10 players who have won the most number of Champions League trophies
In club football, the UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious competition. The competition brings all of the best players from all over the world to compete and try to prove their superiority on the biggest stage.
For many players, winning the UEFA Champions League is the ultimate goal of their careers and they move to teams that can help them achieve this goal.
The Champions League is Europe's Premier Club Competition
Real Madrid have won the competition more times than any other team in history, with AC Milan and Liverpool among the most successful teams in the history of the competition. Players from these teams have enjoyed great success in the competition, winning it more times than most of their peers.
Without further ado, here is a list of 10 players with the most Champions League titles.
#10 Nacho (5 titles)
32-year-old Spaniard Nacho is one of those silent achievers in football. The defender has won the Champions League five times in the colours of Real Madrid since making his debut for the club in 2011.
Nacho was in the squad that won the competition in 2014 despite not being in the team’s line-up. He won the competition in 2016 and 2017 while being an unused substitute both times.
His first and only appearance in the final came in 2018 when he replaced the injured Dani Carvajal in the first half against Liverpool. He was an unused sub in the 2022 final against the same opposition.
Nacho has been a Real Madrid player for his entire professional career, having graduated from the club’s academy. The Spanish defender has won 18 major trophies in his time at the club.
#9 Isco (5 titles)
Spanish midfielder Isco has been a Real Madrid player since 2013 when he joined the club from Malaga. The attacking midfielder has also won the Champions League five times with the club in his career.
The Spaniard won his first final with Los Blancos in 2014, his debut season at the club. He featured as a second-half substitute for his side as they claimed a 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid. His second, third, and fourth titles came in successive seasons in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He started in all of the finals for his side. Isco played no part in the 2022 final as Real Madrid overcame Liverpool.
Isco has confirmed that he will be leaving Real Madrid after eight seasons at the club. The 30-year-old enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.
#8 Dani Carvajal (5 titles)
Dani Carvajal was an important member of the all-conquering Real Madrid side that won three consecutive Champions League titles. The Spanish defender has remained an integral player for Los Blancos ever since.
Carvajal has won the competition four times in his career, all with Real Madrid. He won his first title in 2014 when his side defeated city rivals Atletico Madrid in the final. His second title came in 2016 against the same opponents, with this third and fourth coming in the next two years. His fifth title came in 2022 as his side defeated Liverpool 1-0.
Carvajal has featured in all of his side's Champions League triumphs during his time at the club. The 30-year-old is part of a select few players to have won the competition in three successive seasons.
#7 Casemiro (5 titles)
Brazilian midfielder Casemiro is one of the world’s best defensive midfielders, and has been so for a number of years. The Real Madrid man has been a European champion five times since joining the club.
Casemiro did not feature in the 2014 final as he was only a fringe player at the time. In 2016, 2017, and 2018, however, he played for Los Blancos each time, even scoring against Juventus in 2017. He also featured in the 2022 final where he delivered a masterclass in midfield.
Casemiro is one of only two Brazilians to have won the competition five times. The 30-year-old midfielder has enjoyed a decorated career at Real Madrid.
#6 Toni Kroos (5 titles)
German midfielder Toni Kroos has won all of football’s biggest trophies in his career. The experienced midfielder has been a European champion five times in his career with two different clubs.
Kroos won his first Champions League title in 2013 when his Bayern Munich side defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the final. After completing a move to Real Madrid, he won the competition again in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He featured in all the finals, including the 2022 win over Liverpool.
Kroos is the first German player to win the competition five times. The 32-year-old is one of Germany’s most decorated players in history.
#5 Marcelo (5 titles)
Real Madrid captain Marcelo is in his last season with the club, ending a 15-year association with Los Blancos. The Brazilian defender has been with the club through its highs and lows and has won the Champions League five times with the club.
Marcelo played in his first Champions League final with Real Madrid in 2014, helping the side to a 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid with a goal in extra-time. The 33-year-old played in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 finals, starring as Los Blancos won each time. He did not feature in the final in 2022.
Marcelo is the club's most decorated player ever, with 25 titles to his name in his time at the club. The Brazilian left-back lost his starting shirt this season to Ferland Mendy, with the Frenchman proving to be a good replacement for him.
#4 Gareth Bale (5 titles)
Gareth Bale is one of the most underrated players in the history of Real Madrid. The Welshman won the Champions League five times with the club, becoming the most decorated Briton in the history of the competition.
Bale won the competition in his first season at the club after a world-record transfer from Tottenham Hotspur. He scored in the final in 2014 as his side defeated Atletico Madrid. The Welsh winger won three successive finals in 2016, 2017, and 2018, featuring in all three. He scored twice in the final in 2018 for Los Blancos. He was on the bench as his side claimed another title with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in 2022.
Bale has announced that he will be leaving Real Madrid after the expiry of his contract at the club. He leaves the club as one of its most iconic performers on the biggest stage in recent years.
#3 Luka Modric (5 titles)
Diminutive midfielder Luka Modric has enjoyed one of his most impressive seasons for Real Madrid, particularly in the Champions League. The 36-year-old Croatian has helped the side overturn several hopeless situations with his guile and craft. Now in his 10th year as a Real Madrid player, he has won the competition on five occasions.
Modric has featured in all five finals involving Real Madrid since his arrival at the club in 2012. He won the Champions League title with the club in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022.
His displays at the heart of his team's midfield have earned him great acclaim from football fans all over the world. His performances in the 2018 edition of the competition contributed greatly to his Ballon d'Or win in the same year.
Modric is a generational midfielder whose qualities are evident for every football fan to see. The Croatian midfielder is the only player not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d'Or since 2009, and that is an achievement on its own.
#2 Karim Benzema (5 titles)
Karim Benzema has been Real Madrid's stand-in captain for the majority of the season and he has led by example in all of his games. The Frenchman scored consecutive hat-tricks in the knockout stages of the Champions League this season, becoming the oldest player to do so. He has won the competition five times already, featuring in each of the finals.
Benzema was on the team that defeated Atletico Madrid to win the competition in 2014. He was also the starting striker in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 editions of the competition for Los Blancos as they claimed a three-peat. The striker scored in the 3-1 win against Liverpool in the 2018 final. He also featured from the start in the 2022 final against Liverpool, captaining his side to a 1-0 win.
Benzema is the most decorated Frenchman in the history of the competition and is also the competition's third-highest scorer of all time. The 34-year-old striker is the front-runner for this year's Ballon d'Or and will likely claim the award.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (5 titles)
Cristiano Ronaldo really is Mr. Champions League. The Portuguese superstar has dominated the competition like no player before him ever has. He has won the competition five times and was the first player to do so in the Champions League era.
Ronaldo picked up his first title in 2008 with Manchester United when his side defeated Chelsea on penalties. He scored in regulation time in the game for the Red Devils. His second, third, fourth and fifth titles came in Real Madrid white in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. He scored in the 2014 and 2017 finals and converted the winning kick in the shootout in the 2016 final.
Ronaldo holds most of the records in the competition, including having scored the greatest number of goals and playing the greatest number of games in the competition. The Portuguese forward has won the Ballon d'Or five times and is one of the greatest footballers ever.
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