Which Player Has Won the Most Champions League Titles in History?
Many players have won the UEFA Champions League (UCL). Few have won multiple titles. These players have won the most Champions League titles.
Dani Carvajal and Luka Modrić have won the equal-most UEFA Champions League (UCL) titles. Carvajal and Modrić collected their sixth winners’ medal after Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium, London, in 2024. They are the only two players to play and win six UCL finals since the competition rebranded from the European Cup to the Champions League in 1992.
A History of the Most European Cups and Champions League Titles: Clubs and Players
The Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens (French for European Champion Clubs' Cup) began in 1955. The competition was commonly called the European Cup before the 1992/93 season. Real Madrid is the most decorated club. They have won fifteen European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, eight more than AC Milan in second place.
Bayern Munich and Liverpool Football Club are one behind Milan, with six Champions League triumphs. Barcelona has five titles, one more than Ajax. Manchester United and Inter Milan have three wins apiece. Juventus, Benfica, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, and Porto have two cups. Ten football clubs have one UCL title to their name.
Many players have won multiple European Cup/Champions League titles. SportsBoom compiled a list of the most Champions League titles since the modern incarnation of the tournament began back in 1992. Four players have won six European Cups/Champions League titles, the most by any footballer.
Most UEFA Champions League Titles 1992-2024
Player | Club/s | Champions League Titles |
Dani Carvajal | Real Madrid | 6 |
Luka Modrić | Real Madrid | 6 |
Toni Kroos | Real Madrid | 5 |
Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United / Real Madrid | 5 |
Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 5 |
Casemiro | Real Madrid | 4 |
Gareth Bale | Real Madrid | 4 |
Marcelo | Real Madrid | 4 |
Isco | Real Madrid | 4 |
Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid | 4 |
Clarence Seedorf | Ajax / Real Madrid / AC Milan | 4 |
David Alaba | Bayern Munich / Real Madrid | 4 |
Dani Carvajal, Luka Modrić, and Paco Gento (1956-1960, 1966) won all their UCL trophies with Real Madrid. Carvajal and Modrić (2014, 2016-2018, 2022, 2024) went one ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, two of the best scorers in La Liga history, and equal with fellow Madridista Gento when they won the 2024 competition against Dortmund at Wembley. Carvajal and Luka Modrić have won the most Champions Leagues as players.
Ronaldo, who holds multiple Champions League and Guinness World Records won his first trophy with Manchester United; the next four at Madrid. He has five titles. Toni Kroos also has six titles; however, the German playmaker did not play in the 2012/13 final against Dortmund due to injury. He did, however, play in five finals for Madrid.
Nacho played in six Champions League-winning campaigns for Los Blancos. However, the Madrid defender only played in two finals (2018 & 2024), whereas Carvajal and Modrić played in all six of their winning finals. Fifteen footballers have won five European Cup/UCL titles with one club, but only two did not taste success with the Spanish giants.
Non Real Madrid Players Who Won the Most European Cup/Champions League Titles
Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta won five European Cup/Champions League titles at AC Milan (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007). The only English footballer to win four European Cups is Phil Neal, who won all his titles with Liverpool (1977, 1978, 1981, 1984), one of the best football teams of all time. Gareth Bale has the most titles by a Wales international (2014, 2016-2018, 2022).
Clarence Seedorf is the only player to win the UCL with three different clubs. Seedorf collected trophies at Ajax (1995), Madrid (1998), and Milan (2003, 2007). David Alaba is the only player to win the Champions League with two different clubs twice. Alaba won two titles at Bayern Munich (2013, 2020) and Madrid (2022, 2024).
Most UEFA Champions League Titles (Finals Played)
Player | Club/s | Champions League Titles |
Dani Carvajal | Real Madrid | 6 (6) |
Luka Modrić | Real Madrid | 6 (6) |
Toni Kroos | Bayern Munich / Real Madrid | 6 (5) |
Nacho | Real Madrid | 6 (2) |
Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid / Manchester United | 5 (5) |
Casemiro | Real Madrid | 4 (5) |
Gareth Bale | Real Madrid | 4 (5) |
Marcelo | Real Madrid | 4 (5) |
Isco | Real Madrid | 4 (5) |
Most UEFA European Cup / Champions League Titles
Player | Club/s | European Cup / UCL Titles |
Dani Carvajal | Real Madrid | 6 |
Luka Modrić | Real Madrid | 6 |
Toni Kroos | Bayern Munich / Real Madrid | 6 |
Nacho | Real Madrid | 6 |
Paco Gento | Real Madrid | 6 |
Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid / Manchester United | 5 |
Paolo Maldini | AC Milan | 5 |
Alessandro Costacurta | AC Milan | 5 |
Juan Alonso | Real Madrid | 5 |
Rafael Lesmes | Real Madrid | 5 |
Marquitos | Real Madrid | 5 |
Héctor Rial | Real Madrid | 5 |
Alfredo Di Stéfano | Real Madrid | 5 |
José María Zárraga | Real Madrid | 5 |
Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 5 |
Casemiro | Real Madrid | 5 |
Gareth Bale | Real Madrid | 5 |
Marcelo | Real Madrid | 5 |
Isco | Real Madrid | 5 |
Lucas Vázquez | Real Madrid | 5 |
FAQs
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most Champions League final goals. He scored for Manchester United against Chelsea in 2008. Ronaldo scored in the last minute of added time against Atlético Madrid in 2014. He scored twice against Juventus in 2017.
Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás are two of the best forwards in history. They scored seven goals for Real Madrid in their European Cup finals, three more than Ronaldo in the competition.
Paco Gento played in eight European Cup finals in eleven years for Real Madrid during the 1950s and 1960s, winning six.
Kaylan Geekie is a sports fanatic. He attended Durban High School before moving to Scotland, where he lived for 15 years. During his time in the United Kingdom, Kaylan graduated with a first-class BA Honours Degree in Sports Journalism at the University of the West of Scotland. Kaylan worked for nine years as the Match-Day Editor of SuperXV.com, reporting on Super Rugby, The Rugby Championship, the 2015 Men's Rugby World Cup and the 2017 British & Irish Lions series for the website.