The tournament of champions, the UEFA Champions League, is one of the toughest competitions in soccer. It takes an abundance of skill, mental fortitude, and talent to turn up in the big matches, to deliver performances that lead to crucial victories. Only a handful of players have managed to feature in the coveted competition year after year. Even fewer have racked up one win on top of another.
In this list, we will take a look at some of the most consistent winners in UEFA Champions League history. Here are the 10 players with the most victories in the competition:
#10 David Alaba – 79 Wins
Having won 79 of his 115 matches in the UEFA Champions League, David Alaba has claimed the 10th spot on the list. The Real Madrid defender is a three-time UEFA Champions League winner, with him lifting the Big Ears with Bayern Munich in 2013 and 2020 and with Los Blancos in 2022.
Alaba, who is known for his gifted left foot, has proven to be quite an asset going forward, scoring six times and providing 14 assists in the competition so far.
#9 Sergio Ramos – 83 Wins
Legendary Real Madrid and Spain skipper Sergio Ramos is the ninth name on the list, having secured 83 wins in his UEFA Champions League career. The Sevilla center-back, who has played 138 Champions League games, has won the tournament four times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) as a Real Madrid player.
One of the most attack-minded defenders in history, Ramos, has scored 15 goals in the competition thus far.
#8 Toni Kroos – 88 Wins
Real Madrid metronome Toni Kroos is one of the most successful players in the UEFA Champions League, claiming 88 wins in 140 matches so far. Five of those wins came in the final, with him lifting the trophy once with Bayern Munich (2013) and four more times with Real Madrid (2016, 2017, 2018, 2022).
Kroos, who is widely hailed as one of the best midfielders in the world, has scored 11 times and provided 20 assists in the tournament of champions.
#7 Manuel Neuer – 89 Wins
Germany and Bayern Munich legend Manuel Neuer has played 131 matches in the UEFA Champions League, winning 89 of them. He has won the competition twice (2013, 2020), both times as a Bayern Munich player.
Neuer, who practically invented the “sweeper-keeper” role, is not only an excellent shot-stopper but also excels at playing out of tricky situations. He has conceded 119 goals so far in 131 matches, keeping 54 clean sheets.
#6 Xavi Hernandez – 91 Wins
Former Barcelona superstar Xavi Hernandez won 91 of his 151 UEFA Champions League matches to claim the sixth spot on the list. Xavi won the competition four times as a Barca player, securing the prestigious trophy in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015.
Xavi, who currently manages Barcelona’s senior team, is the sixth-leading assist provider in the competition’s history. He set up 30 goals in his career in addition to scoring 11 himself.
#5 Karim Benzema – 94 Wins
Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema enjoyed a stellar run in the UEFA Champions League prior to leaving for Saudi champions Al-Ittihad in July. The Frenchman won the competition a staggering five times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) with Real Madrid, amassing a total of 94 victories in 152 games in the competition.
Benzema is the competition’s fourth-highest scorer of all time, having netted 90 times. With 29 assists claimed, Benzema also sits in seventh place on the list of the competition’s all-time leading assist providers.
#4 Lionel Messi – 95 Wins
One of the greatest players to feature in the UEFA Champions League, Lionel Messi won 95 of his 163 matches in the competition before leaving Europe for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami in July. Messi has won the competition a whopping four times (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015), with all of his successes coming at Barcelona.
The former Paris Saint-Germain ace is also the tournament’s second-highest scorer and assist provider of all time. During his remarkable Champions League run, he scored 129 times and claimed 40 assists.
#3 Thomas Muller – 100 Wins
The latest entrant to the 100-wins club, Thomas Muller has reached the milestone in just 143 games. His landmark victory came on Wednesday night (September 20), as Bayern Munich beat Manchester United 4-3 at the Allianz Arena.
Muller, 34, is a two-time Champions League winner with Bayern Munich. He first won the competition in 2013, when Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund in the final. He returned to the podium seven years later, following the Bavarians’ win over Paris Saint-Germain in the final. Muller has thus far scored 53 times and claimed 28 assists in the competition.
#2 Iker Casillas – 101 Wins
One of the best goalkeepers in the history of soccer, Iker Casillas won 101 of his 177 UEFA Champions League matches. The Spaniard won the competition thrice (2000, 2002, 2014) with all of his triumphs coming with Real Madrid.
Known for his cool head and stunning reflexes, Casillas kept 59 clean sheets in 177 games, conceding a total of 201 goals in the UEFA Champions League.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – 115 Wins
With 115 wins in 183 UEFA Champions League games, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most successful player in the competition’s history. The Portugal icon has won the competition a whopping five times, once with Manchester United (2008) and four times with Real Madrid (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018).
Ronaldo, who last played in the competition in the 2021-22 season, also happens to be the tournament’s all-time top scorer and assist provider. The Al-Nassr superstar scored 140 times and claimed 42 assists over the course of his Champions League career.
