The football statistics and transfer value portal Transfermarkt has published a ranking of players who have spent the most time on the field in UEFA Champions League history.
According to Idman.Biz, nine of the top ten players played for either Real Madrid or Barcelona. The only player in the list who did not play for a Spanish club is former Italian defender Paolo Maldini, who spent his entire career at AC Milan. Maldini played 11,450 minutes in 135 matches, ranking sixth. It is noted that goalkeeper playing time was not included in this ranking.
As of November 2025, the top 10 players with the most minutes played in Champions League history are:
Cristiano Ronaldo – 183 games, 15,758 minutes
Lionel Messi – 163 games, 13,577 minutes
Sergio Ramos – 142 games, 12,449 minutes
Raul Gonzalez – 142 games, 11,989 minutes
Toni Kroos – 151 games, 11,635 minutes
Paolo Maldini – 135 games, 11,450 minutes
Xavi – 151 games, 11,308 minutes
Robert Lewandowski – 135 games, 11,196 minutes
Karim Benzema – 152 games, 10,943 minutes
Gerard Pique – 128 games, 10,627 minutes
