How many players get a Champions League winners’ medal? Which ones?

Despite not playing in the competition, Real Madrid attacker Arda Güler could be in luck, while Lionel Messi also benefited from a UEFA rule change.

Real Madrid dominate the list of players who have won the most Champions League or European Cup winners’ medals, with Paco Gente top of the pile with six victories in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos. However, the criteria for which members of the winning teams get medals has changed over the years.

UEFA rule change: what is the current criteria

The days in which players had to make a certain number of appearances in the tournament, or feature in the final itself, are over. UEFA has moved to simply things in recent years, with the winning team given 40 medals to hand out as they please.

As a result, Madrid’s Arda Güler would get a winners’ medal if Los Blancos triumph in the 2024 final at Wembley, even though he hasn’t been on the field for a single second in the competition this season. The LaLiga giants aren’t obliged to give the young Turk one, but it would be bizarre if they didn’t given his status as a member of the first-team roster.

How many Champions League winners’ medals does Lionel Messi have?

This has been the case since the start of the 2012/13 season. For a period before that, the winners received 30 medals, which has an impact on Lionel Messi’s list of honours.

There is some debate as to whether the Inter Miami star won three or four Champions Leagues during his time at Barcelona. He played starring roles in the 2009, 2011 and 2015 finals but didn’t feature in the 2006 victory over Arsenal due to injury.

While under earlier rules he wouldn’t have qualified for a winners’ medal, the fact Barça were able to hand out 30 medals meant he got his first one then, at the age of 18. He made six appearances in earlier rounds that season.