Since its inception in 1955, the UEFA Champions League has been Europe’s biggest club competition, where several generations of African footballers have delivered title-winning performances and led their teams to historic wins.
The 2025–26 edition is underway and features a remarkable number of African stars, highlighting the continent’s rising influence on European football.
From Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to the legendary Didier Drogba, here are the five African footballers that have played the most matches in UCL history.
Mohamed Salah (92 appearances)
Egyptian star Mohamed Salah is currently level for most UEFA Champions League appearances by an African player, but he could hold the outright record if he features for Liverpool against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
The forward made his debut in the competition for Chelsea, but only featured twice for the Blues, before going on to play 13 times for both Basel and AS Roma.
The 33-year-old has already played 77 times for Liverpool, and his 48-goal haul ranks him as African’s highest goalscorer in the competition.
Didier Drogba (92 appearances)
Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba also played 92 times during a hugely successful career in the UEFA Champions League.
The two-time African footballer of the year winner made six appearances for French side Olympique Marseille scoring five times, but it was his move to Chelsea that sealed his legendary status in African football.
Drogba made 74 appearances for the Blues and guided them to victory in their first-ever European triumph, scoring the winning penalty kick in the victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 final.
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Samuel Eto’o (78 appearances)
Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o made 78 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, ranking him third on this list. The iconic forward first played three times for Real Madrid, before moving on to join Mallorca, where he played five times in the competition.
Eto’o then moved to Barcelona, where he made 38 appearances and won the competition twice, in 2006 and 2009.
He later sealed a transfer to Inter Milan, where he scored 10 times in 23 appearances and won a third UCL title in 2010.
Michael Essien (76 appearances)
Ghanaian legend Michael Essien ranks as the fourth name on this list, with 76 appearances in the UEFA Champions League during his playing career.
The former Chelsea midfielder also ranks as Ghana’s all-time top scorer in the competition with 11 goals and was very influential to Chelsea’s success in the 2011-12 season.
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Samuel Kuffour (72 appearances)
Former Ghana defender Samuel Kuffour rounds off this list, having played 72 times for German giants Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League during his playing career.
The center-back played 13 times for the Bavarians in their 2000-01 UCL winning campaign, including the entire 120 minutes in the final win over Valencia.
