The European Cup was rebranded ahead of the 1992/93 season, giving birth to the Champions League.
Instead of a knockout competition featuring the champions from each European nation, the new format included the top teams from the bigger leagues.
That meant more matches, with a league phase followed by knockout games later on.
In over 30 years since the Champions League began, numerous players have made more than 100 appearances in the competition. Here, a look at the footballers who have featured the most...
17. Robert Lewandowski
A year after losing out in a Champions League final for Borussia Dortmund against Bayern Munich in 2013, Robert Lewandowski moved to the Bavarian club.
Hugely successful in eight seasons at Bayern, the Polish striker eventually won the Champions League in 2020 and finished as the competition's top scorer that season with 15 goals. In total, he had made over 120 appearances in the competition for Dortmund, Bayern and Barcelona by November 2024.
16. Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf was one of the best midfielders of his generation and when it came to the Champions League, the former Dutch international was in the right place at the right time.
A winner with Ajax in 1995, Seedorf claimed the title again at Real Madrid in 1998 and went on to add two more with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. Seedorf made 125 Champions League appearances in total: 11 at Ajax, 25 for Madrid and 89 with AC Milan.
15. Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué made his first four Champions League appearances at Manchester United and he was at the club for their 2008 win, though not in the squad for the final.
Back at Barcelona where he had come through the youth system, Piqué was part of the teams which won the continental competition in 2009, 2011 and 2015, two of which were part of treble triumphs. The defender made 128 appearances overall in the Champions League, with 124 of those coming at Barça.
14. Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets was at the heart of the Barcelona teams which won the Champions League in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
The former Spain midfielder helped the Catalans to two trebles and made 129 appearances in the Champions League overall between 2008 and 2022.
13. Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta came off the bench to help Barcelona beat Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League final, scored a dramatic late leveller against Chelsea to seal passage to the 2009 showpiece and was Man of the Match as the Blaugrana beat Juventus in Berlin in 2015.
A four-time winner overall, having also claimed the trophy in 2011, Iniesta was a key performer in two treble triumphs for the Catalan club and 130 appearances in the Champions League overall between 2002 and 2018 – all with Barcelona.
12. Luka Modrić
When Luka Modrić made his Champions League debut with Tottenham in 2010, the Croatian could not have imagined he would go on to enjoy such spectacular success in the competition.
A winner with Real Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024, the midfielder has played over 120 games in the Champions League for Los Blancos after featuring in eight for Spurs.
11. Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs made 963 appearances for Manchester United between 1991 and 2014, with 141 of those coming in the Champions League.
The Welsh winger won the continental competition twice, in 1999 and 2008, and was a runner-up with the Red Devils in 2009 and 2011.
10. Raúl
A three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, Raúl was part of the team which won a first European Cup in 32 years for Los Blancos, with victory over Juventus in the 1998 final.
The former Spain striker scored against Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively, in the 2000 and 2002 finals. In total, he played 142 games in the continental competition: 130 for Madrid and 12 with Schalke.
9. Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos won the Champions League four times as a Real Madrid player – in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 – and three of those triumphs came as club captain.
Ramos headed a dramatic late leveller against Atlético in 2014 as Madrid went on to secure a 10th European Cup, La Décima, and also scored for Los Blancos as the two teams met in Milan two years later. In total, Ramos made 142 appearances in the Champions League between 2005 and 2023: 129 with Madrid, eight at Paris Saint-Germain and five for Sevilla.
8. Manuel Neuer
One of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Manuel Neuer is a World Cup winner and has also made his mark in the Champions League.
Neuer made his debut in the continental competition with Schalke, going on to feature 22 times before moving to Bayern and playing over 100 more games, winning the title in 2013 and again as captain in 2020.
7. Xavi
Xavi bowed out as a Barcelona player in style, coming off the bench in Berlin to help the Catalan club win the Champions League – and the treble – in June 2015.
In total, the midfielder won the title four times – in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015 – and played 151 times in the competition for Barcelona.
6. Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos retired from football after winning the Champions League for a sixth time and the Germany great probably could have gone on to win it again.
Kroos won the Champions League as a Bayern Munich player in 2013 and moved to Madrid the following year, playing a key role as Los Blancos claimed the trophy in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024. One of just a few players to have won it six times, Kroos played 151 games in the competition overall: 41 for Bayern and 110 with Madrid.
5. Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema spent 14 seasons at Real Madrid and the French forward played a huge part in Los Blancos' success in the continental competition.
A winner with Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022, Benzema was captain for the last of those triumphs. One of the competition's all-time top scorers, with 90 goals, he made 152 appearances: 19 with Lyon and 133 for Real.
4. Thomas Müller
A Champions League runner-up in 2010 and 2012, Thomas Müller finally got his hands on the trophy in 2013 and was a winner again in 2020.
An attacking midfielder or forward, Müller has been a consistent performer for Bayern in the competition over the years and reached 150 appearances in the Champions League in the 2023/24 season.
3. Lionel Messi
A four-time Champions League winner with Barcelona, Lionel Messi missed the latter stages of the 2006 edition due to injury, but was key in the Catalans' victories in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
Two of those were part of treble triumphs and Messi is the competition's second-highest scorer with 129 goals, which arrived in just 163 appearances: 149 for Barcelona and 14 with Paris Saint-Germain.
2. Iker Casillas
Iker Casillas won the Champions League three times at Real Madrid and the former Spain skipper was captain for the last of those, lifting the trophy as Los Blancos beat Atlético Madrid in Lisbon in 2014.
The goalkeeper was a relieved man, too, as Sergio Ramos' late leveller spared his blushes after an early error looked set to hand Atleti the win. Casillas made 177 appearances in the competition across two decades between 1999 and 2019: 150 with Real Madrid and 27 at Porto.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a five-time Champions League winner, having claimed the trophy at Manchester United in 2008 and then on another four occasions with Real Madrid – in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The Portuguese superstar is the competition's all-time top scorer, with 140 goals, and also leads the list for appearances with 183: 59 at United, 101 with Madrid and 23 for Juventus.
