3 Barcelona players who have won the UCL 4 times but played in only 3 finals

The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in the world, where European clubs from different countries battle it out to be crowned Europe's best.

In 1992, the European Cup was rebranded into the UEFA Champions league and current title holders Real Madrid remain the only club to have successfully defended the trophy they won the previous year. Liverpool will look to stop the club from winning their third consecutive title in Kiev on Saturday.

However, here we look at the 3 players who have won the Champions League 4 times but played in only 3 finals.

---

#3 Xavi

Barca legend - Xavi

Former Spanish and Barcelona midfielder Xavi has won every tournament there is to win in world football. A skillful, tricky, and creative midfielder with great vision and technique. Xavi is an all-time great player who has won four Champions League titles but has appeared in only three finals.

A veteran servant of the Catalan giants, the Spaniard joined the club as a young boy and made his professional debut for them in 1998.

Xavi has gone on to make over 100 Champions League appearances during the course of his career and won the title in 2006, but didn't feature in the final, and in 2009, 2013 and 2015.

In the 2006 final, Barcelona fielded a 4–3–3 formation with Mark van Bommel and Edmílson lining up in midfield alongside Deco, ahead of then young players Xavi and Andrés Iniesta.

Despite Iniesta making his final appearance as a substitute in the second half, Xavi was left unused in the final.

The Spaniard has great composure on the ball and is a mighty team player who was at Barcelona for 16 years.

All stats via transfermarkt

#2 Lionel Messi

Messi celebrates scoring against Juventus

Lionel Messi has won four Champions League titles with Barcelona and appeared in only three finals. In 2006, when Barcelona defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the final, the Argentine didn't play the game.

Lionel Messi did not feature in the match-day squad, despite returning from injury and featuring in the 22-man squad, whilst Henrik Larsson, potentially in his last game for the club was named among the substitutes and came on to provide two assists to help the club win the tournament.

Messi went on to further win the tournament with the club in 09, 11 and 15 and is the second highest goal scorer in the competition.

A great goalscorer and widely regarded as the greatest player to have graced the game, Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record five times that is the joint best along with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi will be eager to claim his first major tournament with Argentina in Russia and cement his place in the history books as the greatest of all-time.

#1 Gerard Pique

Barcelona centre-back Pique thanks fans after another good season

Gerard Pique is one of the best defenders in the world and has won everything there is to win in football both at club and international level.

Pique sought a move away from boyhood club Barcelona at a tender age of 16 for more game time and joined Manchester United.

With United, Pique claimed his first Champions League medal in 2008 and was an unused substitute in the final against Chelsea. A backup to Ferdinand and Vidic, Pique never featured in the game.

The Spaniard seeking more game time left United after four years and rejoined Barcelona, where he would go on to cement his place as one of the world's top central defenders.

At Barcelona, Pique went on to beat former side United in the final of the 2009 edition of the tournament, to win his second consecutive Champions League medal. He went on to win the tournament in 2011 and 2015 with Barca.