In club football, playing in the Champions League is the peak of a domestic career – but the truth is that the vast majority of professional players will never have the opportunity to compete at Europe’s top table. Nonetheless, a handful of elite-level athletes have become acclimated to the competition.
Consider Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 140 Champions League goals in 197 appearances, as well as Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric, who have a combined six crowns, the most in history. All have appreciated the challenge of facing the cream of the crop of football players.
It’s not the be-all and end-all of being considered one of the finest in the beautiful game, of course, but competing at the highest level – and winning those matches – is a clear sign of one’s on-pitch prowess.
Paolo Di Canio, Matt Le Tissier, and Ian Wright are just a few of the high-profile personalities that have never played in the Champions League, but who are the top 10 Champions League winners of all time? Let’s have a closer look.
10David Alaba – 84 wins
David Alaba is a resolute defender at his best, and his tally is aided by the fact that he has played for two of the continent’s top clubs, Bayern Munich (2010-2021) and Real Madrid (2021-present). Injuries have taken their toll on the 109-cap Austria international, but he still has 84 Champions League triumphs.
Alaba, born in 1992, is a four-time winner of the competition (two on each side), having played an eye-catching 120 times at Europe’s top table. At the age of 33, it’s unclear how long he’ll be at the top of the European game – but don’t let that detract from his brilliance as a dynamic footballer.
9Luka Modric – 88 wins
Modric (as previously stated) holds a special place in the Champions League’s history books for winning a total of six titles, all of which came during his 597-game stint at Real Madrid.
The Croat’s tenure in Spain came to a tragic end this summer, possibly signalling the end of his reign at the top of the European echo chamber. However, given Rossoneri’s recent success, the centre midfielder, who formed a powerful relationship with Toni Kroos (more on him later!) over the years, has a good chance of adding to his 88-win tally.
8Xavi Hernandez – 91 wins
Although his companion in crime, Andres Iniesta, is not included, midfielder-turned-tactician Xavi Hernandez – the all-time Spanish top assist provider in Europe’s premier competition – had a 91-win Champions League career during his playing days. Not only that, but the engine room patroller has won the title four times: 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, and 2014/15.
Xavi, who frequently dictated play in the middle of the park, was a key part in Barcelona’s success under a variety of managers, notably Pep Guardiola. In actuality, he made his Champions League debut in 1998 and won the final, 3-1, over Italian club Juventus in June 2015. What a career Xavi had, huh?
7Karim Benzema – 94 wins
Karim Benzema, the talismanic centre-forward, knows a thing or two about winning and scoring in the Champions League, having spent his greatest years in Spain with Los Blancos. When the Frenchman joined from Olympique Lyonnais in the summer of 2009, no one could have predicted the trophy-laden career that awaited him.
Benzema, 37, holds a particular position in football history for winning the Ballon d’Or during the Ronaldo-Messi duopoly, and his 94 wins from 152 games at the top of the European tree demonstrate how much of a serial winner he was. He is widely regarded as one of the best centre-forwards of all time and is fourth in the competition’s all-time scoring charts with 90 goals.
6Lionel Messi – 95 wins
It wouldn’t be a complete Champions League list without Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. The Argentine, who won the World Cup in 2022, appeared 163 times in the championship for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain before joining Inter Miami to finish his career.
Rosario-born, the days of watching the 38-year-old tear apart defences on a weekly basis are long gone; nevertheless, viewing enough highlight videos will take you back. Messi has won Europe’s premier competition four times – in 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, and 2014/15 – and his 95 victories in 151 appearances cement his place as one of the finest ever.
5Toni Kroos – 95 wins
Toni Kroos was born and reared in Greifswald, Germany, and, like Alaba, who is tenth on our list, had the pleasure of playing for Bayern Munich and Bayern Munich before retiring in the summer of 2024. Compared to his old partner, the easy central midfielder won 11 more games.
His six Champions League titles demonstrate that he is one of the best players in the competition’s history, and his adept ability to see a lot of the ball, recycle it, and cause difficulties for the opposition is much missed by his previous club, Los Blancos. Overall, the 114-cap German international won 95 of his 151 Champions League outings, which is the same as Messi, albeit in fewer games.
4Manuel Neuer – 100 wins
Bayern Munich’s recent 3-1 victory over Chelsea, in which Harry Kane scored twice, was Manuel Neuer’s 100th Champions League win, putting him in the top four. Given that Vincent Kompany and his entourage intend to use the seasoned 39-year-old between the posts, his win total is certain to rise.
In actuality, Neuer – largely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in football mythology – shows no signs of slowing down, with his commanding presence still instilling dread in front lines across Europe. At the time of writing, the Gelsenkirchen-born shot stopper had won the Champions League twice: in 2012/13 against Borussia Dortmund and in 2020/21 against PSG.
3Iker Casillas – 101 wins
From one goalkeeping great to another, Neuer is now one victory away from equalling Iker Casillas’ record, which he set for Real Madrid over 16 years. The Spaniard, known for his cat-like reflexes, won three Champions League titles with Los Blancos before leaving in 2015, winning 101 of 177 games.
It should be remembered that Casillas also played for FC Porto in the Champions League, which would have undoubtedly influenced his victory rate. While scoring goals is the most important factor in winning football games, keeping clean sheets is as critical – and Casillas, a 167-cap Spain international, got it down to a tee.
2Thomas Muller – 110 wins
Thomas Muller, like many others on this list, including Modric and Messi, is currently celebrating the end of his career. The versatile German, 36, joined the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the summer of 2025, but it is safe to claim that he previously had one of the best careers in European circles.
From domestic success to becoming a two-time Champions League winner, he won 110 of his 160 games, and with his summer move, there’s little chance he’ll add to his total in the future. The one-time World Cup champion with Germany, Muller, who spent much of his career in Bavaria, is a true footballing icon.
1Cristiano Ronaldo – 115 wins
You don’t receive a gold medal for predicting that the aforementioned Ronaldo, who now plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, leads the rankings with 115 wins. That’s unlikely to change now that the seasoned 40-year-old, who is chasing the record of 1,000 career goals, has played his last game in Europe.
The Portuguese talisman’s first trophy came during his debut season with Manchester United in 2007/08, but he won four more during his time in Spain. In 183 appearances, the perennial record breaker won 115 of them. He’s known as Mr. Champions League for a reason, right?
Players with the most Champions League wins.
Rank
Player
Wins
Games
1.
Cristiano Ronaldo
115
183
2.
Thomas Muller
110
160
3.
Iker Casilla
101
177
4.
Manuel Neuer
100
151
5.
Toni Kroos
95
151
6.
Lionel Messi
95
163
7.
Karim Benzema
94
152
8.
Xavi Hernandez
91
151
9.
Luca Modric
88
139
10.
David Alaba
84
120
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