Highlights

  • Michael Owen picked his all-time Champions League team during an episode of BT Sport's UCL Immortals series.
  • Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were included by Owen, as was Zinedine Zidane.
  • Gianluigi Buffon, despite never winning a Champions League, was selected by Owen as the team's goalkeeper.

Winning the Champions League is every footballer's dream. It's the zenith of club football - and only a select few are blessed enough to get their hands on the trophy during their career. So much so that the likes of Fabio Cannavaro, Patrick Vieira, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo (R9) hung up their boots without a Champions League medal in their esteemed cabinets.

Neither did Michael Owen, formerly of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United - but that didn't prevent him from picking his ultimate Champions League XI. By virtue of plying his trade for the aforementioned trio, however, the one-time Ballon d'Or winner had the pleasure of lining up alongside some of the beautiful game's greatest ever players.

Back in 2022, while chatting to his former Manchester United and England teammate Rio Ferdinand, Owen selected his all-time Champions League XI when tasked to do so for BT Sport’s UCL Immortals series. Picking such a team is an onerous task, of course - and that's why, on this occasion, we've left it to someone that managed to chalk up 29 appearances in the competition.

The retired striker-turned-pundit’s team is a strong one, but there are a few selections that will still raise one or two eyebrows. In fact, the first player he selected has never even managed to win the Champions League. Join us here at GIVEMESPORT as we take a closer look at who Owen selected.

Michael Owen's ultimate Champions League XI

Position

Player

Champions League appearances

Goalkeeper

Gianluigi Buffon

124

Right-back

Cafu

55

Centre-back

Paolo Maldini

116

Centre-back

Sergio Ramos

142

Left-back

Roberto Carlos

120

Central midfield

Xavi

151

Central midfield

Andres Iniesta

130

Central midfield

Steven Gerrard

73

Attacking midfield

Zinedine Zidane

80

Forward

Lionel Messi

163

Forward

Cristiano Ronaldo

183

Goalkeeper - Gianluigi Buffon

Champions League appearances: 124

Gianluigi Buffon

“I’m going controversial straight away! Not much pedigree in terms of winning the Champions League but, on pure ability, Buffon. I played with [Iker] Casillas and [Edwin] van der Sar. Between them two, I was way more impressed with Van der Sar. You have a view of every player before you get to play with them, then you get to train with them every day and [my opinion] certainly went up with Van der Sar.

“Casillas, if I’m honest, didn’t wow me in training. But in games, which is obviously the most important thing, he did the business throughout his career. But I think Buffon, for pure ability, was the best of the lot of them.”

As one of the greatest players to never win the Champions League, there will be many that say that Gianluigi Buffon - an Italian legend between the sticks - may not deserve to be included. Owen, however, disagrees with that notion and has included him, anyhow, with Buffon's 124 appearances and 53 clean sheets enough to make him a cult hero at Europe's top table.

Gianluigi Buffon - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Parma, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain

Champions League trophies

0

Appearances

124

Goals Conceded

118

Clean Sheets

53

Right-back - Cafu

Champions League appearances: 55

Cafu playing for AC Milan

“Growing up and watching him play, he almost redefined the right-back spot. You got tired watching him, he did so much running! He was just incredible.”

Emerging as one to watch from the Roma youth set-up, not many would have envisaged Cafu going on to become such a legend for one of football's biggest-ever clubs: AC Milan. Despite only winning the solitary Champions League title, the Brazilian embodied the work of being a well-rounded full-back.

Not only is he one of the best-ever players from his South American nation, but he is their most-capped asset with 143 caps to his name. With full-backs becoming increasingly important in all facets of the beautiful game, it's important to remember those who set the benchmark, most notably Cafu.

Cafu - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Roma and AC Milan

Champions League trophies

1 (06/07)

Appearances

55

Goals

2

Assists

11

3:23
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Centre-back - Paolo Maldini

Champions League appearances: 116

Paolo Maldini looks on

“You have to go back in your memory to remember what a great player he was, but wow was he a good player. His reading of the game, unbelievable left foot, won everything - and he was good looking as well!”

Looking past his dashing outward appearance, it was his high defensive IQ that stood out the most. Capable of playing either at the heart or on the left of the defence, Paolo Maldini asserted himself as one, arguably, one of the best footballers of all time – and has five Champions Leagues in his trophy cabinet to attest to his brilliance. One downfall of his game was his tackling ability, but as the great man himself said: “If I have to make a tackle, then I have already made a mistake."

Paolo Maldini - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

AC Milan

Champions League trophies

5 (88/89, 89/90, 93/94, 02/02, 06/07)

Appearances

116

Goals

3

Assists

6

Centre-back - Sergio Ramos

Champions League appearances: 142

Sergio Ramos

“He’s a great player, people don’t give him enough credit as he’s due. That’s because of factors: he gets sent off a lot, he’s injured one or two players, things like that. How many goals he’s scored as a defender as well, you’ve got to point that out.

“Massive game temperament, whenever he’s missing you can see it," Owen continued. "He throws himself in front of the ball, scores goals, he’s just been a rock for so many years. They literally sold me and used the money to pay for Ramos, so Madrid fans should be thanking me for all this! He probably scored more goals than me!”

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As Owen mentioned, Sergio Ramos’ rash nature when flying into challenges and standing up to his man, his status as one of the best centre-backs of the modern era is typically understated. A fantastic goalscorer, too, the Spaniard was equally important at both ends of the pitch in his four Champions League triumphs – all of which came for Real Madrid.

Sergio Ramos - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain

Champions League trophies

4 (13/14, 15/16, 16/17, 17/18)

Appearances

142

Goals

17

Assists

10

Left-back - Roberto Carlos

Champions League appearances: 120

Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos

“He’s the best left-back I played with. He could defend, he could attack, he had loads of energy, good passer of the ball, read the game well and scored some unbelievable goals. Ashley Cole I did think about but I thought Carlos was worthy of it.”

With Premier League legend Ashley Cole just missing out on Owen’s admission, it was always going to take someone of Roberto Carlos’ ilk to be included ahead of the Englishman instead. The Brazilian, one of the greatest free-kick takers ever, was a superb full-back and his law-defying power that he packed in his left foot was borderline frightening. The former Los Blancos man is a certified legend – not only in Spain but across the continent.

Roberto Carlos - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Real Madrid and Fenerbahce

Champions League trophies

3 (97/98. 99/00, 01/02)

Appearances

120

Goals

16

Assists

27

Central midfield - Xavi

Champions League appearances: 151

Xavi of Barcelona looks on

“He was just poetry in motion. Great passer of the ball, found space, set things off - he was the orchestrator of the whole [Barcelona] team. Just an unbelievable talent.”

While Lionel Messi and the like were getting the plaudits during their European brilliance in yesteryear, it was the likes of Xavi who quietly flew under the radar – but no mistake about it, the Spaniard was equally important. The tempo-dictating central midfielder, who played 151 games in the Champions League, retired as one of the most decorated players in football history – and four of his trophies came in the form of a Champions League between the 04/05 season and a decade later in the 14/15 campaign.

Xavi - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Barcelona

Champions League trophies

4 (05/06, 08/09, 10/11, 14/15)

Appearances

151

Goals

11

Assists

31

Central midfield: Andres Iniesta

Champions League appearances: 130

Barcelona's soccer player Andres Iniesta 

There’s no team on earth that should feature the aforementioned Xavi without his partner in crime, Andres Iniesta. The more advanced of the two during their glory days with Barcelona, the diminutive Spaniard was calmness personified.

A serial winner at both club and international level, Iniesta often stood out. His balance and composure in tight spaces, combined with his flair on the ball, led to him emerging as one of the best midfielders of his generation. Owen waxed lyrical about the gem, claiming that he - and Xavi - set the benchmark for those who followed.

“Iniesta was a bit different to Xavi, he would play a bit further forward. When you see some of his showreels… his touch, his awareness, his balance, creativity, scorer of big goals - everything about him. That duo set the benchmark.”

Andres Iniesta - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Barcelona

Champions League trophies

4 (05/06, 08/09, 10/11, 14/15)

Appearances

130

Goals

11

Assists

29

2:55
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Central midfield: Steven Gerrard

Champions League appearances: 73

Steven Gerrard

“It’s not because he’s my mate that he’s in the team. If I was playing in a World Cup final tomorrow and I said ‘I want one player from my generation’, I would just have to say Gerrard. He absolutely had everything. I started playing with him aged 10 and he was always very, very good. His physical development enabled him to be absolutely elite.

“He was always a great passer, great vision, great awareness, a crunching tackler… he was amazing in every single way. But as he got older, he got bigger and stronger and became an animal. He’d run past people, he was strong, could score goals, create goals, tackle, head, left foot, right foot, play him in any position… the guy was just a freak, an absolute freak.

“Stevie’s naturally quite shy and I think he’s developed and grown these leadership skills, certainly towards the end of his Liverpool career,” Owen added.

Steven Gerrard’s best moments as a Liverpool player came in the Champions League: that final in Istanbul. Despite only winning the trophy on one occasion, it would be remiss to disregard how the Premier League great inspired one of the greatest comebacks in the competition’s mythology. Owen had the pleasure of lining up alongside Gerrard - both for the Reds and on the international stage - and, therefore, there's no better person to speak about his brilliance.

Steven Gerrard - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Liverpool

Champions League trophies

1 (04/05)

Appearances

73

Goals

21

Assists

14

Attacking midfield: Zinedine Zidane

Champions League appearances: 80

Zinedine Zidane looks on

“Zidane and Gerrard are the best two players I ever played with. You know when you’re a kid and you have one of those balls on the end of a rope and the ball just never went more than a metre-and-a-half away? He had that rope and it was just invisible. Everything he did oozed class: the way he ran, the way he touched the ball. He had this body that moved one way or the other and could do everything in one touch.

A big game player of the highest order, Zinedine Zidane was as graceful as he was imperious. The gangly midfielder, who didn’t mind doing his fair share of dirty work, is best remembered for using his frame to dance around the opposition. And that was witnessed on the continental scene – with the Frenchman playing 80 games at Europe’s top table.

“He had strength, skill in short areas and then would burst away from you," Owen continued. "He was quiet, studious, he looked out of the top of eyes at everyone. You’d get into the dressing room and he’d be surveying the scene. You were always nervous about what he was thinking! Of all the Galacticos, he was the one that I was in awe of. You didn’t want to disappoint Zidane!”

Zinedine Zidane - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Juventus and Real Madrid

Champions League trophies

1 (01/02)

Appearances

80

Goals

14

Assists

31

Forward: Lionel Messi

Champions League appearances: 163

Lionel Messi

“Messi is the most naturally gifted player we’ve ever seen. He was born to play football.”

Owen kept it short and sweet when justifying the inclusion of the Argentine - but saying that, he needs no introduction. A four-time winner of Europe’s most prestigious club competition, Lionel Messi scored 129 goals and provided a further 45 assists during his 163 games – and not only is he a La Liga great, but a Champions League one, too.

The days of the Argentine strutting his stuff at the pinnacle of club football are long gone, but the memories are cherished and will live on forever.

Lionel Messi - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain

Champions League trophies

4 (05/06, 08/09, 10/11, 14/15)

Appearances

163

Goals

129

Assists

45

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Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo

Champions League appearances: 183

Cristiano Ronaldo with the Champions League trophy

“I had to take Ronaldo’s No. 7 shirt after he left Man Utd which was a little bit heavy, I’ve still got a sore back," Owen joked. "You have to take your hat off to Ronaldo. Despite him being naturally brilliant, he’s managed to work his way [up] through sheer guts, drive, dedication. Still to this day, he gets in before everyone else, leaves after them, his diet… everything about him is professional.

“I remember going over to Madrid to present Ronaldo with the Ballon d’Or on the pitch. I was given a tour of the new training ground and it was about 7 o’clock at night. I was walking round and there was one person and one physio in the dressing room at the time. Ronaldo was getting a massage and doing all the stretches!

"[Emilio] Butragueño who was given me the tour said: ‘This is normal - you can’t get him out of the place!’. It just shows why he’s been so great for so long. He’s got the dedication as well as the ability.”

Equally hard-working as he is talented, Cristiano Ronaldo simply is Mr. Champions League. It’s a moniker that will never wilt given the number of goal involvements he managed in the competition (183 strikes and 140 assists). Having played for Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid, the Portuguese icon was always going to have a career packed to the brim with silverware.

But he took his playing days beyond his wildest dreams. With five Champions League titles under his belt (four with Los Blancos and one with the Red Devils), the forward has every right to be included by Owen.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Champions League Statistics

Clubs

Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid

Champions League trophies

5 (07/08, 13/14, 15/16, 16/17, 17/18)

Appearances

183

Goals

140

Assists

48

All statistics per Transfermarkt - correct as of 04/03/24