IFFHS STATISTICS - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Picture : the Top 3 of the Ranking . What else !
Ranking for players winning most rounds in UEFA Champions League
We publish for the first the ranking of players who have won the most rounds in the Champions League, counting all rounds from the group stage (GS) to the final (F).
For the period when UCL format included two group stages, the second of them is equated to the round of 16 (R16).
After the end of the 2022-23 season, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to lead the rankings with 52 winning rounds.
Karim Benzema got close to him (50) and would have a good chance of breaking the record next season if he stayed at Real Madrid.
But he decided to leave European football, and so did third-placed Lionel Messi (46).
Their choice will extend the life of Cristiano Ronaldo's record. Of the players expected to play in the next Champions League, Toni Kroos is now the most rated with 43 winning rounds.
As for Benzema, he has still grabbed the record on the number of rounds won with the same club (46 with Real Madrid).
A round is credited to player only if he has appeared in at least one of it’s games.
In the case of equal number of rounds, the player with more rounds of higher scale (F is the highest, then SF, QF, R16 and GS) is ranked higher.
| PLAYERS | WITH | MOST | ROUNDS | WON IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | ||||||
| Player | Country | Rounds | GS | R16 | QF | SF | F | Period | Breakdown by clubs | |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 52 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 2003-2022 | Man United 15, Real Madrid 33, Juventus 4 |
| 2 | Karim Benzema | France | 50 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 2006-2023 | Lyon 4, Real Madrid 46 |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 46 | 19 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2005-2023 | Barcelona 44, Paris Saint-Germain 2 |
| 4 | Andrés Iniesta | Spain | 44 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2002-2018 | Barcelona 44 |
| 5 | Toni Kroos | Germany | 43 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 2008- | Bayern Munich 12, Real Madrid 31 |
| 6 | Luka Modric | Croatia | 41 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 2010- | Tottenham 2, Real Madrid 39 |
| 7 | Sergio Ramos | Spain | 41 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2005- | Real Madrid 40, Paris Saint-Germain 1 |
| 8 | Gerard Piqué | Spain | 41 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2004-2022 | Man United 3, Barcelona 38 |
| 9 | Iker Casillas | Spain | 41 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1999-2019 | Real Madrid 37, Porto 4 |
| 10 | Thomas Müller | Germany | 41 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2009- | Bayern Munich 41 |