De Bruyne, Lukaku, Hazard: Who are Belgium's top UEFA Champions League performers?
Thursday, December 1, 2022
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Which Belgian players have the most appearances and goals in Europe's leading club competition?
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Runners-up to Liverpool in 1978, Club Brugge are the only Belgian side to have made it to a European Cup final, but plenty of the nation's top players have enjoyed success in the continent's top club competition. Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard have both been regulars for all-conquering Real Madrid, while Kevin De Bruyne is one of the stars of the Manchester City side that reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2021.
Most appearances by Belgian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
83: Axel Witsel (Standard Liège, Benfica, Zenit, Dortmund, Atlético)
73: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea, Real Madrid)
70: Kevin De Bruyne (Genk, Chelsea, Man City)
63: Olivier Deschacht (Anderlecht)
63: Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht, Hamburg, Man City)
61: Eden Hazard (LOSC, Chelsea, Real Madrid)
58: Timmy Simons (Club Brugge, PSV)
57: Filip De Wilde (Beveren, Anderlecht, Sporting CP)
55: Yannick Carrasco (Monaco, Atlético)
55: Daniel Van Buyten (Marseille, Bayern)
55: Jan Vertonghen (Ajax, Tottenham, Benfica)
Top-scoring Belgian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
21: Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht, Man United, Inter, Chelsea)
20: Paul Van Himst (Anderlecht)
18: Luc Nilis (Anderlecht, PSV)
17: Dries Mertens (Napoli)
13: Kevin De Bruyne (Genk, Chelsea, Man City)
12: Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)
10: Eden Hazard (LOSC, Chelsea, Real Madrid)
9: Raoul Lambert (Club Brugge)
8: Jacques Stockman (Anderlecht)
8: Wesley Sonck (Genk, Ajax)
Most appearances by Belgian players in UEFA club competition*
131: Jan Vertonghen (Ajax, Tottenham, Benfica, Anderlecht)
128: Timmy Simons (Lommel, Club Brugge, PSV)
119: Axel Witsel (Standard Liège, Benfica, Zenit, Dortmund, Atlético)
109: Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe (Anderlecht, Hamburg, Club Brugge, Legia Warszawa, Olympiacos, Gent)
108: Dries Mertens (Utrecht, PSV, Napoli)
106: Filip De Wilde (Beveren, Anderlecht, Sporting CP)
105: Michel Preud'homme (Standard Liège, Mechelen, Benfica)
104: Gert Verheyen (Anderlecht, Club Brugge)
101: Olivier Deschacht (Anderlecht)
99: Eden Hazard (LOSC, Chelsea, Real Madrid)
Top-scoring Belgian players in UEFA club competition*
42: Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht, Chelsea, Everton, Man United, Inter)
38: Luc Nilis (Anderlecht, PSV, Aston Villa)
35: Dries Mertens (Utrecht, PSV, Napoli)
25: Gert Verheyen (Anderlecht, Club Brugge)
23: Roger Claessen (Standard Liège, Beerschot VAC)
22: François Van Der Elst (Anderlecht)
21: Paul Van Himst (Anderlecht, Molenbeek Brussels Strombeek)
20: Igor De Camargo (Genk, Standard Liège, Mönchengladbach, APOEL)
20: Jelle Vossen (Genk, Club Brugge)
20: Raoul Lambert (Club Brugge)
Notable firsts
First Belgian side to reach a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final
Liverpool 4-3 agg Club Brugge, 1975/76
First Belgian side to win the European Cup Winners' Cup
West Ham 2-4 Anderlecht, 1975/76
First Belgian side to reach a European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League final
Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge, 1977/78
First Belgian side to win the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
Anderlecht 2-1 agg Benfica, 1982/83
First Belgian to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League
Eric Gerets (PSV 0-0 Benfica, aet, PSV win 6-5 on pens, 1987/88)
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*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, Europa Conference League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup