The Champions League is the best competition in world football, because it is the tournament in which the best, greatest and most famous players in the world compete.

The tournament was originally founded in 1955 as the European Cup, but was renamed the UEFA Champions League in 1992.

Real Madrid is the team that has won the competition the most times (15 titles).

Former and current Real Madrid players dominate the list of the best players who left their mark in the most prestigious European tournament, such as Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, Spanish Sergio Ramos and Croatian Luka Modric.

Over the decades, the tournament has seen legends such as Brazilian Ronaldinho, his compatriot Ronaldo Nazario, Argentine Lionel Messi, alongside Andres Iniesta, Roberto Carlos, Carles Puyol, Roy Keane, David Beckham, Filippo Inzaghi, and many others.

Five factors were identified to select the best 30 players in the continental championship, which are:

• UEFA Champions League era (from 1992 onwards).
• Titles.
• Objectives.
• Famous moments during the tournament.
• The legacy of the Champions League in general.

This means that the likes of Spain's Paco Gento (who has won more European Cups than any player in history), Argentina's Alfredo Di Stefano, England's George Best and Portugal's Eusebio will not be on the list.

Here are the top 30 players to have played in the Champions League since 1992:

1- Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus).

2- Argentine Lionel Messi (Barcelona, ​​Paris Saint-Germain).

3- Croatian Luka Modric (Tottenham, Real Madrid).

4- Spanish Andres Iniesta (Barcelona).

5- French Karim Benzema (Lyon, Real Madrid).

6- Italian Paolo Maldini (Milan).

7- Spanish Xavi HernandezZ(Barcelona).

8- Spanish Sergio Ramos (Sevilla, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain).

9- The Spanish Raul (Real Madrid, Schalke).

10- Dutchman Clarence Seedorf (Ajax, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Milan).

11- French Zinedine Zidane (Juventus, Real Madrid).

12- English Steven Gerrard (Liverpool).

13- Welsh Gareth Bale (Tottenham, Real Madrid).

14- Spanish Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Porto).

15- Brazilian Kaka (Milan, Real Madrid).

16- Brazilian Ronaldinho (Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, ​​Milan).

17- Polish Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona).

18- Ivorian Didier Drogba (Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray).

19- Brazilian Marcelo (real madrid).

20- German Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich, Real Madrid).

21- Dutchman Edwin van der Sar (Ajax, Juventus, Manchester United).

22- Spanish Gerard Pique (Manchester United, Barcelona).

23- Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o (Real Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, ​​Inter Milan, Chelsea).

24-Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kyiv, Milan, Chelsea).

25- Welsh Ryan Giggs (Manchester United).

26- Spanish Sergio Busquets (Barcelona).

27- Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy (Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid).

28- French Thierry Henry (Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona).

29- Dutch Arjen Robben (Eindhoven, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich).

30- Spanish Dani Carvajal (real madrid).