The Champions League is the most prestigious club trophy and in our modern days football this trophy tends to be shared around the biggest and most valuable clubs but probably does not means the greatest players always grab their hands on the trophy. In this post, you will find out the best players never to win Champions League.
Previously, the World Cup served as a barometer for a football's true quality. Take a look at Pele and Diego Maradona, two sports legends who rose to mythical status by helping their teams win the sport's ultimate prize.
The Champions League is now the focus of attention. Because players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were born in the midst of their respective countries' Golden Generations, domestic domination is the greatest yardstick by which to evaluate them. Some contend that athletes must have won the greatest tournaments to be regarded as the finest; given that Old Big Ears is the annual main event, this argument is reasonable.
Table of Contents
Which player has never won the Champions League?
Ronaldo de Lima was extremely successful at both club and international level, but never won the Champions League in his illustrious career. The biggest dream of every footballer is to win the UEFA Champions League at club level.
Best players never to win a Champions League title
1. Gianluigi Buffon:
One of the best Goal keepers in History, Buffon are amongst the players that have came agonisingly close to winning a Champions League title but did not. Buffon has lost three Champions League finals but is the only goalkeeper to have ever win the UEFA club footballer of the year.
2. Lilian Thuram:
Lilian Thuram was one of the most consistent and outstanding defenders in Europe during his career at Monaco , Parma, Juventus and Barcelona but it is of no doubt that his greatest success came at the International level with France. He loosed the 2003 final of the Champions League with Juventus and also at Barcelone, he was unfortunate to retire just a year before Barcelona won the UCL in 2008.
3. Fabio Cannavaro:
Cannavaro was also an outstanding defender in Italy as he played for seven years at Parma. Cannavaro was also a part of the Inter Milan squad that was beaten in in the 2003 Champions League semi final.
4. Laurent Blanc:
At the International level, Laurent Blanc made great achievements as he won the World Cup and also the European Championship with France but at club level he could not grab his hands on the biggest domestic trophy even though he played for Barcelona, Inter and Manchester United. He went as far as reaching the 2002 semi final of the Champions League with Manchester United and that was all.
5. Gianluca Zambrotta:
Zambrotta's carreer could be considered as a mirror image to that of Thuram and he was also part of the Juventus Squad in 2003 that losed the UCL final and later on joint Barcelona in 2006 where he succeeded in reaching the semi finals but was beaten by Manchester United.
6. Michael Ballack:
Ballack notably a great mid fielder but was unlucky when it comes to winning trophies and we can say heartbreak became a familiar feeling for the player as he finished runner up in the German Cup, Bundesliga, Champions League and World cup with Bayer Leverkusen and Germany.
He later on moved to Bayern Munich and where he won three doubles of the League and Cup but was still unlucky winning a Champions League as he also lose another final with Chelsea in 2008.
7. Lothar Mathaus:
He was a player that could play in either defence or mid field, Mathaus came closer to winnning the Champions League as Bayern Munich were just two minutes to winning against Manchester United in 1999 but Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solsjaer succeeded in changing the game.
8. Pavel Nedved:
Pavel Nedved was a creative midfield at Juventus and should in case he did not received a booking in the second leg of the Semi final over the victory at Real Madrid in 2003 , Juventus might have emerged victorious in the final.
9. Francesco Totti:
He was a loyal player at As Roma and was an outstanding one but did not succeed in lifting a UCL trophy.
10. Gabriel Batistuta:
He was a striker that instilled fear in the heart of the Premier league defenders thanks to explosive goal scoring abilities against Manchester United and Arsenal in the Competition. But even though his goal scoring exploits, he did not make it in lifting the trophy with large ears.
11. Ronaldo:
Ronaldo remains one of the greatest strikers in history and it is still absolutely unbelievable that O Fenomeno never won a Champions League title during his career. And of course the answer to the question did Ronaldo ever won a Champions League ?, is NO.
12. Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
The 39 years old has played for as many as six clubs that have won the Champions League (Ajax, Ac Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Manchester United) but unfortunately for him his time at the club did not coincide their European triumphs. So the answer to the famous question Did Zlatan ever won Champions League? is NO.
13. Cesc Fabregas
Fabregas has made over 100 appearances in the competition, but the Spaniard was a runner-up with Arsenal in 2006, before earning his dream move back to boyhood club Barcelona five years later – just after they had won their fourth Champions League in its current format.
He left for Stamford Bridge in 2014, the summer before the Catalans' fifth and most recent success. Cesc would not have been amused.
14. Ruud van Nistelrooy
Van Nistelrooy has scored 56 goals in the Champions League, making him the player with the most goals who has never won the competition.
The striker joined Manchester United two years after the club's illustrious treble-winning season of 1999 and left two years before their subsequent European triumph. During his four years with Real Madrid, he also failed to win any major championships on the continent.
To make matters worse, the Dutchman has three times led the tournament in scoring while also outscoring Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goals per game with a return of 56 strikes in 73 games. Where is justice now?
Final Thoughts On Great Footballers to Never Win the Champions League
These players left an indelible mark on the game and achieved great success in various other aspects. While they may not have won the Champions League, their contributions to football will always be remembered and celebrated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which player has never won the Champions League?
There are several talented footballers such as Zlantan Ibrahimovic, Buffon, Ronaldo and many others that had amazing career but never was able to win a Champions League title.
Who is the greatest team to never win Champions League?
Arsenal. It may surprise some that despite amassing 13 league titles and 14 FA Cups, The Gunners have never won a European Cup.
Has Zlatan ever won UCL?
No Zlatan has never won a UCL title during his whole career.
Did Ronaldo 9 never win the Champions League?
Despite tremendous success over the past decade, Ronaldo never won the UEFA Champions League in his club career.