The champion League is the peak of club football and for many players, playing in the UCL is a dream and achieving it takes a lot of hard work. Many players consider it the most esteemed club football tournament in the world. Only the best teams across the world play in the competition. It sees the top talents in the players and features them.
Many players have made a lot of actualizations across many editions. Playing a single match in this league is a dream for many players. The following figures have gone on to make astounding numbers. These legends of the game have had long and successful careers, playing at the elite level for a period.
Cristiano Ronaldo recently played the record breakers matches
for most participation in the competition held by a former teammate for a long time. Now shifting the focus toward the record-breakers, here are the top 5 players who played the most matches in the history of the Champions League:
5) Ryan Giggs – 151 matches
Ryan Giggs played for Manchester United for his senior career, and he records as an appearance maker in all competitions. He made over 932 appearances for the Red Devils, and 151 of them came in the Champions League. Giggs won the competition for his club two times, in 1998/99 and 2007/08.
He has 28 goals and 46 assists in those 151 matches played in the champions league. Ryan Giggs retired as a professional player in 2014, concluding an extraordinary career playing many different league and cup wins. He got hired as a manager.
Also Read | Top 5 oldest players to score hat trick in UCL
4) Lionel Messi – 156 matches*
Lionel Messi has played 156 matches in the Champions League. He is still an active footballer, and I think he has a few years of top-level football left in him. Messi recently got farewell from FC Barcelona, the club where he gained his legendary status and joined Paris Saint-Germain.
The 34-year-old has four winner’s medals from the competition and will hope to help PSG win their first. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner has 162 goal contributions (121 goals and 41 assists) in 156 matches and will most likely add to the tally.
3) Xavi – 157 matches
This Spanish citizen was also loyal to FC Barcelona and played his whole career for the same club. He won many trophies with Barcelona, including four UCL trophies. He plays in midfield in most matches and the competition as well.
Xavi also scored 11 goals and 32 assists during that time. The 41-year-old joined the Qatari club Al Sadd SC in 2015 before retiring as a professional player in 2019. He is currently the manager at the same.
Also Read | Greatest matches in Champions League History
2) Iker Casillas – 181 matches
He is the best goalkeeper of all time and has the record for the most UEFA Champions League match played in a very long time. He has played 177 games in the competition, the most for a goalkeeper and a Spaniard. He won the competition three times with Real Madrid CF after spending almost all of his career there.
Iker Casillas joined FC Porto before retiring as a professional player in 2020. He made a few UCL appearances for the Portuguese club before hanging up his boots. His record has been matched and will soon break, making him the second-highest appearance maker in the UCL.
1) Cristiano Ronaldo – 187 matches*
Cristiano Ronaldo broke the record of the greatest player in the history of the champion league when he played his 177 matches on 30 September 2021. He joined Manchester United as a forward player in a sensational move in the summer of 2021, hoping to help the club get back to winning ways.
Ronaldo is in a league of his own when it comes to fitness and will probably try to reach the 200-mark. He has won the UCL five times and will hope to win it a second time with Manchester United. Ronaldo is also the highest scorer of the tournament, with 136 goals. Apart from Manchester United, he has represented Real Madrid and Juventus in the competition.
* - These players are still playing and likely to add more matches in their tally in the future.
Note: The stats are recorded on 27th April, 2022.
