The most effective Champions League gamers from exterior Europe

January 5, 2025

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The Champions League has been the top of European membership soccer because the European Cup’s 1993 rebrand.

However not all the competitors’s most notable performers have been Europeans – removed from it, in reality.

Right here, we check out the best abilities from the remainder of the world to make a profound impression on the Champions League over time…

Ederson (Brazil)

Ederson playing for Manchester City in the 2023 Champions League final against Inter

Ederson taking part in for Manchester Metropolis within the 2023 Champions League last towards Inter (Picture credit score: Alamy)

A a number of Champions League finalist with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis, starring because the membership claimed their first European crown in 2023, Ederson stood out as one of many competitors’s greatest goalkeepers throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Arguably the world’s greatest ‘keeper on the ball, Ederson made his Champions League debut for Benfica, serving to them to the 2015/16 quarter-finals.

Luis Suarez (Uruguay)

Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring for Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final against Juventus

Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring for Barcelona within the 2015 Champions League last towards Juventus (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Undoubtedly one of many best Uruguayan gamers of all time, Luis Suarez received his Champions League break with Ajax and later scored 25 targets in Europe’s premier membership match for Barcelona.

Firmly in his prime when he joined Barca in 2014, Suarez helped the Catalan giants to continental glory in his first season, frequently discovering the web because the central striker within the iconic ‘MSN’ entrance three which additionally featured Lionel Messi and Neymar – together with within the 2015 last towards Juventus.

Angel Di Maria (Argentina)

Angel Di Maria playing for Real Madrid in the 2013/14 Champions League semi-finals against Bayern Munich

Angel Di Maria taking part in for Actual Madrid within the 2013/14 Champions League semi-finals towards Bayern Munich (Picture credit score: Alamy)

An necessary a part of Actual Madrid’s 2013/14 Champions League-winning aspect, Angel Di Maria additionally lit up the competitors within the colors of PSG.

With the French giants, the difficult and versatile winger completed the 2019/20 version of the competitors as joint main supplier, laying on six assists en path to the ultimate.

Keylor Navas (Costa Rica)

Keylor Navas playing for Real Madrid in the 2015/16 Champions League semi-finals against Manchester City

Keylor Navas taking part in for Actual Madrid within the 2015/16 Champions League semi-finals towards Manchester Metropolis (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Voted Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season as he lifted the trophy for the third successive marketing campaign with Actual Madrid in 2017/18, Keylor Navas is probably Costa Rica’s greatest-ever participant.

A power to be reckoned with between the sticks at his greatest, Navas performed 11 video games as Madrid had been topped 2015/16 European champions – and saved clear sheets in 9 of them (not too shabby!).

He made a fourth Champions League last look in 2020, this time for PSG.

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

Didier Drogba scores the winning penalty for Chelsea in their shootout victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final

Didier Drogba scores the profitable penalty for Chelsea of their shootout victory over Bayern Munich within the 2012 Champions League last (Picture credit score: Alamy)

One of the crucial formidable centre-forwards of his period, Didier Drogba was Chelsea’s Champions League-winning hero in 2012, equalising late on within the last towards Bayern Munich then dispatching the decisive penalty within the shootout.

The 2-time African Footballer of the 12 months hit double figures within the Champions League for the Blues three seasons operating between 2006/07 and 2008/09.

Vinicius Junior (Brazil)

Vinicius Junior celebrates with the trophy after Real Madrid's victory over Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final

Vinicius Junior celebrates with the trophy after Actual Madrid’s victory over Liverpool within the 2022 Champions League last (Picture credit score: Alamy)

A two-time Champions League winner by the age of 23, Vinicius Junior had nicely and actually established himself as one in all Actual Madrid’s foremost males by the early 2020s.

The electrifying speedster scored greater than 10 targets within the competitors in every of the 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns, netting the winner within the 2022 last towards Liverpool and Madrid’s second as they beat Borussia Dortmund two years later.

Javier Zanetti (Argentina)

Captain Javier Zanetti celebrates Inter's victory over Bayern Munich in the 2010 Champions League final

Javier Zanetti celebrates Inter’s victory over Bayern Munich within the 2010 Champions League last (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Among the many best and most adaptable full-backs on the earth in his prime, Javier Zanetti was the primary Argentine participant to rack up 100 Champions League appearances, ending on 105.

All of them had been for the membership the place he spent the overwhelming majority of his profession: Inter, who he captained to glory as a part of a treble underneath Jose Mourinho in 2009/10.

Dida (Brazil)

Dida playing for Milan in the 2007 Champions League final against Liverpool

Dida taking part in for Milan within the 2007 Champions League last towards Liverpool (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Dida was on the peak of his powers throughout the first decade of the 2000s, profitable two Champions Leagues in 5 years between the sticks for Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan – saving three penalties as they defeated Juventus in a shootout within the 2003 last.

He made 72 appearances in Europe’s high membership competitors in whole, that includes solely for the Rossoneri and preserving a powerful 35 clear sheets.

Neymar (Brazil)

Neymar playing for PSG against RB Leipzig in the semi-final of the 2019/20 Champions League

Neymar taking part in for PSG towards RB Leipzig within the semi-final of the 2019/20 Champions League (Picture credit score: Alamy)

As one prong of the good ‘MSN’ attacking trio at Barcelona, Neymar received the 2014/15 Champions League, scoring as Luis Enrique’s aspect defeated Juventus within the last.

Brazil’s all-time main marksman – a veteran of greater than 80 Champions League appearances – notched a career-best 10 targets within the competitors that season, ending as joint high scorer with teammate Lionel Messi.

Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

Samuel Eto'o celebrates after scoring Barcelona's opening goal in the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal

Samuel Eto’o celebrates after scoring Barcelona’s opening aim within the 2006 Champions League last towards Arsenal (Picture credit score: Alamy)

4-time African Footballer of the 12 months Samuel Eto’o is a part of a particular group to have received the Champions League with a number of golf equipment.

Cameroon’s best participant of all time performed integral roles in triumphs at Barcelona and Inter, opening the scoring within the last for the previous towards Arsenal in 2006 and Manchester United in 2009, then serving to the latter to victory over Bayern Munich in 2010.

He scored 30 Champions League targets total, reaching double figures in two campaigns for each Barca and the Nerazzurri.

Casemiro (Brazil)

Casemiro celebrates with his winner's medal after Real Madrid's victory in the 2017 Champions League final against Juventus

Casemiro celebrates together with his winner’s medal after Actual Madrid’s victory within the 2017 Champions League last towards Juventus (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Casemiro loved the very best years of his profession at Actual Madrid, cementing his standing among the many best defensive midfielders within the sport and accumulating an enviable 5 Champions League winner’s medals.

They included three in a row underneath Zinedine Zidane between 2016 and 2018, and he made the competitors’s Squad of the Season en route to every of the latter two of these triumphs.

Roberto Carlos (Brazil)

Roberto Carlos playing for Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the 1999/2000 Champions League against Bayern Munich

Roberto Carlos taking part in for Actual Madrid within the semi-finals of the 1999/2000 Champions League towards Bayern Munich (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Merely one of many best left-backs ever to do it, Roberto Carlos dazzled on the continental stage for Actual Madrid both aspect of the flip of the century.

A winner in 1998, 2000 and 2002, the person with a penchant for outrageous targets featured 120 occasions within the Champions League (107 for Madrid and 13 for Fenerbahce), taking part in the total 90 minutes in all three of these last victories.

Marcelo

Captain Marcelo celebrates with the trophy after Real Madrid's victory over Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final

Marcelo celebrates with the trophy after Actual Madrid’s victory over Liverpool within the 2022 Champions League last (Picture credit score: Alamy)

One other nice attacking Brazilian left-back who made a profound impression on the Champions League with Actual Madrid, Marcelo tasted continental glory 5 occasions between 2014 and 2022, taking part in an important function in that memorable three-peat.

Included in 4 Champions League Squads of the Season, he lifted the trophy as captain in 2022, his last act as a Madrid participant.

Ronaldinho (Brazil)

Ronaldinho celebrates Barcelona's victory over Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League final

Ronaldinho celebrates Barcelona’s victory over Arsenal within the 2006 Champions League last (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Frequently offering moments of unparalleled leisure, Ronaldinho was an absolute magician of a footballer and unquestionably one of many world’s best throughout the mid-00s.

The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner led the Champions League for assists as he starred in Barcelona’s 2005/06 success, having scored one of many competitors’s most iconic targets the earlier season: an outrageous toe-poke from exterior the field towards Chelsea.

Kaka (Brazil)

Kaka celebrates after scoring for Milan against Bayern Munich in the 2006/07 Champions League quarter-finals

Kaka celebrates after scoring for Milan towards Bayern Munich within the 2006/07 Champions League quarter-finals (Picture credit score: Alamy)

So terribly proficient was Kaka that he was named each UEFA Membership Midfielder and Membership Ahead of the 12 months, scooping the accolades in 2005 and 2007 respectively.

The latter was the standout yr of his profession, as he dominated the Champions League with Milan, banging in 10 targets in 15 video games and getting his arms on membership soccer’s most prestigious trophy.

Oh, and he went and received that yr’s Ballon d’Or!

Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Lionel Messi with the Champions League trophy at Barcelona's victory celebrations at the Camp Nou, following the 2011 final win over Manchester United

Lionel Messi with the Champions League trophy at Barcelona’s victory celebrations on the Camp Nou, following the 2011 last win over Manchester United (Picture credit score: Alamy)

Who else was it going to be – actually? Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is the best participant of all time, full cease – however we’re certain he received’t thoughts being known as the all time Champions League participant from exterior Europe.

We’ll let the numbers do the speaking right here: 163 Champions League appearances; 129 targets; high scorer on six events; eight hat-tricks; 4 occasions a winner – all with Barcelona, together with two underneath Pep Guardiola.

It seems fairly good, doesn’t it?

The most effective Champions League gamers from exterior Europe

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