In brief
The most prominent club competition in the world, the UEFA Champions League, features the top football players.
Legendary players like Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the top 35 Champions League players of all time, according to the article.
The list is dominated by Real Madrid players from the past and present, such as Raul, Luka Modric, and Sergio Ramos.
The UEFA Champions League is perhaps the best football competition in the world in terms of quality. Every year, the world’s best players compete there in an effort to win the most coveted trophy in club football.
Thanks to their accomplishments in Europe’s top club competition, the Champions League, which was renamed in 1992 after being established in 1955 as the European Cup, numerous players have solidified their place as game legends. Many of these players are associated with Real Madrid, the most successful team in the history of the competition (15 victories).
Consequently, a few Los Blancos legends are included in our ranking of the top 35 players of the Champions League era. It was quite challenging to compile the list, and players like Filippo Inzaghi, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Carles Puyol, Casemiro, and Roberto Carlos are all left off. But it also shows how many great players fans have been able to watch since the Champions League’s current format started in the early 1990s.
We are focusing just on the Champions League era (1992 onwards) for the sake of this exercise in order to guarantee that as many contemporary luminaries as possible make the top 35. This implies that players like Alfredo Di Stefano, George Best, Eusebio, and Paco Gento—who has won more European Cups than any other player in history—were not eligible for inclusion.
Factors that rank
period of the Champions League (1992 forward)
Champions League championships
Champions League objectives
Champions League moments that will never be forgotten
The 35 Best Champions League Players in the History of the League
Rank
The player
Clubs in the Champions League
One
Ronaldo Cristiano
Juventus, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Sporting
2.
Lionel Messi
PSG and Barcelona
3.
Modric Luka
Real Madrid and Tottenham
4.
Iniesta Andres
Barcelona
5.
Benzema Karim
Real Madrid and Lyon
6.
Maldini Paolo
Milan AC
7.
Xavi
Barcelona
8.
Ramos, Sergio
Real Madrid, PSG, and Sevilla
9.
Raul
Schalke and Real Madrid
10.
Seedorf, Clarence
Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Ajax
11.
Zidane Zinedine
Real Madrid and Juventus
Twelve
Muller, Thomas
The Bayern Munich
13.
Gerrard, Steven
Liverpool
14
Bale, Gareth
Real Madrid and Tottenham
15.
Casillas Iker
Porto and Real Madrid
16
Kaka
Real Madrid and AC Milan
17
Ronaldo
AC Milan, Barcelona, and PSG
18
Lewandowski, Robert
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund
19.
Didier Drogba
Galatasaray, Chelsea, and Marseille
20
Marcelo
Real Madrid
21
Kroos, Toni
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich
22
Van der Sar, Edwin
Manchester United, Ajax, and Juventus
23
Pique Gerard
Barcelona and Manchester United
24
Eto’o, Samuel
Chelsea, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Mallorca
25
Shevchenko, Andriy
Chelsea, AC Milan, and Dynamo Kyiv
26
Giggs, Ryan
United Manchester
27
Busquets, Sergio
Barcelona
28
Nistelrooy, Ruud van
Real Madrid, Manchester United, and PSV Eindhoven
29
Henry Thierry
Barcelona, Arsenal, and Monaco
30
Robben Arjen
Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and PSV Eindhoven
31
Carvajal, Dani
Real Madrid
32
Neuer, Manuel
Schalke 04, Munich, Germany
33
Mbappe Kylian
Real Madrid, PSG, and Monaco
34
Buffon, Gianluigi
Juventus, Parma, and PSG
35
Pepe
Besiktas, Porto, and Real Madrid
35Pepe
Champions League titles: 3
Whether with Porto, Besiktas, or Real Madrid over the years, Pepe was always solid at the core of defense due to his no-nonsense, hard-hitting style. The center-back had great success in Europe and wasn’t scared to fight anyone. The Portuguese legend was frequently a striker’s greatest nightmare on the field and won the Champions League three times with Real Madrid.
He also lived a remarkable life. Pepe played football until he was far into his 40s, but he did play 120 games in the Champions League. Few others were like him, and he was crucial to Los Blancos’ triumph.
34Gianluigi Buffon
Champions League titles: 0
One of football’s greatest tragedies is that Gianluigi Buffon, who is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time, never brought home a Champions League title during his remarkable career. During his time with Juventus, he came in second place three times, but he never quite made it to the finals.
In spite of this, he remains one of the best players in the history of the Champions League and was a constant outstanding performer throughout his career. Few players were better but failed to win the cup, and the Italian played 124 games in the competition during his career.
33Kylian Mbappe
Champions League titles: 0
Even if he hasn’t won the Champions League yet, Kylian Mbappe is already regarded as one of the best players in the history of the competition. The Frenchman has always been able to shine when he plays in the competition, whether it is for Real Madrid, Monaco, or Paris Saint-Germain.
It seems like Mbappe will soon be collecting Champions League championships as the Santiago Bernabeu’s newest player. With a world-class player like him on board, the club, which is well-known for its success in Europe, will probably return to the top soon. He has already scored 55 goals in 87 Champions League games, so once he starts winning the trophy, there’s a good chance he’ll move up this list.
32Manuel Neuer
Champions League titles: 2
Manuel Neuer is one of only two goalkeepers in history who are regarded as superior to Gianluigi Buffon. The German, who first gained recognition with Schalke 04, has been at Bayern Munich for the past 14 years. During his time with both teams, he has participated in 150 Champions League games.
The goalie has been a dominant force in goal for most of his career and has won the tournament twice with Bayern. Even at 39, Neuer is still considered one of the world’s top keepers, and Vincent Kompany’s squad still greatly depends on his bravery when he is available.
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