groups which received the continental competitors in 2009, 2011 and 2015, two of which had been a part of treble triumphs. The defender made 128 appearances general within the Champions League, with 124 of these coming at Barça.
14. Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets was on the coronary heart of the Barcelona groups which received the Champions League in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
The previous Spain midfielder helped the Catalans to 2 trebles and made 129 appearances within the Champions League general between 2008 and 2022.
13. Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta got here off the bench to assist Barcelona beat Arsenal within the 2006 Champions League ultimate, scored a dramatic late leveller towards Chelsea to seal passage to the 2009 showpiece and was Man of the Match because the Blaugrana beat Juventus in Berlin in 2015.
A four-time winner general, having additionally claimed the trophy in 2011, Iniesta was a key performer in two treble triumphs for the Catalan membership and 130 appearances within the Champions League general between 2002 and 2018 – all with Barcelona.
12. Luka Modrić
When Luka Modrić made his Champions League debut with Tottenham in 2010, the Croatian couldn’t have imagined he would go on to get pleasure from such spectacular success within the competitors.
A winner with Actual Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024, the midfielder has performed over 120 video games within the Champions League for Los Blancos after that includes in eight for Spurs.
11. Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs made 963 appearances for Manchester United between 1991 and 2014, with 141 of these coming within the Champions League.
The Welsh winger received the continental competitors twice, in 1999 and 2008, and was a runner-up with the Crimson Devils in 2009 and 2011.
10. Raúl
A 3-time Champions League winner with Actual Madrid, Raúl was a part of the staff which received a primary European Cup in 32 years for Los Blancos, with victory over Juventus within the 1998 ultimate.
The previous Spain striker scored towards Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively, within the 2000 and 2002 finals. In complete, he performed 142 video games within the continental competitors: 130 for Madrid and 12 with Schalke.
9. Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos received the Champions League 4 occasions as a Actual Madrid participant – in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 – and three of these triumphs got here as membership captain.
Ramos headed a dramatic late leveller towards Atlético in 2014 as Madrid went on to safe a tenth European Cup, La Décima, and likewise scored for Los Blancos as the 2 groups met in Milan two years later. In complete, Ramos made 142 appearances within the Champions League between 2005 and 2023: 129 with Madrid, eight at Paris Saint-Germain and 5 for Sevilla.
8. Manuel Neuer
One of many biggest goalkeepers of all time, Manuel Neuer is a World Cup winner and has additionally made his mark within the Champions League.
Neuer made his debut within the continental competitors with Schalke, occurring to characteristic 22 occasions earlier than shifting to Bayern and enjoying over 100 extra video games, successful the title in 2013 and once more as captain in 2020.
7. Xavi
Xavi bowed out as a Barcelona participant in model, coming off the bench in Berlin to assist the Catalan membership win the Champions League – and the treble – in June 2015.
In complete, the midfielder received the title 4 occasions – in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015 – and performed 151 occasions within the competitors for Barcelona.
6. Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos retired from soccer after successful the Champions League for a sixth time and the Germany nice most likely may have gone on to win it once more.
Kroos received the Champions League as a Bayern Munich participant in 2013 and moved to Madrid the next yr, enjoying a key function as Los Blancos claimed the trophy in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024. Considered one of only a few gamers to have received it six occasions, Kroos performed 151 video games within the competitors general: 41 for Bayern and 110 with Madrid.
5. Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema spent 14 seasons at Actual Madrid and the French ahead performed an enormous half in Los Blancos’ success within the continental competitors.
A winner with Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022, Benzema was captain for the final of these triumphs. One of many competitors’s all-time prime scorers, with 90 targets, he made 152 appearances: 19 with Lyon and 133 for Actual.
4. Thomas Müller
A Champions League runner-up in 2010 and 2012, Thomas Müller lastly bought his fingers on the trophy in 2013 and was a winner once more in 2020.
An attacking midfielder or ahead, Müller has been a constant performer for Bayern within the competitors over time and reached 150 appearances within the Champions League within the 2023/24 season.
3. Lionel Messi
A four-time Champions League winner with Barcelona, Lionel Messi missed the latter phases of the 2006 version attributable to damage, however was key within the Catalans’ victories in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
Two of these had been a part of treble triumphs and Messi is the competitors’s second-highest scorer with 129 targets, which arrived in simply 163 appearances: 149 for Barcelona and 14 with Paris Saint-Germain.
2. Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas received the Champions League thrice at Actual Madrid and the previous Spain skipper was captain for the final of these, lifting the trophy as Los Blancos beat Atlético Madrid in Lisbon in 2014.
The goalkeeper was a relieved man, too, as Sergio Ramos’ late leveller spared his blushes after an early error seemed set at hand Atleti the win. Casillas made 177 appearances within the competitors throughout 20 years between 1999 and 2019: 150 with Actual Madrid and 27 at Porto.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a five-time Champions League winner, having claimed the trophy at Manchester United in 2008 after which on one other 4 events with Actual Madrid – in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The Portuguese celebrity is the competitors’s all-time prime scorer, with 140 targets, and likewise leads the listing for appearances with 183: 59 at United, 101 with Madrid and 23 for Juventus.