Lionel Messi dominates in terms of taking part in probably the most minutes with different gamers within the Champions League since 2000.
It’s no shock that arguably soccer’s greatest-ever participant has been used to absolutely the most in soccer’s final membership competitors, having gained it on 4 events. His rival Cristiano Ronaldo inevitably options along with his personal greatest pals too, because the competitors’s high scorer and look maker.
We’ve taken a have a look at the Champions League’s high 10 greatest pals since 2000. Excluding goalkeepers, these are the gamers with probably the most minutes performed collectively within the competitors.
10. Dani Alves & Lionel Messi – 6244 minutes
The primary of a number of entries for Messi, he and Alves shared the pitch collectively at Barcelona for eight years.
Collectively they gained the competitors thrice, the final of which got here in 2015 as La Blaugrana gained the treble.
9. Xavi & Lionel Messi – 6300 minutes
Two legends, watching Messi and Xavi hyperlink up collectively on the pitch was mesmerising and by no means obtained previous.
A timeless pairing, they gained the Champions League collectively 4 occasions, lifting it for the primary time in 2006 earlier than happening to change into cornerstones in arguably the best aspect membership soccer has ever seen from 2009 to 2011.
Contemplating Xavi – who has since managed Barcelona – is considered one of a small group of gamers to have remodeled 1000 membership appearances, it’s no shock he makes the checklist.
8. Sergio Ramos & Marcelo – 6501 minutes
Key in Actual Madrid’s unprecedented European dominance all through the 2010s, Marcelo and Ramos noticed all of it and gained all of it collectively.
Ramos captained Los Blancos to 3 consecutive Champions Leagues with Marcelo alongside him in defence. Talking in 2022, Marcelo sang Ramos’ praises: “For me, he’s a giant brother; he helped me so much in my profession, contained in the membership.”
7. Carles Puyol & Xavi – 6784 minutes
Fairly actually the spine of Barcelona for the whole lot of his glistening 15-year profession of their senior aspect, Puyol’s inclusion isn’t any shock.
Xavi broke into the primary crew a yr sooner than Puyol and retired a yr after, hanging round for that 2015 Champions League win. That doesn’t change the truth that they got here up collectively and watched Barcelona remodel again into considered one of soccer’s biggest sides.
6. Andres Iniesta & Lionel Messi – 6999 minutes
The opposite half of that iconic midfield combo – who surprisingly don’t seem collectively on this checklist – Iniesta and Messi additionally featured extraordinarily frequently collectively.
They mixed for some actually magical moments, too. Having not too long ago retired, Messi paid tribute to Iniesta on social media: “One of many team-mates with probably the most magic and one of many ones I loved taking part in with probably the most.
“Andres Iniesta, the ball will miss you, and so will all of us. I want you the very best all the time; you’re a phenomenon.”
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5. Cristiano Ronaldo & Sergio Ramos – 7043 minutes
A serial scorer and a serial winner, Ramos and Ronaldo seems like the final word Champions League pairing.
Whereas Ronaldo stands out because the competitors’s file scorer along with his 140 objectives, Ramos has scored 17 himself which is mightily spectacular as a centre-back – two of which have are available Champions League finals.
Ronaldo, in the meantime, has scored in three Champions League finals. They’re a pair of freaks, actually.
4. John Terry & Frank Lampard – 7304 minutes
The one English membership to be represented within the high 10, it’s a testomony to only how essential Terry and Lampard had been to Chelsea throughout a number of completely different eras on the membership.
Terry has been on file in saying that he believes Lampard is the very best participant Chelsea has ever had, and it’s no shock contemplating how essential the pair had been collectively for the Blues.
After heartbreak in Moscow in 2008, the pair rebounded in 2012 as they lastly gained the Champions League collectively, beating Bayern Munich on the Allianz Enviornment.
READ: Can Robert Lewandowski break Messi & Ronaldo’s Champions League goalscoring information?
3. Gerard Pique & Sergio Busquets – 7917 minutes
The start of an inevitable Barcelona high three, Pique grew to become a significant piece of the puzzle upon his return to the membership in 2008 and that’s clear in his Champions League minutes.
He gained the highest prize 4 occasions in his profession, three of which got here with La Blaugrana alongside Busquets, who developed a legacy as maybe the very best ever in his place.
2. Gerard Pique & Lionel Messi – 8121 minutes
With 128 appearances within the Champions League, it’s no shock Pique is available in proper on the high alongside Messi. The pair had been completely key for Barcelona.
There have been conflicting reviews in newer years to do with the way it ended for each of them on the membership, nevertheless, with some stating that Pique instructed Barcelona to not renew Messi’s contract. Nonetheless, the specifics of their relationship today is unknown.
1. Lionel Messi & Sergio Busquets – 8261 minutes
A bromance that actually can’t be tarnished, Busquets and Messi loved the very best and most efficient years of their profession collectively within the biggest membership aspect of all time and are actually taking part in one spark off into the Miami sundown.
The pair had been unstoppable at Barcelona for various causes. Busquets locking it down in midfield and retaining possession earlier than Messi burst into life, no one might get close to these two.
And in MLS, they nonetheless can’t.
