Neymar, Roberto Carlos, Thiago Silva: Who are Brazil's top UEFA Champions League performers?

Friday, December 20, 2024

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

Kaká, Neymar, Roberto Carlos and Thiago Silva ©Getty Images

While Brazil has long been a footballing powerhouse, it was not until relatively recently that the nation's top players gravitated towards Europe. Until the 1982 finals in Spain, no Brazilian FIFA World Cup squad had featured any European-based players. However, while the likes of Pelé and Garrincha never represented European clubs, modern greats like Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho and Neymar have lit up the UEFA Champions League.

Last updated: 20/12/2024

Most appearances by Brazilian players in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

120: Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe)
111: Dani Alves (Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris)
105: Thiago Silva (AC Milan, Paris, Chelsea)
103: Fernandinho (Shakhtar, Manchester City)
102: Marcelo (Real Madrid)
97: Marquinhos (Paris)
94: Maxwell (Ajax, Inter, Barcelona, Paris)
86: Kaká (AC Milan, Real Madrid)
83: Casemiro (Real Madrid, Porto, Manchester United)
83: Lúcio (Leverkusen, Bayern München, Inter, Juventus)
82: Ederson (Benfica, Manchester City)
81: Neymar (Barcelona, Paris)

Five Roberto Carlos crackers

Top-scoring Brazilian players in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

43: Neymar (Barcelona, Paris)
30: Kaká (Real Madrid, AC Milan)
27: Rivaldo (Barcelona, AC Milan, Olympiacos)
26: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)
25: Giovane Elber (Bayern München, Lyon)
25: Jardel (Porto, Galatasaray)
24: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City, Arsenal)
22: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)
21: Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar, Spartak Moskva)
20: Rodrygo (Real Madrid)

Watch all Neymar's Champions League goals

Most appearances by Brazilian players in UEFA club competition*

155: Dani Alves (Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris)
147: Fernandinho (Shakhtar, Manchester City)
144: Roberto Carlos (Inter, Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe)
132: Taison (Metalist, Shakhtar, PAOK)
127: Luisão (Benfica)
126: Willian (Shakhtar, Anji, Chelsea, Arsenal, Olympiacos)
119: Fernando (Porto, Manchester City, Galatasaray, Sevilla)
109: Marcelo (Real Madrid, Olympiacos)
106: Casemiro (Real Madrid, Porto, Manchester United)
105: Thiago Silva (AC Milan, Paris, Chelsea)
103: Adriano (Sevilla, Barcelona, Beşiktaş)
102: David Luiz (Benfica, Chelsea, Paris, Arsenal)
102: Maxwell (Ajax, Inter, Barcelona, Paris)

Top-scoring Brazilian players in UEFA club competition*

43: Neymar (Barcelona, Paris)
43: Vágner Love (CSKA Moskva, Beşiktaş, Kairat Almaty)
40: Sonny Anderson (Servette, Monaco, Barcelona, Lyon, Villarreal)
39: Rivaldo (Barcelona, AC Milan, Olympiacos, AEK Athens)
37: Ronaldo (PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid, AC Milan)
36: Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar, Spartak Moskva)
36: Jardel (Porto, Galatasaray, Sporting CP)
32: Hulk (Porto, Zenit)
32: Giovane Elber (Grasshoppers, Bayern München, Lyon)
31: Kaká (AC Milan, Real Madrid)
31: Marcos Tavares (APOEL, Maribor)

Watch classic Kaká strike for Milan against Man United

Notable firsts

First Brazilian to play in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League
Julinho (Real Madrid 2-0 Fiorentina, 1957)

First Brazilian to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League
Canário (Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt, 1960)

First Brazilian to appear in/win a European Cup Winners' Cup final
Dino da Costa (Rangers 1-4 agg Fiorentina, 1961)

First Brazilian to appear in/win a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final
Tita (Espanyol 3-3 agg Leverkusen, Leverkusen won 3-2 on pens, 1988)

Canário (left) lines up ahead of the 1960 European Cup finalReal Madrid via Getty Images

More like this?

Africa's top Champions League performers
Asia's top Champions League performers
Australia/New Zealand's top Champions League performers
Central and North America's top Champions League performers
South America's top Champions League performers

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

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Most appearances by Brazilian players in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

Top-scoring Brazilian players in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

Most appearances by Brazilian players in UEFA club competition*

Top-scoring Brazilian players in UEFA club competition*

Notable firsts