A few moments after the final of the Champions League between Manchester City, who never won it, and Internazionale de Milan, who took the trophy to their display cases, writes the newspaper AS, from Madrid that “there are many details that must be taken into account regarding this competition, one of the longest-running and most prestigious on the planet. Many, if not all, know the list of winners of clubs that have won this trophy at least once, either in the old format (European Cup), or in the new format called the Champions League”.

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And the newspaper added: “What others are not aware of is the record of those players who have won the most titles throughout the history of the tournament which continues to arouse interest and which every season pits the best teams of the Old Continent against each other.”

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This is one of the most interesting details that must be taken into account. Paco Gento, with six European Cups, is the player with the most credits in the top continental competition. As is logical, he is followed by many Real Madrid players who won those first five editions (between 1956 and 1960, Gento also won with meringues in 1966) of the European Cup. These are the cases of names such as Alfredo Di Stéfano, Héctor Rial, José María Zárraga, Marcos Alonso, Rafael Lesmes or Juanito Alonso”.

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Also with five trophies each, from the same competition, but under the current name of the Champions League, all with Real Madrid, are Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal, Marcelo, Luka Modrić, Casemiro, Isco and Nacho.

In this second echelon of five-time champions, we find two Milan players such as Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta. Both Italians shared a team in the more than twenty years they spent as Rossoneri. They managed to be champions in 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003 and 2007. In this last title, Costacurta played a very background role in the team. Instead, Maldini started all five finals. In addition, they were runner-up three times.

Cristiano Ronaldo has five, who, to the four he won with Real Madrid, should add the one he won with Manchester United in 2008. It goes without saying that he was a very determined player in each of the editions he won. German Toni Kroos has five Champions League awards (one with Bayern Munich and five with Real Madrid).

Lionel Messi

AS mentions: “With four titles there are many players, most of them from the Real Madrid team between 2014 and 2018. But special mention should be made of Clarence Seedorf and Samuel Eto’o, who are the only ones capable of winning the Champions League with three different teams. The Dutch midfielder is did with Ajax, Madrid and Milan; and the Cameroonian striker for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter”.

In addition: “With four gimps, you can also find players like Lionel Messi, who got them all with the Barça team, Gerard Piqué or Xavi Hernández”. (D)