Champions League records: Most matches in Champions league

There was a rebranding of the European Champion Clubs' Cup to UEFA Champions League in 1992 at the start of the 1992–93 season competition. The first player to make 100 appearances was Raúl. Cristiano Ronaldo holds many Champions League records and the most appearances is also among them. He has played 178 times in the Champions League.

Also Read: Champions League records: see which record Messi and Benzema set last night

Champions League Records | Top 5 players with the highest appearances:

#5 Raul (142)

Raúl González Blanco was born on 27 June 1977. He is popularly known as Raúl. He is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker. Raul is the current manager of Real Madrid Castilla, the reserve team of La Liga club Real Madrid. He has made 142 appearances from 1995-2011.

The team he represented in the Champions League are:

• Real Madrid (130)
• Schalke 04 (12)

#4 Xavi (151)

Xavier Hernández Creus was born on 25 January 1980. Xavi is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd. He is one of the greatest midfielders of all time. Xavi is widely popular for his passing, vision, ball retention, and positioning. He has made 151 appearances from 1998-2015 in the UEFA Champions League all for FC Barcelona.

Also Read: Messi equals Xavi's record of most appearance for Barcelona: #Messi767

- Lionel Messi (151)*

Lionel Messi is currently level with Xavi in the UEFA Champions League appearances but will surely surpass him on the next match day. The FC Barcelona legend recently switched club to Paris Saint-Germain and will now continue at France. He has made 151 appearances in the UCL from 2005 till the present.

The team he represented in the Champions League are:

• FC Barcelona (149)
• Paris Saint-Germain (2)*

#2 Iker Casillas (177)

Iker Casillas Fernández was born on 20 May 1981. He is a former Spanish professional footballer and captain who guided his team to the 2010 World Cup. Casillas is widely considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is known for his athleticism, quick reactions and outstanding shot-stopping ability. He spent the majority of his career at Real Madrid. Casillas is one of the few players to achieve over 1000 professional career matches and holds the record for the most clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League, as well as for the Spain national team. He has made 177 appearances from 1999-2019.

The team he represented in the Champions League are:

• Real Madrid (150)
• FC Porto (27)

Also Read: Football jersey numbers: Everything you need to know

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (178)*

Cristiano Ronaldo recently surpassed Iker Casillas in terms of appearances in the UEFA Champions League. He made his 178th appearance in the UCL for Manchester United against Villareal and also scored an injury-time winner to see the Red Devils home. Cristiano spent the majority of his career at Real Madrid where he spent the most time in UCL. He made his first appearance in 2003 and is still going on like a machine.

The team he represented in the Champions League are:

• Real Madrid (101)
• Manchester United (54)*
• Juventus (23)

N.B. The stats are accurate as of 30/09/2021