Probably the most revered cup competitors in Europe, the UEFA Champions League, has the potential to show stars into superstars, and superstars into legends. If one retains turning up, 12 months after 12 months, and manages to placed on a present for followers, the competitors rewards them with immortality, a way of unparalleled satisfaction.
It’s mighty tough to realize longevity within the competitors of champions, to maintain up with the present crop of up-and-coming superstars. Within the listing beneath, we’ll check out 10 gamers, with probably the most UCL appearances, which might be going toe-to-toe with the younger weapons on this 12 months’s competitors. Listed below are the highest 10 lively gamers who’ve performed probably the most UEFA Champions League matches in historical past.
#10 Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla) – 92 Video games
With 92 matches performed within the UEFA Champions League, Sevilla central midfielder Ivan Rakitic is the tenth title on the rankings. The Croatian midfielder has represented three groups within the competitors thus far, taking part in 12 occasions for Schalke, 60 video games for Barcelona, and 20 matches for Sevilla.
Rakitic, who has scored 10 objectives within the competitors thus far, reached the head of European soccer within the 2014-15 season. Rakitic was one of many goalscorers as Barcelona beat Juventus 3-1 within the Champions League remaining.
#9 Angel Di Maria (Benfica) – 103 Video games
Benfica ace Angel Di Maria has performed 103 video games within the UEFA Champions League thus far to say the ninth spot on the listing. Di Maria, who has represented Actual Madrid (39), Paris Saint-Germain (54), Juventus (3) and Benfica (7) within the competitors, has 22 Champions League objectives and 38 assists to his title.
Di Maria’s solely UEFA Champions League success got here with Actual Madrid within the 2013-14 season. The Argentine was named the Man of The Match as Los Blancos beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 within the remaining.
#8 Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) – 112 Video games
Among the best strikers of the twenty first century, Robert Lewandowski is the eighth title on the listing. The Polish sharpshooter has performed 112 video games throughout Borussia Dortmund (28), Bayern Munich (78), and Barcelona (6), scoring a whopping 92 occasions. Lewandowski is the competitors’s third-highest scorer of all time.
The 35-year-old striker has solely gained the competitors as soon as in his profession, with it coming within the 2019-20 season. He scored his personal-best 15 objectives that season to win the competitors’s top-scorer award.
#7 Pepe (FC Porto) – 114 Video games
At 40 years outdated, Pepe is the oldest participant on this unique listing. The evergreen center-back has performed 114 video games within the competitors thus far, scoring thrice and offering 5 assists. The vast majority of his UCL video games have come for Actual Madrid (71), adopted by Porto (37) and Besiktas (6).
The Portugal icon is a three-time winner of the competitors, with all of them coming throughout his time at Actual Madrid. He gained his first in 2014, the second in 2016, and the third one in 2017.
#6 David Alaba (Actual Madrid) – 115 Video games
Actual Madrid center-back David Alaba has confirmed himself to be a UEFA Champions League veteran, having appeared 115 occasions already within the prestigious competitors. The 31-year-old, who has scored six occasions and supplied 17 assists within the competitors, has performed 91 video games for Bayern and 24 for Madrid within the competitors thus far.
Alaba has gained the competitors a formidable 3 times. He bagged the Huge Ears with the Bavarians in 2013 and 2020 earlier than profitable it once more along with his present employers in 2022.
#5 Luka Modric (Actual Madrid) – 118 Video games
The one Ballon d’Or winner on the listing, Luka Modric has performed 118 video games within the UEFA Champions League thus far. Eight of his matches have come for Tottenham Hotspur and the remaining 110 for Actual Madrid.
The legendary Croatian midfielder, who has scored 9 occasions and supplied 17 assists, has gained the competitors a joint-record 5 occasions. He was one of many heroes of Actual Madrid’s UCL triumph in 2014 and proved to be simply as efficient of their subsequent 4 wins in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022.
#4 Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) – 131 Video games
Bayern Munich icon Manuel Neuer has performed 131 UEFA Champions League video games over the course of his legendary profession. The German goalkeeper, who’s recovering from a damaged leg, has represented Schalke & Bayern within the competitors thus far, taking part in 22 video games for the previous and 109 for the latter. He saved 54 clear sheets and conceded simply 119 occasions in 131 video games.
Neuer’s heroics have helped Bayern to 2 UEFA Champions League triumphs. The primary one got here within the 2012-13 season and the latter within the 2019-20 marketing campaign.
#3 Sergio Ramos (Sevilla) – 138 Video games
Legendary Spanish defender Sergio Ramos claims the third spot on this listing with a whopping 138 UEFA Champions League appearances. Ramos, 37, has represented three groups within the competitors, taking part in 129 video games with Actual Madrid, 8 with Paris Saint-Germain, and 1 with Sevilla.
Ramos, who has scored 15 occasions and claimed 9 assists within the competitors, has gained the match 4 occasions, all of them as a Actual Madrid participant. He helped the membership to the trophy in 2014 earlier than taking part in an important position of their three-peat between 2016 and 2018.
#2 Toni Kroos (Actual Madrid) – 140 Video games
Actual Madrid legend Toni Kroos has performed 140 occasions within the UEFA Champions League in his profession, scoring 11 occasions and offering 29 assists between Los Blancos and Bayern Munich. He has performed 42 video games for Bayern and the remaining 98 for Los Blancos.
Kroos has gained the competitors a whopping 5 occasions, as soon as with the Bavarians and 4 occasions with the All-Whites. His solely triumph with the Germans got here within the 2012-13 season whereas at Madrid he lifted the cup in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022.
#1 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) – 143 Video games
Among the best gamers in Bayern Munich’s adorned historical past, Thomas Muller tops the listing, having appeared in 143 matches for the Bavarians within the UEFA Champions League. Muller, 34, has scored 53 occasions and claimed 32 assists to date within the competitors.
The Germany icon has gained the competitors twice over the course of his illustrious profession. His first triumph got here within the 2012-13 season, wherein Bayern beat Chelsea within the remaining. Muller and Co. returned to the rostrum seven years later when the Germans acquired the higher of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) within the remaining.
