Roberto Carlos, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Edinson Cavani: Who are South America's top UEFA Champions League performers?

Brazilian Marquinhos captained Paris to Champions League final glory in 2025 and 2026, becoming the latest South American player to etch his name into UEFA Champions League folklore. Fellow Brazilians Casemiro and Marcelo lead the way for South American players with four Champions League final wins each, while Lionel Messi has been triumphant in three.

Last updated: 30/05/2026

Most appearances by South American** nationals in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

163: Lionel Messi (ARG – Barcelona, Paris)
122: Marquinhos (BRA – Paris)
120: Roberto Carlos (BRA – Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe)
116: Angel Di María (ARG – Benfica, Real Madrid, Paris, Juventus)
111: Dani Alves (BRA – Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris)
105: Thiago Silva (BRA – AC Milan, Paris, Chelsea)
103: Fernandinho (BRA – Shakhtar, Manchester City)
102: Marcelo (BRA – Real Madrid)
102: Nicolas Otamendi (ARG – Porto, Manchester City, Benfica)
97: Javier Zanetti (ARG – Inter)

Top-scoring South American** nationals in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

129: Lionel Messi (ARG – Barcelona, Paris)
43: Neymar (BRA – Barcelona, Paris)
41: Sergio Agüero (ARG – Atlético de Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona)
35: Edinson Cavani (URU – Napoli, Paris, Manchester United)
34: Vinícius Júnior (BRA – Real Madrid)
30: Kaká (BRA – AC Milan, Real Madrid)
27: Rivaldo (BRA – Barcelona, AC Milan, Olympiacos)
27: Luis Suárez (URU – Ajax, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid)
26: Gabriel Jesus (BRA – Manchester City, Arsenal)
26: Rodrygo (BRA – Real Madrid)

Most appearances by South American** nationals in UEFA club competition (all rounds)*

Javier Zanetti with the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2010©Getty Images

168: Lionel Messi (ARG – Barcelona, Paris)
160: Javier Zanetti (ARG – Inter)
155: Dani Alves (BRA – Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris)
154: Angel Di María (ARG – Benfica, Real Madrid, Paris, Juventus)
147: Fernandinho (BRA – Shakhtar, Manchester City)
145: Taison (BRA – Metalist, Shakhtar, PAOK)
144: Roberto Carlos (BRA – Inter, Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe)
143: Nicolás Otamendi (ARG – Porto, Manchester City, Benfica)
127: Luisão (BRA – Benfica)
126: Willian (BRA – Shakhtar, Anji, Chelsea, Arsenal, Olympiacos)

Top-scoring South American** nationals in UEFA club competition (all rounds)*

132: Lionel Messi (ARG – Barcelona, Paris)
63: Sergio Agüero (ARG – Atlético de Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona)
55: Edinson Cavani (URU – Palermo, Napoli, Paris, Manchester United)
50: Alfredo Di Stéfano (ARG – Real Madrid)
48: Radamel Falcao (COL – Porto, Atlético de Madrid, Monaco, Galatasaray)
48: Claudio Pizarro (PER – Bremen, Bayern München, Chelsea)
48: Luis Suárez (URU – Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid)
43: Neymar (BRA – Barcelona, Paris)
43: Vágner Love (BRA – CSKA Moskva, Beşiktaş, Kairat Almaty)
40: Sonny Anderson (BRA – Servette, Monaco, Barcelona, Lyon, Villarreal)

Nation-by-nation: South American nations' UEFA record holders

Argentina
UCL appearances: 163 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Paris)
UCL goals: 129 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Paris)
UEFA club appearances: 168 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Paris)
UEFA club goals: 132 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Paris)

Bolivia's Erwin Sánchez in action for Boavista©Getty Images

Bolivia
UCL appearances: 12 – Erwin Sánchez (Boavista)
UCL goals: 3 – Erwin Sánchez (Boavista)
UEFA club appearances: 36 – Erwin Sánchez (Benfica, Boavista)
UEFA club goals: 6 – Erwin Sánchez (Benfica, Boavista)

Brazil
UCL appearances: 122 – Marquinhos (Paris)
UCL goals: 43 – Neymar (Barcelona, Paris)
UEFA club appearances: 155 – Dani Alves (Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris)
UEFA club goals: 43= Neymar (Barcelona, Paris), Vágner Love (CSKA Moskva, Beşiktaş, Kairat Almaty)

Chile
UCL appearances: 83 – Arturo Vidal (Juventus, Bayern München, Barcelona, Inter)
UCL goals: 17 – Alexis Sánchez (Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter, Marseille)
UEFA club appearances: 107 – Arturo Vidal (Leverkusen, Juventus, Bayern München, Barcelona, Inter)
UEFA club goals: 21 – Iván Zamorano (Real Madrid, Inter)

Colombia

Radamel Falcao celebrates winning the 2012 UEFA Europa League finalGetty Images

UCL appearances: 67 – Juan Cuadrado (Chelsea, Juventus, Inter, Atalanta)
UCL goals: 17 Luis Díaz (Porto, Liverpool, Bayern)
UEFA club appearances: 92 – Iván Córdoba (Inter)
UEFA club goals: 48 – Radamel Falcao (Porto, Atlético Madrid, Monaco, Galatasaray)

Ecuador
UCL appearances: 45 – Antonio Valencia (Manchester United)
UCL goals: 6 – Antonio Valencia (Manchester United)
UEFA club appearances: 65 – Christian Noboa (Rubin, Dinamo Moskva, Rostov, Zenit, Sochi)
UEFA club goals: 13= Felipe Caicedo (Basel, Manchester City, Sporting CP, Lokomotiv Moskva, Lazio), Christian Noboa (Rubin, Dinamo Moskva, Rostov, Zenit, Sochi)

Paraguay
UCL appearances: 61 – Roque Santa Cruz (Bayern München, Málaga)
UCL goals: 11 – Óscar Cardozo (Benfica)
UEFA club appearances: 93 – Óscar Cardozo (Benfica, Trabzonspor, Olympiacos)
UEFA club goals: 35 – Óscar Cardozo (Benfica, Trabzonspor, Olympiacos)

Peru's Claudio Pizarro©Getty Images

Peru
UCL appearances: 73 – Claudio Pizarro (Bayern München, Chelsea, Bremen)
UCL goals: 21 – Claudio Pizarro (Bayern München, Chelsea, Bremen)
UEFA club appearances: 112 – Claudio Pizarro (Bremen, Bayern München, Chelsea)
UEFA club goals: 48 – Claudio Pizarro (Bremen, Bayern München, Chelsea)

Uruguay
UCL appearances: 79 – Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
UCL goals: 35 – Edinson Cavani (Napoli, Paris, Manchester United)
UEFA club appearances: 111= Diego Godín (Villarreal, Atlético de Madrid, Inter), Luis Suárez (Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid)
UEFA club goals: 55 – Edinson Cavani (Palermo, Napoli, Paris, Manchester United)

Venezuela
UCL appearances: 8 – Salomón Rondón (Zenit)
UCL goals: 2 – Salomón Rondón (Zenit)
UEFA club appearances: 48 – Roberto Rosales (Gent, Twente, AEK Larnaca)
UEFA club goals: 18 – Salomón Rondón (Rubin, Zenit)

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*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup

**South American means registered with the ten CONMEBOL member nations; thus Surinamese and Guyanan players are not counted