Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes: Who are Portugal's top UEFA Champions League performers?

Friday, December 30, 2022

Which Portuguese players have the most appearances and goals in Europe's leading club competition?

Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes ©AFP/Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo's extraordinary career has helped to raise the profile of Portuguese football in the 21st century, but none of his five UEFA Champions League titles was won with a Liga club. Benfica famously broke Spain's monopoly on the European Cup by beating Barcelona in the 1961 final and then Real Madrid in the 1962 decider, and Porto reminded the world of what Portuguese talent could do when they won the 1986/87 European Cup and the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League.

Most appearances by Portuguese players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

187: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus)
115: Pepe (Porto, Real Madrid, Beşiktaş)
107: Luís Figo (Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter)
92: Ricardo Carvalho (Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Monaco)
82: Bernardo Silva (Monaco, Manchester City)
78: Deco (Porto, Barcelona, Chelsea)
71: João Moutinho (Sporting CP, Porto, Monaco)
70: Vítor Baía (Porto, Barcelona)
68: José Bosingwa (Boavista, Porto, Chelsea, Trabzonspor)
68: Rui Costa (Benfica, Fiorentina, Milan)
68: Nuno Morais (Chelsea, APOEL)

Top-scoring Portuguese players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Every Cristiano Ronaldo Champions League goal

141: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus)
47: Eusébio (Benfica)
24: Luís Figo (Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan)
21: José Torres (Benfica, Vitória SC)
19: José Augusto (Benfica)
18: José Águas (Benfica, Austria Wien)
17: Deco (Porto, Barcelona, Chelsea)
15: Nené (Benfica)
13: Bernardo Silva (Monaco, Manchester City)
12: Danny (Sporting CP, Zenit, Slavia Praha)

Most appearances by Portuguese players in UEFA club competition*

Luís Figo with Raúl González in 2003©AFP/Getty Images

197: Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus)
142: Luís Figo (Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter)
141: João Moutinho (Sporting CP, Porto, Monaco)
135: Pepe (Porto, Real Madrid, Beşiktaş)
133: Rui Patrício (Sporting CP, Wolves, Roma)
116: Ricardo Quaresma (Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Monaco)
112: Nuno Morais (Chelsea, APOEL)
110: Rui Costa (Benfica, Fiorentina, Milan)
109: Simão (Sporting CP, Barcelona, Benfica, Atlético Madrid, Beşiktaş)
108: Vítor Baía (Porto, Barcelona)

Top-scoring Portuguese players in UEFA club competition*

Eusébio with Benfica©Getty Images

145: Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus)
56: Eusébio (Benfica)
30: José Torres (Benfica, Vitória SC)
28: Luís Figo (Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter)
28: Nené (Benfica)
27: Nuno Gomes (Boavista, Fiorentina, Benfica, Braga)
25: Liedson (Sporting CP)
25: Bruno Fernandes (Sporting CP, Manchester United)
24: Fernando Gomes (Porto, Sporting CP)
23: Ricardo Quaresma (Sporting CP, Barcelona, Porto, Inter, Beşiktaş)

Notable firsts

Benfica celebrate their 1961 European Cup win©Getty Images

First Portuguese side to reach/win a European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League final
Benfica 3-2 Barcelona (1960/61)

First Portuguese player to win the European Cup Winners' Cup
Mendonça (Atlético Madrid 3-0 Fiorentina, 1961/62 – replay)

First Portuguese side to win the European Cup Winners' Cup
Sporting CP 1-0 MTK Budapest (1963/64 – replay)

First Portuguese side to reach the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final
Anderlecht 2-1 agg Benfica (1982/83)

Highlights: Mourinho's Porto triumph in Seville

First Portuguese side to win the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
Porto 3-2 aet Celtic (2002/03)

Portuguese players who have won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League the most times
5: Cristiano Ronaldo (2008 Manchester United, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 Real Madrid)
3: Pepe (2014, 2016, 2017 Real Madrid)

More like this?

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

Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes: Who are Portugal's top UEFA Champions League performers?

Article summary

Article top media content

Article body

Most appearances by Portuguese players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Top-scoring Portuguese players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Most appearances by Portuguese players in UEFA club competition*

Top-scoring Portuguese players in UEFA club competition*

Notable firsts