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The Champions League – or the European Cup, as it was until 1992 – is club football's ultimate prize, a trophy any player would be delighted to get their hands on just once.
Some players have done considerably better than that, though, and this lot all have at least four winner's medals in the competition to their name.
Click the arrow above to start the countdown...
33. Lucas Vazquez
You’re going to see a lot of Real Madrid players as you work your way through this countdown (they have won the thing 14 times, after all), so get used to it! And we begin with Lucas Vazquez.
The versatile right-sided player picked up his first Champions League winner’s medal in 2016 and ended up collecting three in a row as Real dominated the competition under Zinedine Zidane.
31. Mateo Kovacic
Another member of the Real Madrid crop which won the Champions League three times on the spin between 2016 and 2018, Mateo Kovacic left the Bernabeu for Chelsea in 2019.
And it didn’t take the Croatian midfield all-rounder long to add to his haul of medals in club football’s ultimate competition: he helped the Blues to their second victory in the competition as they defeated Manchester City in 2021’s all-English final.
30. Juan Santisteban
Midfielder Juan Santisteban got his hands on eight major trophies with Real Madrid, nicely broken down into four LaLiga titles and four European Cups – four in a row from 1957 to 1960, in fact.
25. Jose Santamaria
Born in Uruguay, Jose Santamaria played international football for both his homeland and Spain – and he also played for one of the biggest clubs in each country: Nacional and Real Madrid.
One of the best centre-backs in the world during the early 50s, Santamaria won the European Cup in each of his first three seasons at Real – before adding another crown in 1966.
23. Andres Iniesta
Another key member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008 and 2012-winning teams, Andres Iniesta lifted the Champions League under three different managers at Barcelona.
The midfield maestro picked up his first medal in 2006, when Frank Rijkaard was in charge, then collected two as part of Pep Guardiola’s legendary side, and a fourth with Luis Enrique at the helm.
21. Lionel Messi
It’s fair to say Lionel Messi left his mark on the Champions League: the GOAT won it four times, all with Barcelona, and scored 129 goals in the competition (120 for Barca, nine for PSG).
Still just emerging when the Blaugrana were crowned 2005/05 European champions, Messi scored in the 2011 and 2015 finals – both against Manchester United – notably out-jumping Rio Ferdinand to head home in the former, then well and truly running the show in the latter.
20. Nacho
This next group of players see the four Champions Leagues / European Cups the previous lot won and raise them a fifth. And we kick off with Real Madrid defensive stalwart Nacho.
Granted, he only played in the 2018 final – in which Real beat Liverpool – but he still ended the other four finals with a winner’s medal around his neck.
18. Dani Carvajal
Early in his career, Dani Carvajal left Real Madrid for Bayer Leverkusen in pursuit of regular first-team football – but he returned to his boyhood club after just one season in Germany, and the Champions League winner’s medals soon came rolling in.
A European champion under Carlo Ancelotti in both of the Italian’s spells in charge at the Bernabeu, the ever-reliable right-back was also a part of Zinedine Zidane’s ‘threepeat’ squad.
15. Juanito Alonso
Part of Real Madrid’s squad for their first five European Cup triumphs – which they achieved in succession between 1956 and 1960, in a feat unlikely ever to be repeated – goalkeeper Juanito Alonso was number one for the first three.
The Spaniard – who earned two caps for his country – kept a clean sheet in the 1957 final as Real defeated Fiorentina 2-0, before wearing the captain’s armband in 1958’s 3-2 win over AC Milan.
14. Marcelo
One of the greatest left-backs of all time, Marcelo racked up a seriously impressive 25 trophies during his 15 years at Real Madrid – including five Champions Leagues.
Los Blancos’ first non-Spanish captain in more than a century, the afroed Brazilian wore the armband in his final season at the Bernabeu, 2021/22 – which ended, of course, in European glory.
13. Rafael Lesmes
A four-time LaLiga champion and five-time European champion, Rafael Lesmes was a rock at the back for Real Madrid throughout the 50s.
Capped twice by Spain, Lesmes also helped Los Blancos to victory in the Latin Cup – a competition featuring teams from Spain, France, Italy and Portugal – on two occasions.
12. Toni Kroos
Up there with the finest midfielders ever to play the game, Toni Kroos has played for two of the very biggest clubs in world football: Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
And the 2014 World Cup-winning German has picked up Champions League winner’s medals with both of them – including three in a row at Real.
11. Marquitos
Another member of Real Madrid’s all-conquering backline of the 50s, Marquitos won five European Cups and five LaLiga titles with Los Blancos.
A two-time Spain international, he also lifted the 1957 Latin Cup and 1960 Intercontinental Cup – helping Real get the better of South American champions Penarol in the latter.
10. Hector Rial
Born in Argentina, striker Hector Rial went on to play international football for Spain – and it was there that he enjoyed the bulk of his club success, most notably starring in five straight European Cup successes for Real Madrid.
9. Jose Maria Zarraga
Skipper of Real Madrid’s 1959 and 1960 European Cup-winning teams, Jose Maria Zarraga was part of Los Blancos’ first five triumphs in the competition.
Renowned for his combative midfield play, Zarraga – who earned eight caps for Spain – made over 200 appearances for Real, where he was also a five-time LaLiga champion.
8. Clarence Seedorf
To date, the only player to win the Champions League / European Cup with three different clubs, legendary Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf got his hands on the iconic trophy with Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan.
Nineteen when he starred in the young Ajax side who conquered Europe during the 1994/95 season, Seedorf had just turned 31 when he collected his fourth winner’s medal – and his second with Milan.
7. Karim Benzema
Among the most prolific scorers in the history of Real Madrid and the Champions League – which he also played in for Lyon – Karim Benzema racked up 90 goals in Europe’s premier club competition, at a rate of better than one every other game.
He enjoyed his best campaign in 2021/22, netting 15 times to become the first French top scorer of the Champions League era – firing Real to their 14th European crown, and his fifth.
6. Gareth Bale
Undoubtedly one of the greatest British players of all time, Gareth Bale is also among the most successful in Europe’s elite club competition.
The Welsh wing wizard won the Champions League in his first season at Real Madrid, 2013/14, then added four more – three as part of Zinedine Zidane’s trophy-hogging side, then another in 2021/22 under Carlo Ancelotti.
4. Paolo Maldini
The greatest full-back in the history of the game, Paolo Maldini was known simply as ‘Il Capitano’ by fans of AC Milan – the club where he spent his entire, glittering career.
Maldini won back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and 1990 under the great Arrigo Sacchi, before tasting 1993/94 Champions League victory with Fabio Capello’s Rossoneri. He added two more crowns in the 00s under Carlo Ancelotti, by which time he was well-established as skipper.
3. Alfredo Di Stefano
Alfredo Di Stefano remains one of the very best footballers ever play the game – and no one in Europe could hold a candle to him as he played a leading role in Real Madrid’s early dominance of the European Cup.
The ‘Blond Arrow’ scored once in each of the first four finals – then hit a hat-trick as Real demolished Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the fifth (teammate Ferenc Puskas somewhat outdid him on that occasion by getting the other four goals).
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo’s haul of five Champions League winner’s medals matches his collection of Ballon d’Or awards. It’s not bad going, really!
The Portuguese superstar picked up all four of those medals with Real Madrid, starring in Zinedine Zidane’s ‘threepeat’ side, having previously lifted the trophy at Manchester United. Unsurprisingly, the man for the big occasions scored in the final for both clubs.
