UEFA Champions League (UCL) is a club competition for European teams. The competition began in the year 1955. Over the 70 years of the Champions League, we have seen a lot of greats who have ever played the game. Based on their impact, we will rank the 50 Greatest Players in UEFA Champions League History.
Eventually, this year, the format has changed and expanded to 36 teams, which guarantees the top eight teams will directly qualify for the round of 16. The team ranked from 9th to 24th will play a two-leg knockout play-off to secure their place in the round of 16. Hence, Arsenal, Inter, FC Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain are the final four teams left in the competition.
Especially when we talk about the Champions League, you just take your eyes off Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid. As Ronaldo is the highest goal scorer and assist provider, Real Madrid has won the tournament a record-breaking 15 times.
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List of 50 Greatest Players In UEFA Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus)
Ronaldo has been given the title of “Mr. Champions League“. Especially, the records that he holds in the competition are unmatched. Some famous records that he holds are the most goals (141), the most assists (42), the most appearances (183), and the highest number of goals scored in a season (17). He has won the competition 5 times.
| Full Name | Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro |
| Date of Birth | February 5, 1985 (Funchal, Madeira, Portugal) |
| Club & Position | Al-Nassr (since 2023) – Forward |
| International Career | Portugal (since 2003) |
| Notable Achievements | 5× Ballon d’Or Winner, UEFA Champions League All-Time Top Scorer (141 goals) |
Lionel Messi (Barcelona, PSG)
Leo Messi, the FC Barcelona star, is second on the list with 129 goals and 40 assists. He has won the competition four times with his boyhood club FC Barcelona. Messi was a complete player-maker and scorer for this team.
| Full Name | Lionel Andres Messi |
| Date of Birth | June 24, 1987 (Rosario, Argentina) |
| Club & Position | Inter Miami (since 2023) – Forward |
| International Career | Argentina (since 2005) |
| Notable Achievements | 8× Ballon d’Or Winner, FIFA World Cup Champion (2022), Argentina’s All-Time Leading Scorer (112 goals) |
Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid)
The Real Madrid legend has five Champions League titles under his belt. He began the golden era as all the first five competitions were won by his team. Di Stefano was an early iconic face of the Champions League.
| Full Name | Alfredo Stefano Di Stefano Laulhe |
| Date of Birth | July 4, 1926 (Buenos Aires, Argentina) |
| Date of Death | July 7, 2014 (Madrid, Spain) |
| Club & Position | Real Madrid (1953–1964) – Forward |
| International Career | Argentina (1947), Colombia (1951), Spain (1957–1961) |
| Notable Achievements | 5× European Cup Winner, 2× Ballon d’Or Winner (1957, 1959), Copa America Champion (1947) |
| Highest Position | Real Madrid’s all-time legend, scoring in five consecutive European Cup finals |
Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)
Eventually, for a defender, it is just tough to enter the list when the forwards are there, but Maldini was the leader and wall of the AC Milan defence, winning five titles for them. He was at the top of his game for 25 years.
| Full Name | Paolo Cesare Maldini |
| Date of Birth | June 26, 1968 (Milan, Italy) |
| Club & Position | AC Milan (1984–2009) – Defender |
| International Career | Italy (1988–2002) |
| Notable Achievements | 5× UEFA Champions League Winner, 7× Serie A Champion, 2× Ballon d’Or Runner-up (1994, 2003) |
Luka Modric (Tottenham, Real Madrid)
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner is the joint record holder for winning the Champions League six times, along with Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Nacho, and Paco Gento. His ability to see the game and carry the ball is his primary skill. From being the worst signing according to the media, but winning the Champions League six times is itself that shows his class.
| Full Name | Luka Modric |
| Date of Birth | September 9, 1985 (Zadar, Croatia) |
| Club & Position | Real Madrid (since 2012) – Midfielder |
| International Career | Croatia (since 2006) |
| Notable Achievements | Ballon d’Or Winner (2018), 6× UEFA Champions League Winner, FIFA World Cup Runner-up (2018) |
Zinedine Zidane (Juventus, Real Madrid)
Especially, his iconic volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UCL final is still remembered by every football fan. Zindane was known for creating magic moments on the pitch. He also won the Champions League three times as a manager for Real Madrid.
| Full Name | Zinedine Yazid Zidane |
| Date of Birth | June 23, 1972 (Marseille, France) |
| Club & Position | Real Madrid (2001–2006) – Midfielder |
| International Career | France (1994–2006) |
| Notable Achievements | FIFA World Cup Winner (1998), UEFA Champions League Winner (2002), Ballon d’Or Winner (1998) |
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
The clutch midfielder, especially one who had goals in his boots at crucial times. His dribbling, creativity, poise under pressure, and calmness helped him to understand the need in the game. Iniesta has a total of four Champions League titles in his bag.
| Full Name | Andres Iniesta Lujan |
| Date of Birth | May 11, 1984 (Fuentealbilla, Spain) |
| Club & Position | Barcelona (2002–2018) – Midfielder |
| International Career | Spain (2006–2018) |
| Notable Achievements | FIFA World Cup Winner (2010), 2× UEFA European Championship Winner (2008, 2012), 4× UEFA Champions League Winner |
Xavi (Barcelona)
Xavi was the main man in the midfield of FC Barcelona’s golden era. FC Barcelona’s gameplay was Tiki-Taka, and Xavi was the master of it. He has won the competition four times.
| Full Name | Xavier Hernandez Creus |
| Date of Birth | January 25, 1980 (Terrassa, Spain) |
| Club & Position | Barcelona (1998–2015) – Midfielder |
| International Career | Spain (2000–2014) |
| Notable Achievements | FIFA World Cup Winner (2010), 2× UEFA European Championship Winner (2008, 2012), 4× UEFA Champions League Winner |
Raul Gonzalez (Real Madrid, Schalke)
The former Real Madrid forward and current Castilla manager has won three Champions League titles in his career. Raul was the top scorer of the competition until Ronaldo and Messi broke his record. He had exceptional leadership and goal-scoring ability.
| Full Name | Raul Gonzalez Blanco |
| Date of Birth | June 27, 1977 (Madrid, Spain) |
| Club & Position | Real Madrid (1994–2010) – Forward |
| International Career | Spain (1996–2006) |
| Notable Achievements | 3× UEFA Champions League Winner, 6× La Liga Champion, Spain’s All-Time Leading Scorer (until 2011) |
Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona)
Lewandowski is the third-highest goal scorer in the Champions League at the moment with 105 goals and counting. He has won the Champions League just once, but this year the count can change to two, given the form he and his team are in.
| Full Name | Robert Lewandowski |
| Date of Birth | August 21, 1988 (Warsaw, Poland) |
| Club & Position | Barcelona (since 2022) – Striker |
| International Career | Poland (since 2008) |
| Notable Achievements | 2× Best FIFA Men’s Player (2020, 2021), UEFA Champions League Winner (2020), 8× Bundesliga Top Scorer |
50 Greatest Players In Champions League History
Ranked 1 to 25
| Rank | Player | Position | Clubs Played For | Titles Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Forward | Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus | 5 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Forward | Barcelona, PSG | 4 |
| 3 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Forward | Real Madrid | 5 |
| 4 | Paolo Maldini | Defender | AC Milan | 5 |
| 5 | Ferenc Puskas | Forward | Real Madrid | 3 |
| 6 | Luka Modric | Midfielder | Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid | 5 |
| 7 | Zinedine Zidane | Midfielder | Juventus, Real Madrid | 1 |
| 8 | Xavi | Midfielder | Barcelona | 4 |
| 9 | Andrés Iniesta | Midfielder | Barcelona | 4 |
| 10 | Robert Lewandowski | Forward | Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona | 1 |
| 11 | Raul Gonzalez | Forward | Real Madrid, Schalke | 3 |
| 12 | Toni Kroos | Midfielder | Bayern Munich, Real Madrid | 5 |
| 13 | Clarence Seedorf | Midfielder | Ajax, Real Madrid, AC Milan | 4 |
| 14 | Karim Benzema | Forward | Lyon, Real Madrid | 5 |
| 15 | Ryan Giggs | Midfielder | Manchester United | 2 |
| 16 | Thierry Henry | Forward | Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona | 1 |
| 17 | Gareth Bale | Forward | Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid | 5 |
| 18 | Iker Casillas | Goalkeeper | Real Madrid, Porto | 3 |
| 19 | Kaka | Midfielder | AC Milan, Real Madrid | 1 |
| 20 | Ronaldinho | Forward | PSG, Barcelona, AC Milan | 1 |
| 21 | Sergio Ramos | Defender | Real Madrid, PSG | 4 |
| 22 | Gerard Pique | Defender | Manchester United, Barcelona | 3 |
| 23 | Samuel Eto’o | Forward | Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter Milan | 2 |
| 24 | Andriy Shevchenko | Forward | Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea | 1 |
| 25 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Forward | PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid | 0 |
Ranked 26 to 50
| Rank | Player | Position | Clubs Played For | Titles Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Marcelo | Defender | Real Madrid | 5 |
| 27 | Edwin van der Sar | Goalkeeper | Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United | 2 |
| 28 | Sergio Busquets | Midfielder | Barcelona | 3 |
| 29 | Frank Lampard | Midfielder | Chelsea | 1 |
| 30 | Didier Drogba | Forward | Marseille, Chelsea | 1 |
| 31 | Gianluigi Buffon | Goalkeeper | Parma, Juventus, PSG | 0 |
| 32 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Forward | Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan, PSG, Manchester United | 0 |
| 33 | Roy Keane | Midfielder | Nottingham Forest, Manchester United | 1 |
| 34 | David Beckham | Midfielder | Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, PSG | 1 |
| 35 | Arjen Robben | Forward | PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich | 1 |
| 36 | Thomas Muller | Forward | Bayern Munich | 2 |
| 37 | Sergio Aguero | Forward | Atlético Madrid, Manchester City | 0 |
| 38 | Kylian Mbappe | Forward | Monaco, PSG | 1 |
| 39 | Neymar | Forward | Santos, Barcelona, PSG | 1 |
| 40 | Frank Rijkaard | Midfielder | Ajax, AC Milan | 1 |
| 41 | Ruud Gullit | Midfielder/Forward | Feyenoord, PSV, AC Milan | 1 |
| 42 | Marco van Basten | Forward | Ajax, AC Milan | 2 |
| 43 | Gianni Rivera | Midfielder | AC Milan | 2 |
| 44 | Eusebio | Forward | Benfica | 1 |
| 45 | Kenny Dalglish | Forward | Celtic, Liverpool | 3 |
| 46 | Fernando Hierro | Defender | Real Madrid, Bolton | 3 |
| 47 | Deco | Midfielder | Porto, Barcelona, Chelsea | 2 |
| 48 | Petr Cech | Goalkeeper | Chelsea, Arsenal | 1 |
| 49 | Angel Di Maria | Winger | Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus | 4 |
| 50 | Diego Milito | Forward | Inter Milan, Zaragoza | 1 |
