The master of football domination, Cristiano Ronaldo, has written another chapter to cement his record as the player with the most games played in the twenty-first century.
But the narrative is not just about Ronaldo’s victory; it’s also about Lionel Messi, who came just short of taking first place in this historic record.
Ronaldo took the top spot on the list of players with the most appearances in the twenty-first century, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), with an astonishing 1204 official appearances.
Famous teams like Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al-Nassr, and the Portugal National Team are all part of this remarkable adventure. At 38 years old, Ronaldo continues to play an incredible average of 52 games annually, demonstrating his unwavering dedication.
With 1,047 games played while wearing the jerseys of Barcelona, PSG, Inter Miami, and the Argentine National Team, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s enduring competitor in the race for supremacy, comes in fourth on the list.
Former Barcelona right-back Dani Alves (1,056 games) and Brazilian goalkeeper Fabio (1,156 matches) occupy the top three spots on the list. Interestingly, only four players have played more than a thousand games, although 21 players—including 17 who are presently active—have played more than nine hundred games.
Among the top 10 players of the twenty-first century, Fábio (Brazil) has played the most matches with 1156.
- Dani Alves (1056) from Brazil
- Lionel Messi (1047) from Argentina
- Luka Modrić (1010) – Croatia
- Portugal’s João Moutinho – 997
- Spain’s Iker Casillas – 974
- 974 Sergio Ramos, Spain
- Swedish citizen Zlatan Ibrahimović
- Andrés Iniesta, 949, Spain
- Even though Ronaldo has made the most appearances in the twenty-first century, he is still very close to Rogerio Ceni’s record of 1,225 games. Just 21 games separate Ronaldo from this momentous achievement. As the season progresses, there’s a good chance that additional records will be added to the annals of football history, extending the thrilling struggle for dominance into the twenty-first century.
