List of players with most UEFA Champions League titles

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Marcelo are among 10 players who hold the joint record for the most UEFA Champions League titles by a player. The aforementioned players have won the competition a record five times.

Since being rebranded in the UEFA Champions League in the 1992-93 season, the continent’s top tier football competition has seen 29 finals. During this time, Real Madrid won a record seven titles (14 overall), and Ronaldo was part of as many as four title-winning teams.

This includes three consecutive victories from 2016 to 2018 where the team defeated Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool. Before Real's recent victory, Ronaldo was the only player to win UCL five times, having won his first in 2008 against Chelsea while playing for Manchester United.

When van der Sar rescued Ronaldo

Ronaldo’s bitter-sweet triumph of the 2007-08 season saw the Portugal international getting on the scoresheet in only his maiden Champions League final appearance. The star forward rose above everyone to make a perfect connection with a Wes Brown cross before missing his penalty in the shootout.

Luckily for him, former Man United keeper Edwin van der Sar came to the rescue, saving Nicolas Anelka’s spot-kick to win United their second UCL title.

From that point on, Ronaldo had one more chance to win the coveted title in the 2008-09 campaign, but Barcelona proved out to be a tough nut to crack.

Real Madrid’s sheer dominance

In 2009 when he moved to Real Madrid for a then world-record fee, Real were largely struggling to get a foothold in the European competitions. Between 2009 to 2011, Barcelona had won two of the three UCL titles, but all that changed in the 2013-14 campaign when Real beat local rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1, with Ronaldo getting on the scoresheet.

What followed next was sheer domination as a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Real Madrid won three consecutive European titles. Their triumph in the 2017/18 season was the last time Ronaldo got his hands on the Champions League trophy.

Most UEFA Champions League titles by a player

Featured photo: AFP / Gerard Julien