The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football – yet some of the most legendary players have failed to lift Europe’s most coveted trophy. From prolific strikers to midfield maestros, this is the top 10 best players never to win the Champions League.
10) Pavel Nedvěd
The Czech superstar won the Ballon d’Or in 2003, the heartbeat of a Juventus side experiencing their golden years. Tireless, technically gifted and capable of scoring stunning goals, Nedvěd carried Juve through Europe, but never went the whole way. Suspension ruled Nedvěd out of the 2002/3 final against Milan, which Juventus lost on penalties.
9) Ruud van Nistlerooy
Van Nistlerooy remains 8th on the all-time top scorers in the Champions League, but never won the trophy. In his time across PSV, Manchester United and Real Madrid, his best opportunity came in 2001/02 when United reached the semi-finals, only to be stunned by Bayer Leverkusen.
8) Fabio Cannavaro
A World Cup, Ballon d’Or, two La Liga’s but no Champions League trophy for Cannavaro. He was one of his generation’s finest defenders, starring for Parma, Inter, Juventus and Real Madrid across a glittering career.
With Inter in 2002/03, Cannavaro reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, only to lose on away goals to city rivals AC Milan.
7) Francesco Totti
Football’s most loyal – he undoubtedly could have moved clubs and won everything but instead stuck with his boyhood club. Totti’s vision, passing and finishing made him one of the best attacking midfielders of the 21st century, but Roma never had the depth to deliver a Champions League victory. In 2007/08, they did defeat Real Madrid on their way to the quarter-finals, but fell to eventual winners Manchester United.
6) Dennis Bergkamp
Possibly the most elegant footballer of all time, without the European success to show for it. Bergkamp was part of the 2005/06 Arsenal squad that reached the final for the first time in club history, only to lose 2-1 to Barcelona. He was nearing the end of his career by this time, so remained on the bench during the final. A sad end not befitting of a modern legend.
5) Harry Kane
Tottenham’s talisman for over a decade, Kane’s scoring record speaks for itself. But it is only with the move to Bayern that Kane has secured his first silverware, a Bundesliga in 2024/25. Champions League glory still eludes him, but Bayern are well-positioned to mount a serious challenge this season.
Kane played in the 2018/19 final against Liverpool, but having just returned from injury struggled to make an impact as Spurs fell to a tame 2-0 defeat.
4) Sergio Agüero
Won everything domestically with City but without success in Europe. Despite Haaland’s ridiculous goalscoring exploits, Agüero remains Manchester City’s top scorer by some distance, winning 5 Premier League titles in his time.
Agüero won the Europa League win Atlético in 2009/10, and made a late substitute appearance in the Champions League final against Chelsea in 2020/21, but was unable to inspire City to glory.
3) Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs – Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan and PSG – yet the Champions League winners medal is one that doesn’t feature in his extensive collection. The Swede was a serial winner domestically, but never even appeared in a Champions League final.
He left Inter the summer before they went on to win the treble, instead joining Barcelona who were knocked out in the semi-finals by Mourinho’s men in 2009/10.
2) Kylian Mbappé
Already a World Cup winner at 19, Mbappé is an undoubted superstar who has lit up the Champions League, but is yet to win it. Real Madrid are among the favourites in this season’s Power Rankings, but they’ll face a stern test from Mbappé’s old team PSG. The French forward reached the 2019/20 final in Lisbon, but Bayern Munich edged a close 1-0 victory thanks to a Kingsley Coman header.
1) Ronaldo
O Fenômeno is without a doubt one of the greatest players of all time. He had it all – explosive pace, dazzling skill and clinical from all angles. His ability to take it round keepers remains unmatched.
He starred for Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid and AC Milan, but was never able to win the Champions League. His legendary hat-trick in 2002/03 against Manchester United secured passage to the semi-finals, only to lose to Juventus.
Injuries got in the way, but a player this good not even reaching the Champions League final will always feel surreal.
