Every player worth his salt dreams of walking out onto the pitch under the floodlights and soaking in the immortal feeling the UEFA Champions League anthem carries. This sensation is priceless, as only a handful manage to keep themselves relevant enough to experience it over and over again. Only the very best go on to become a Champions League veteran.
Today, we will meet a chosen few who have cemented their names in the storied history of the European Cup/Champions League. Here are the five players who have played the most games in the history of the tournament of champions:
#5 Karim Benzema: 152 Matches
Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema played 152 matches in the UEFA Champions League before jetting off to Saudi Arabia in July 2023. The French superstar represented Los Blancos in 133 UCL fixtures, scoring 78 times and claiming 27 assists. His other 19 Champions League games came for his boyhood club Olympique Lyon. He scored 12 times and provided three assists for the French outfit between 2005-06 and 2008-09 seasons.
Benzema won a joint-record five UCL trophies with Real Madrid (2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2021-22). The 2021-22 season was by far the most memorable of his career, with him pitching in with a campaign-best 15 goals in 12 games to fire Los Merengues to their 14th UCL trophy. Benzema’s heroics in the 2021-22 season won him the Ballon d’Or in November 2022.
#4 Xavi Hernandez: 157 Matches
Barcelona coach Xavi was a force to be reckoned with during his playing career, going down as one of the best midfielders the UEFA Champions League has ever seen. He played a whopping 157 games in the competition — all for his boyhood club Barcelona. The former Spain superstar scored 11 times and provided 31 assists during his illustrious UCL run.
Xavi won the competition four times. His first one came in 2005-06, the next two in quick succession in 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons, while the final one arrived at the end of the 2014-15 season. He left Barca for Al-Sadd after lifting his fourth UCL trophy.
#3 Lionel Messi: 163 Matches
Arguably the greatest player in soccer history, Lionel Messi has clinched the third spot with 163 appearances in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine superstar, who left for Inter Miami in July 2023, played 149 games for Barcelona in the competition, scoring 120 times and providing 41 assists. His other 14 games came for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner recorded nine goals and four assists for the French side in the tournament.
Messi won four UCL trophies in his career, with all of those coming during his time at Barcelona (2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15). The 2008-09 and 2014-15 seasons were extra special, as Barcelona went on to clinch the Treble.
#2 Iker Casillas: 181 Matches
One of the best goalkeepers in the history of the game, Iker Casillas played 181 Champions League matches throughout his decorated career. The former Spain international only played for two teams in UCL — Real Madrid and Porto. For the All-Whites, the club legend appeared in 150 Champions League games, conceding 169 goals and keeping 52 clean sheets. Meanwhile, for Porto, Casillas guarded the goal in 31 matches, securing seven clean sheets.
Casillas won the competition a whopping four times with Real Madrid (1997-98, 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2013-14), emerging as their most decorated goalkeeper.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo: 187 Matches
Cristiano Ronaldo played 187 matches in the UEFA Champions League before leaving Europe in the middle of the 2022-23 season. He played 59 games for Manchester United, 101 matches for Real Madrid, and the remaining 23 games for Juventus. The Portuguese icon is also the competition’s top scorer with 141 goals, its leading assist provider with 42, its highest penalty scorer (19), and has won the tournament a joint record five times.
The Al-Nassr superstar first conquered the Champions League as a Manchester United player in the 2007-08 season. He added his second in 2013-14 at Real Madrid before helping the Whites to three consecutive UCL trophies between 2016 and 2018.
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