The footballing world has its own treasures & jewels, the epitome heights & crowning achievements, but there are just handful of such trophies which distinguish its winners from everyone else! Among all club football competitions, the UEFA Champions League is such a prestigious distinction!
There have been hundreds of players who’ve had honor of getting their hands on the historic trophy since its inception as the European Cup back in 1955. But, there’s another side of this picture, a quite unfortunate one. There have been legendary players who were amongst the greatest players of their times, but they never got to lift the UEFA Champions League trophy despite being in pursuit of it for years!
Here, we will take a look at 10 best players who never won the Champions League.
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas has to be an unluckiest presence on this list, as he has been part of Europe’s powerhouses in his time. It should go without saying that his stints with Arsenal, Barcelona & Chelsea surely earned him a reputation of one of the best midfielders in the world in his prime.
Fabregas came from the famous La Masia of FC Barcelona and joined Arsenal in 2003. He remained with the Gunners for 8 years. He came closest to lifting the trophy in 2006 when he lost the final to his boyhood club; FC Barcelona.
In 2011, Fabregas earned a transfer to the greatest Barça side, and one of the best teams ever under Pep Guardiola. They had won 2 Champions League titles in last 3 years. At Camp Nou, Fabregas’s dream was meant to come true. But he left the club in 2014, just one year before Barça won the historic treble. Thus, once again, Fabregas missed his target by inches.
Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona will always be a legend & Idol figure at Old Trafford as he was one of the players in the 90s who inspired the Red Devils to become an unrivalled force in the Premier League and all across the Europe under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Cantona, who was also included by Pele in the FIFA 100 list, as the greatest living players on the planet, won almost everything with Manchester United, except one distinguished prize; the Champions League.
At just 30 years of age in 1997, Cantona hanged his boots. Just two years after his retirement, Manchester United won the historic treble, and with it the Champions League title.
Most of the teammates of Cantona, who were there with him in re-building the club and bringing silverware to Old Trafford, were among the UCL winners. But unfortunately for Cantona, he was already retired!
Patrick Vieira
A remarkable & tenacious professional from the late 90s and the 2000s. Vieira was surely one of a kind, a versatile and elegant presence on the field who always left his heart out on the pitch.
Surely, his most notable moments came with Arsenal between 1996 and 2005, where he marveled through the years. Having won 3 Premier League titles and being the part of historic ‘Arsenal Invincibles’ in 2004. He also won 3 consecutive Serie A titles with Inter Milan later on.
But, both with Arsenal & Inter, Patrick Vieira’s transfer decisions prevented him from getting close to a Champions League winner medal. He left just a year before Arsenal reached the Champions League final in 2006.
There was another closer call than this one! Vieira left Inter Milan just 6 months before they were crowned Champions League winners in 2010.
Fabio Cannavaro
A Ballon d’Or and a World Cup winner, ihe Italian talisman and a player of top-notch quality and longevity, which kept him flying high, on the very top of European football for around 18 years.
Cannavaro won Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Cup in 2006. While winning the World Cup is considered the highest achievement in the world of football, Champions League title is no exception when it comes to club domains.
Cannavaro was the part of Parma team in lthe ate 90s. Later on, he also played for Inter Milan, Juventus, and Real Madrid. At Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Cannavaro won two consecutive La Liga titles with a star-studded team, and added more to his legendary trophy cabinet.
But a Champions League title is missing from his trophy cabinet despite all his global success.
Francesco Totti
If loyalty had a name, it would be Francesco Totti! If class and longevity has a face, it would be of Francesco Totti! The longest standing Gladiator in the history, and Roma’s very own son.
It’s often neglected that despite being the one-club-player his whole career, Totti also had unbelievable longevity. He palyed at the very top of Italian football for 25 years. He made his Serie A debut with Roma in 1992, and went on to retire 25 years later, in 2017.
Along this very long journey, exceptional moments came for Totti, as he was crowned world champion with Italy in 2006. He also won Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana with Roma. He was also UEFA Euro’s man of the match in the 2000 final, and a few years later, he was included by Pele in FIFA 100 list of world’s greatest living footballers at the time.
Dennis Bergkamp
The ‘Non-Flying Dutchman’ was a hero for Arsenal and Ajax, and an idol for strikers and number 10s. Bergkamp was a vintage 90s player, who reached the absolute heights of the footballing world with his exceptional ability and technique on the pitch.
Bergkamp won UEFA Cup twice, with Ajax and Inter respectively in the early 90s. Being a proved performer, he moved to Arsenal in 1995, starting a golden era of his career.
He would remain a gunner for the next 11 years until 2006, and win 11 major honors in the process, which included 3 Premier League titles.
Dennis Bergkamp never won the Champions League, but, his last professional game was the Champions League final in 2006 against Barcelona! He would sit out as a substitute the whole match, and thus, being so close to lifting the Champions League.
Sergio Aguero
A striker of true class with an innate ability to score goals. Sergio Aguero surely deserve all the praise and more due to his impeccable career, clutch moments and unforgettable goals.
Manchester City’s ascension to become an English powerhouse was led by Sergio Aguero in the 2010s, where he won 15 major titles including 5 Premier Leagues. He also got his hands on UEFA Europa League with Atletico Madrid prior to joining Manchester City, where his best years came.
His career was only eluded with UEFA Champions League glory. It’s nothing short of unlucky event, because he was part of the greatest Manchester City side under Pep Guardiola. Ironically, Sergio Aguero’s shinning career with Manchester City came to an end in the Champions League final match against Chelsea in 2021. He was inches away from lifting the famous trophy.
Gianluigi Buffon
The next legendary name is the only goalkeeper on this list – Gianluigi Buffon.
Buffon is the long-standing veteran of Italian football, as he’s active since 1995. Over the years, he has established himself among the greatest goalkeepers of all time, having won the World Cup in 2006. He spent 17 years with Juventus until 2017, and won 22 titles with the team.
Here’s the saddest part of the story, Buffon reached three Champions League finals with Juventus in 2003, 2015, and 2017! But he ended up on the losing side of the equation all 3 times. The dream remained a dream for the legendary goalkeeper.
Zlatan Ibrahimović
A proud professional with extreme example of longevity and talent. It’s super true that there won’t be another Zlatan for this beautiful game as he is surely one of a kind.
Zlatan’s career can be tracked back to the late 90s and early 2000s, when he was just getting started. He caught the spotlight with Ajax, and went on to play for the best teams including Juventus, Inter Milan, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, and Manchester United. Zlatan have over 30 major titles to his name, have scored over 500 goals in his career and has won league titles in France, Italy & Spain!
He has all that, but not a single Champions League trophy. Maybe Zlatan doesn’t need a Champions League, perhaps, it’s the other way around!
Ronaldo Nazario
When it comes to Ronaldo ‘Fenomeno’, it means you’re talking greatness! And that’s the reason Ronaldo 9 is at the top of the list. The Brazilian re-invented the way strikers were perceived and played. He inspired a whole generation of players and goal scorers coming after him.
The two-time FIFA World Cup winner, and a lethal goal machine, he also won two Ballon d’Or in his distinguished career. He is also among the few players who played for both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
Coming to the matter in question today, Ronaldo never won the Champions League despite boasting multiple World Cups in his trophy cabinets and having played for three teams that have won the trophy.
