According to UEFA's latest historical figures, updated after the 2025/26 Champions League final, these are the 10 African nationals with the most appearances in the competition's group stage or league phase through the final. Qualifying matches are not included in these figures.
1. Mohamed Salah – Egypt
Champions League appearances: 98
Mohamed Salah is Africa's most experienced Champions League player by appearances. The Egyptian reached 98 matches by the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
His Champions League career has included Basel, Chelsea, Roma and Liverpool. Most of his appearances came with Liverpool, where he became one of the club's leading European goalscorers.
Salah also became the first African player to reach 50 Champions League goals during the 2025/26 season. UEFA lists him as both the African appearance and scoring leader.
2. Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast
Champions League appearances: 92
Didier Drogba is second among African players with 92 Champions League appearances.
The Ivorian striker played in the competition for Marseille, Chelsea and Galatasaray. His Chelsea years produced some of the most important moments of his European career, including the 2012 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich.
Drogba finished his Champions League career with 44 goals, making him second among African scorers behind Salah.
3. Samuel Eto'o – Cameroon
Champions League appearances: 78
Samuel Eto'o recorded 78 Champions League appearances during a career that included Real Madrid, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea.
The Cameroonian forward won the competition three times. He lifted the trophy with Barcelona in 2006 and 2009 before winning it again with Inter in 2010.
Eto'o scored 30 Champions League goals, placing him third among African players in UEFA's latest figures.
4. Achraf Hakimi – Morocco
Champions League appearances: 77
Achraf Hakimi is the highest-ranked active African defender on UEFA's appearance list.
The Moroccan has played Champions League football for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. By the end of the 2025/26 campaign, he had reached 77 appearances.
Hakimi also became a Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain, helping the French club secure European titles in 2025 and 2026.
5. Michael Essien – Ghana
Champions League appearances: 76
Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien made 76 Champions League appearances.
His European career in the competition included Lyon, Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan. His longest and most successful spell came at Chelsea, where he became an important part of the club's midfield.
Essien won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012.
6. Samuel Kuffour – Ghana
Champions League appearances: 72
Samuel Kuffour recorded 72 Champions League appearances, almost all of them associated with his long spell at Bayern Munich.
The Ghanaian defender became a key figure for Bayern during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was part of the Bayern team that won the Champions League in 2001.
UEFA's records also list Roma and Livorno among his European clubs.
7. Yaya Touré – Ivory Coast
Champions League appearances: 70
Yaya Touré accumulated 70 Champions League appearances while representing Olympiacos, Barcelona and Manchester City.
The Ivorian midfielder won the competition with Barcelona in 2009 before moving to Manchester City, where he became one of the defining midfielders of the club's Premier League era.
His European career therefore includes both a Champions League-winning Barcelona side and Manchester City's transformation into a major force in European football.
8. Kolo Touré – Ivory Coast
Champions League appearances: 67
Kolo Touré played 67 Champions League matches for Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Celtic.
The defender was part of Arsenal's famous 2003/04 Premier League campaign and later won the Premier League with Manchester City.
His European career covered more than a decade and included Champions League campaigns with several major clubs.
9. Emmanuel Eboué – Ivory Coast
Champions League appearances: 66
Emmanuel Eboué made 66 Champions League appearances for Arsenal and Galatasaray.
The Ivorian defender spent several seasons at Arsenal and reached the 2006 Champions League final with the English club. He later continued his European career at Galatasaray.
His 66 appearances put him just behind Kolo Touré on UEFA's African appearance list.
10. Sadio Mané – Senegal
Champions League appearances: 64
Sadio Mané completes UEFA's top 10 African players for Champions League appearances, with 64 matches.
The Senegalese forward played in the competition for Liverpool and Bayern Munich. At Liverpool, he won the Champions League in 2019 and became one of the club's leading European scorers.
UEFA records credit Mané with 27 Champions League goals through the end of the 2025/26 season.
