Spain and Real Madrid legend Francisco Gento, who won 12 La Liga titles with the club, has also won as many six European Cups which includes five straight titles from 1956 to 1960 before getting his last European Cup medal in 1966.
With the UEFA Champions League being European Cup’s equivalent, let us take a look at eight players who can equal Gento’s record of six titles in the competition.
Criteria: One-third of the Real Madrid squad have won three titles. This list is comprised of the player’s age and how many more titles they need to equal Gento.
#8 Toni Kroos
Without a doubt, German international Toni Kroos is one of the best midfielders of this generation. The 28-year-old has three Champions League titles to his name. After winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2013, Kroos made a move to the Spanish capital ahead of the 2014-15 season.
Though he remained trophyless in his first season at Real Madrid, he managed to win two Champions League titles in two years and played an important role in his team’s triumphs. The German midfielder needs three more Champions League titles to equal Gento and with age on the side, he might manage to equal to Spanish legend’s tally.
#7 Nacho
“I can happily retire if I win three more Champions League titles,” said Real Madrid’s versatile defender Nacho Fernandez after Los Blancos won their 12th title by beating Juventus in Cardiff.
A product of Real Madrid’s Youth Academy, Nacho made his senior debut in 2011 and since then, he has been with the squad. He is one of the loyal Real Madrid players as he managed to stick with the team in spite of getting meagre game time.
He won his first Champions League title in 2014 and then he was a part of the squad that won the tournament in 2016 and 2017. He has a golden chance of winning the tournament again as his team will take will be taking on Liverpool in the final of the 2017-18 Champions League.
The 28-year-old has age on his side to equal Gento’s six Champions League titles. Because of his ability to adapt, it’s unlikely the club will get rid of him as he can offer a lot to the team.
#6 Isco
When Isco made a mark at the top level, many expected him to carry on the legacy of Andres Iniesta once the Spanish international bids adieu to the sport. Real Madrid were quick in poaching the midfielder as he moved to the Spanish Capital from Malaga in 2013.
He won the Champions League during his debut season with Real Madrid and went on to add two more in the next three years. The 26-year-old might be winning his fourth Champions League crown in the coming weeks and is one of the possible contenders who can equal Gento’s tally of six titles.
#5 Dani Carvajal
Just like Isco, Dani Carvajal is just 26 and has already won three Champions League titles and might win his fourth later this month. He won his first Champions League when the club won their historic La Decima in 2014 and the Spanish international played an important role in helping his team win their tenth European Cup.
He was also key in Real Madrid’s eleventh and twelfth in 2016 and 2017 and will be hoping to complete a hat-trick of titles on May 26th. The right-back will easily play for at least eight more years and the future Real Madrid captain has every single chance of winning six Champions League medals and equal the great Gento’s record.
#4 Gerard Pique
Spanish defender Gerard Pique has four Champions League crowns, the joint-most by anyone in the current Barcelona side along with Andres Iniesta, who is leaving the club this summer, and Lionel Messi.
Unlike Messi, the defender didn’t win all his four titles with Barcelona as he was a part of the Manchester United squad that won the 2008 Champions League before he left the club to join the Catalans with whom he won the tournament thrice.
The 32-year-old needs just two more titles to equal Gento and with a champion side like Barcelona, Pique is a contender who can reach the historic landmark.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo
Without a doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest ever to grace the sport as his records speak for itself. The Portuguese international has won a lot of laurels over the last decade which includes his five Ballon d’Or awards.
The winger-turned target man already holds the record for the most number of goals scored in the UEFA Champions League with 120 strikes in just over 100 appearances for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United and Real Madrid. He is already the greatest ever to play in the competition and if he manages to win two more titles, he will dethrone Real Madrid legend Gento as the most successful player to play in the European Cup/Champions League.
The Real Madrid number 7 won his first Champions League title with the Red Devils in 2008 and had to wait for six years to win his second and added two more to his tally in the next three years. With Real Madrid set to play Liverpool in the final of the Champions League in three weeks’ time, it won’t be a surprise if he wins his fifth title in the competition.
If he manages to do so, he will need just one title to equal Gento and with Ronaldo expected to play for at least three more years, thanks to his fitness, him overtaking Gento’s six European titles might become a reality.
#2 Lionel Messi
If someone who can challenge Cristiano Ronaldo for all his achievements in Europe, there can’t be anyone apart from his arch-rival Lionel Messi. Just like the Real Madrid winger, Messi has also won the Ballon d’Or on five occasions and is one of the four active footballers apart from Ronaldo and his teammates Andreas Iniesta and Gerard Pique to have won four Champions League titles.
With Messi two years younger to Ronaldo, he has every chance of tumbling all his goal-scoring records and the 30-year-old might end up with at least six Champions League titles as he is just two shy of the landmark at the moment.
#1 Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane, who turned 25 last month, has already played seven Champions League semi-finals in his career. Out of the seven, he has managed to play in the finals thrice and won all three of them. The French international has three Champions League titles and is yet to reach his peak years as a defender.
With the defender having age on his side, one can expect him to play for the next 10 years at least. With his fourth Champions League crown beckoning, I won’t think twice before putting my money on Varane for becoming the most successful player to play in the tournament.
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