European Cup and UEFA Champions League records and statistics
Players -- Appearances
Table:
Player

Nation

Apps

Years

Club(s)

1

Iker Casillas

Spain

177

1999–

Real Madrid (150), Porto (27)

2

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal

168

2003–

Manchester United (52), Real Madrid (101), Juventus (15)

3

Xavi

Spain

151

1998–2015

Barcelona

4

Ryan Giggs

Wales

145[a]

1993–2014

Manchester United

5

Raúl

Spain

142

1995–2011

Real Madrid (130), Schalke 04 (12)

6

Lionel Messi

Argentina

140

2005–

Barcelona

7

Paolo Maldini

Italy

135[b]

1988–2008

Milan

8

Andrés Iniesta

Spain

130

2002–2018

Barcelona

9

Clarence Seedorf

Netherlands

125

1994–2012

Ajax (11), Real Madrid (25), Milan (89)

10

Paul Scholes

England

124

1994–2013

Manchester United

With reference to the given table along with the textual context listed at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: For the second player , how much was worth was it worth to transfer to the club in 2009 ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

Iker Casillas Fernández ( Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈikeɾ kaˈsiʎas feɾˈnandeθ ] ; born 20 May 1981 ) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Portuguese club Porto . Popularly dubbed San Iker ( Saint Iker ) for his ability to produce spectacular saves , Casillas is widely considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time , known for his athleticism , quick reactions and outstanding shot-stopping ability . Casillas began his career with Real Madrid youth in 1990 . After gaining promotion to the senior team in 1999 , he remained with the club for 16 seasons , later serving as club captain and amassing 725 appearances , the second-most in club history . During his highly successful time in Madrid , he won five La Liga titles , two Copa del Rey titles , four Supercopa de España titles , three UEFA Champions League titles , two UEFA Super Cups , one Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup . He departed in 2015 to join Porto on a free transfer . In Portugal , Casillas captured a Primeira Liga and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira title . Casillas has played for the Spanish national team a record 167 times , and has been an international since June 2000 , making him the joint tenth-most capped male footballer in history , and the joint second-most capped European player of all time . He became the nation 's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2002 FIFA World Cup , and went on to play at UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup . In 2008 , he was made captain , and led the team to that year 's European Championship . He also led Spain to their first World Cup in 2010 , and retained the European Championship in 2012 . In 2014 , Casillas also became one of four players to represent Spain at four World Cups .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol ( Spanish pronunciation : [ reˈal maˈðɾið ˈkluβ ðe ˈfuðβol ] ( listen ) , meaning Royal Madrid Football Club ) , commonly referred to as Real Madrid , is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid . Founded on 6 March 1902 as Madrid Football Club , the club has traditionally worn a white home kit since inception . The word real is Spanish for royal and was bestowed to the club by King Alfonso XIII in 1920 together with the royal crown in the emblem . The team has played its home matches in the 81,044-capacity Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in downtown Madrid since 1947 . Unlike most European sporting entities , Real Madrid 's members ( socios ) have owned and operated the club throughout its history . The club was estimated to be worth €3.8 billion ( $ 4.2 billion ) in 2019 , and it was the second highest-earning football club in the world , with an annual revenue of €757,3 million in 2019 . The club is one of the most widely supported teams in the world . Real Madrid is one of three founding members of La Liga that have never been relegated from the top division since its inception in 1929 , along with Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona . The club holds many long-standing rivalries , most notably El Clásico with Barcelona and El Derbi with Atlético Madrid . Real Madrid established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football during the 1950s , winning five consecutive European Cups and reaching the final seven times . This success was replicated in the league , which the club won five times in the space of seven years . This team , which consisted of players such as Alfredo Di Stéfano , Ferenc Puskás , Francisco Gento , and Raymond Kopa , is considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time .
Futebol Clube do Porto , MHIH , OM ( Portuguese pronunciation : [ futɨˈβɔl ˈkluβ ( ɨ ) ðu ˈpoɾtu ] ) , commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto . It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga , the top flight of Portuguese football , Founded on 28 September 1893 , Porto is one of the Big Three ( Portuguese : Os Três Grandes ) teams in Portugal - together with Lisbon-based rivals Benfica and Sporting CP - that have appeared in every season of the Primeira Liga since its establishment in 1934 . They are nicknamed Dragões ( Dragons ) , for the mythical creature atop the club 's crest , and Azuis e brancos ( Blue-and-whites ) , for the shirt colours . The club supporters are called Portistas . Since 2003 , Porto have played their home matches at the Estádio do Dragão , which replaced the previous 103-year-old ground , the Estádio das Antas . Porto is the second most decorated team in Portugal , with 76 major trophies , of which 69 were achieved in domestic competitions . These comprise 28 Primeira Liga titles ( five of which were won consecutively between 1994-95 and 1998-99 , a Portuguese football record ) , 16 Taça de Portugal , 4 Campeonato de Portugal , and a record 21 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira . Porto is the second team in Portuguese league history to have won two titles without any defeat , namely in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons . In the former , Porto achieved the largest-ever difference of points between champion and runner-up in a three-points-per-win system ( 21 points ) , on their way to a second quadruple . In international competitions , Porto is the most decorated Portuguese team , with seven trophies . They won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in 1987 and 2004 , the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 2003 and 2011 , the UEFA Super Cup in 1987 , and the Intercontinental Cup in 1987 and 2004 . In addition , they were runners-up in the 1983-84 European Cup Winners ' Cup and in the 2003 , 2004 and 2011 editions of the UEFA Super Cup .
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM ( European Portuguese : [ kɾiʃˈtjɐnu ʁɔˈnaɫdu ] ; born 5 February 1985 ) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team . Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time , [ note 3 ] Ronaldo has won five Ballons d'Or [ note 4 ] and four European Golden Shoes , both of which are records for a European player . He has won 29 trophies in his career , including six league titles , five UEFA Champions Leagues , one UEFA European Championship , and one UEFA Nations League . A prolific goalscorer , Ronaldo holds the records for the most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League ( 128 ) and the joint-most goals scored in the UEFA European Championship ( 9 ) . He has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country . Born and raised in Madeira , Ronaldo began his senior club career playing for Sporting CP , before signing with Manchester United in 2003 , aged 18 . After winning the FA Cup in his first season , he helped United win three successive Premier League titles , the UEFA Champions League , and the FIFA Club World Cup ; at age 23 , he won his first Ballon d'Or . In 2009 , Ronaldo was the subject of the then-most expensive association football transfer when signed for Real Madrid in a transfer worth €94 million ( £80 million ) . There , Ronaldo won 15 trophies , including two La Liga titles , two Copas del Rey , and four UEFA Champions League titles , and became the club 's all-time top goalscorer . After joining Madrid , Ronaldo finished runner-up for the Ballon d'Or three times , behind Lionel Messi - his perceived career rival - before winning back-to-back Ballons d'Or from 2013-2014 and again from 2016-2017 . After winning a third consecutive Champions League title in 2018 , Ronaldo became the first player to win the trophy five times . In 2018 , he signed for Juventus in a transfer worth an initial €100 million ( £88 million ) , the highest ever paid by an Italian club and the highest ever paid for a player over 30 years old .
Portugal ( Portuguese : [ puɾtuˈɣal ] ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( Portuguese : República Portuguesa [ ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ ] ) , [ note 5 ] is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula , in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe , being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain . Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments . Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe and the world , its territory having been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The pre-Celtic people , Iberians , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples . After the Muslim conquests of the Iberian Peninsula , most of the territory was part of Al-Andalus until their expulsion . Portugal as a country was established during the early Christian Reconquista . Founded in 868 , the County of Portugal gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128 . The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique in 1139 , and independence from León was recognised by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143 . On 12 December 2017 , the Portuguese Navy commemorated the 700th anniversary of its official creation by King Denis of Portugal . Tracing its origins back to the 12th century , it is the oldest continuously serving navy in the world . In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers .
Manchester United Football Club is a professional football club based in Old Trafford , Greater Manchester , England , that competes in the Premier League , the top flight of English football . Nicknamed the Red Devils , the club was founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878 , changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to its current stadium , Old Trafford , in 1910 . Manchester United have won more trophies than any other club in English football , with a record 20 League titles , 12 FA Cups , five League Cups and a record 21 FA Community Shields . United have also won three UEFA Champions Leagues , one UEFA Europa League , one UEFA Cup Winners ' Cup , one UEFA Super Cup , one Intercontinental Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup . In 1998-99 , the club became the first in the history of English football to achieve the continental European treble . By winning the UEFA Europa League in 2016-17 , they became one of five clubs to have won all three main UEFA club competitions . The 1958 Munich air disaster claimed the lives of eight players . In 1968 , under the management of Matt Busby , Manchester United became the first English football club to win the European Cup . Alex Ferguson won 38 trophies as manager , including 13 Premier League titles , 5 FA Cups and 2 UEFA Champions Leagues , between 1986 and 2013 , when he announced his retirement . Manchester United was the highest-earning football club in the world for 2016-17 , with an annual revenue of €676.3 million , and the world 's third most valuable football club in 2019 , valued at £3.15 billion ( $ 3.81 billion ) . As of June 2015 , it is the world 's most valuable football brand , estimated to be worth $ 1.2 billion . After being floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1991 , the club was purchased by Malcolm Glazer in May 2005 in a deal valuing the club at almost £800 million , after which the company was taken private again , before going public once more in August 2012 , when they made an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange .
Juventus Football Club ( from Latin : iuventūs , youth ; Italian pronunciation : [ juˈvɛntus ] ) , colloquially known as Juve ( pronounced [ ˈjuːve ] ) , is an Italian professional association football club based in Turin , Piedmont . Founded in 1897 by a group of Torinese students , the club has worn a black and white striped home kit since 1903 and has played home matches in different grounds around its city , the latest being the 41,507-capacity Juventus Stadium . Nicknamed Vecchia Signora ( the Old Lady ) , the club has won 35 official league titles , 13 Coppa Italia titles and eight Supercoppa Italiana titles , being the record holder for all these competitions ; two Intercontinental Cups , two European Cups / UEFA Champions Leagues , one European Cup Winners ' Cup , a joint national record of three UEFA Cups , two UEFA Super Cups and a joint national record of one UEFA Intertoto Cup . Consequently , the side leads the historical Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio ( FIGC ) ranking [ a ] whilst on the international stage occupies the 5th position in Europe and the eleventh in the world for most confederation titles won with eleven trophies , having led the UEFA ranking during seven seasons since its inception in 1979 , the most for an Italian team and joint second overall . Founded with the name of Sport-Club Juventus , initially as an athletics club , it is the second oldest of its kind still active in the country after Genoa 's football section ( 1893 ) and has competed uninterruptedly in the top flight league ( reformulated as Serie A from 1929 ) since its debut in 1900 after changing its name to Foot-Ball Club Juventus , with the exception of the 2006-07 season , being managed by the industrial Agnelli family almost continuously since 1923 . [ b ] The relationship between the club and that dynasty is the oldest and longest in national sports , making Juventus the first professional sporting club ante litteram in the country , having established itself as a major force in the national stage since the 1930s and at confederation level since the mid-1970s and becoming one of the first ten wealthiest in world football in terms of value , revenue and profit since the mid-1990s , being listed on the Borsa italiana since 2001 . Under the management of Giovanni Trapattoni , the club won 13 trophies in the ten years before 1986 , including six league titles and five international titles , and became the first to win all three seasonal competitions organised by the Union of European Football Associations : the 1976-77 UEFA Cup ( first Southern European side to do so ) , the 1983-84 Cup Winners ' Cup and the 1984-85 European Champions ' Cup . With successive triumphs in the 1984 European Super Cup and 1985 Intercontinental Cup , it became the first and thus far only in the world to complete a clean sweep of all confederation trophies ; an achievement that they revalidated with the title won in the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup after another successful era led by Marcello Lippi , becoming in addition the only professional Italian club to have won every ongoing honour available to the first team and organised by a national or international football association . In December 2000 , Juventus was ranked seventh in the FIFA 's historic ranking of the best clubs in the world and nine years later was ranked second best club in Europe during the 20th Century based on a statistical study series by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics ( IFFHS ) , the highest for an Italian club in both . The club 's fan base is the largest at national level and one of the largest worldwide . Unlike most European sporting supporters ' groups , which are often concentrated around their own club 's city of origin , it is widespread throughout the whole country and the Italian diaspora , making Juventus a symbol of anticampanilismo ( anti-parochialism ) and italianità ( Italianness ) . Juventus players have won eight Ballon d'Or awards , four of these in consecutive years ( 1982-1985 , an overall record ) , among these the first player representing Serie A , Omar Sívori , as well as Michel Platini and three of the five recipients with Italian nationality as the former member of the youth sector Paolo Rossi ; they have also won four FIFA World Player of the Year awards , with winners as Roberto Baggio and Zinédine Zidane , a national record and third and joint second highest overall , respectively , in the cited prizes .
Xavier Hernández Creus ( Catalan : [ ˈʃaβi əɾˈnandəs ˈkɾɛws ] , Spanish : [ ˈtʃaβj eɾˈnandeθ ˈkɾeus ] ; born 25 January 1980 ) , nicknamed Xavi , is a Spanish football manager and former player who is the manager of Qatar Stars League football club Al Sadd Highly regarded for his humble persona and team ethos , Xavi is viewed as being the embodiment of the tiki-taka passing style of play , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest central midfielders of all time . He is also considered by many to be the greatest Spanish player ever . Xavi joined La Masia , the Barcelona youth academy , at age 11 , and made his first-team debut against Mallorca in August 1998 . In all , he played over 700 matches , a club record , and scored 85 goals . Xavi is the first player in the club 's history to play 150 European and FIFA Club World Cup matches combined . With Barcelona , Xavi won eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles . He has won 31 trophies for Barcelona and Spain , a total only surpassed by Andrés Iniesta as the most decorated Spanish player in history . Xavi came third in the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year , followed by third place for its successor award , the FIFA Ballon d'Or , in 2010 and 2011 . In 2011 , he was runner up to Lionel Messi for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award . With Spain , Xavi won the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999 , and the Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Olympics . After making his senior team debut in 2000 , he was capped 133 times for the Spain national team , and was an influential figure in the team 's successes . He played an integral role in Spain 's victory at the 2010 FIFA World Cup , as well as their wins at both UEFA Euro 2008 and UEFA Euro 2012 .
Futbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan pronunciation : [ fubˈbɔl ˈklub bəɾsəˈlonə ] ( listen ) ) , commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça ( [ ˈbaɾsə ] ) , is a Spanish professional football club based in Barcelona , Catalonia , Spain . Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss , Spanish , English and Catalan footballers led by Joan Gamper , the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism , hence the motto Més que un club ( More than a club ) . Unlike many other football clubs , the supporters own and operate Barcelona . It is the fourth-most valuable sports team in the world , worth $ 4.06 billion , and the world 's richest football club in terms of revenue , with an annual turnover of €840,8 million . The official Barcelona anthem is the Cant del Barça , written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs . Domestically , Barcelona has won a record 74 trophies ; 26 La Liga , 30 Copa del Rey , 13 Supercopa de España , 3 Copa Eva Duarte , and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies , as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions . In international club football , the club has won 20 European and worldwide titles ; 5 UEFA Champions League titles , a record 4 UEFA Cup Winners ' Cup , a joint record 5 UEFA Super Cup , a record 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup , and 3 FIFA Club World Cup . Barcelona was ranked first in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics Club World Ranking for 1997 , 2009 , 2011 , 2012 , and 2015 and currently occupies the second position on the UEFA club rankings . The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid ; matches between the two teams are referred to as El Clásico . Barcelona is one of the most widely supported teams in the world , and the club has one of the largest social media following in the world among sports teams . Barcelona players have won a record number of Ballon d'Or awards ( 12 ) , with recipients including Johan Cruyff , as well as a record number of FIFA World Player of the Year awards ( 7 ) , with winners including Ronaldo , Romário , Ronaldinho , and Rivaldo . In 2010 , three players who came through the club 's youth academy ( Lionel Messi , Andrés Iniesta , and Xavi ) were chosen as the three best players in the world in the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards , an unprecedented feat for players from the same football school .
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE ( born Wilson ; born 29 November 1973 ) is a Welsh football coach and former player . He is the manager of the Wales national team and a co-owner of Salford City . He played his entire professional career for Manchester United and briefly served as the club 's interim manager . The son of rugby union and Wales international rugby league footballer Danny Wilson , Giggs was born in Cardiff but moved to Manchester at the age of six when his father joined Swinton RLFC . Predominantly a left winger , he began his career with Manchester City , but joined Manchester United on his 14th birthday in 1987 . He made his professional debut for the club in 1991 and spent the next 23 years in the Manchester United first team . At the end of the 2013-14 season , he was named as Manchester United 's interim player-manager following the sacking of David Moyes . He was named as assistant manager under Moyes ' permanent replacement , Louis van Gaal , on 19 May 2014 ; he retired from playing the same day . He holds the club record for competitive appearances . At international level , Giggs played for the Wales national team 64 times between 1991 and 2007 , and was named as the captain of the Great Britain team that competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics . He is one of only 28 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances . Giggs is one of the most decorated footballers of all time .
Wales ( Welsh : Cymru [ ˈkəmri ] ( listen ) ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom . It is bordered by England to the east , the Irish Sea to the north and west , and the Bristol Channel to the south . It had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2 ( 8,023 sq mi ) . Wales has over 1,680 miles ( 2,700 km ) of coastline and is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas , including Snowdon ( Yr Wyddfa ) , its highest summit . The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable , maritime climate . Welsh national identity emerged among the Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century , and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations . Llywelyn ap Gruffudd 's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England 's conquest of Wales , though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century . The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 . Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century . Welsh Liberalism , exemplified in the early 20th century by Lloyd George , was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party . Welsh national feeling grew over the century ; Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962 . Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998 , the National Assembly for Wales holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters .
Raúl González Blanco ( Spanish pronunciation : [ raˈul ɣonˈθaleθ ˈβlaŋko ] ; born 27 June 1977 ) , known as Raúl , is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a striker . He is the current manager of Real Madrid Castilla . Raúl is considered one of the most important players in the history of Real Madrid and regarded as one of the greatest Spanish players of all-time . Raúl was born in the San Cristóbal de los Ángeles neighborhood of Madrid where he played for the local youth team before moving to the Atlético Madrid youth team . He later moved to Real Madrid 's youth academy and played at its various levels . In 1994 , he signed his first professional contract with the fourth division team Real Madrid C , and then was swiftly promoted to the first team . He spent 16 years of his career playing for Real Madrid and is the club 's second all-time top goalscorer with 323 goals , and he is the most capped player in the history of the club , with 741 appearances . With Los Blancos , Raúl won six La Liga titles , three UEFA Champions League titles , scoring in two finals , four Supercopa de España titles , one UEFA Super Cup and two Intercontinental Cups . In 2003 , he was appointed captain of the team and retained that position until his departure from the club in 2010 . He then signed for Schalke 04 , where he won a DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup , before signing for Qatari club Al Sadd in 2012 , where he won the league and the Emir of Qatar Cup . He ended his career with New York Cosmos in 2015 , after winning a domestic treble . In La Liga competitions , Raúl is the fifth-highest goalscorer in the history of the competition with 228 goals .
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V. , commonly known as FC Schalke 04 ( German : [ ɛf tseː ˈʃalkə nʊl fiːɐ̯ ] ) , Schalke , Schalke 04 or abbreviated as S04 ( German : [ ˈɛs nʊl fiːɐ̯ ] ) , is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen , North Rhine-Westphalia . The 04 in the club 's name derives from its formation in 1904 . Schalke has long been one of the most popular professional football teams and multi-sports club in Germany , even though the club 's heyday was in the 1930s and 1940s . Schalke play in the Bundesliga , the top tier of the German football league system . As of June 2018 , the club has 155,000 members , making it the second-largest sports club in Germany and the fourth-largest sports club in the world in terms of membership . [ not verified in body ] Other activities offered by the club include athletics , basketball , handball , table tennis , winter sports and eSports . Founded in 1904 , Schalke has won seven German championships , five DFB-Pokals , one DFL-Supercup and one UEFA Cup . Schalke also succeeded as the first German club to win a cup double in 1937 . Since 2001 , Schalke 's stadium has been the Veltins-Arena . Schalke holds a long-standing rivalry with Ruhr neighbours Borussia Dortmund , arguably one of the most widespread and well-known rivalries in German football , and matches between the two teams are referred to as the Revierderby . Schalke was ranked as the seventh-best football team in Europe by UEFA 's 2015 UEFA club rankings . In terms of operating income , Schalke possesses the seventh-highest operating income of any football club at $ 64.4 million or £38.2 million ( €48 million ) , and 0% debt as of August 2014 .
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini [ note 1 ] ( Spanish pronunciation : [ ljoˈnel anˈdɾez ˈmesi ] ( listen ) ; [ A ] born 24 June 1987 ) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team . Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time , Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards , [ note 2 ] and a record six European Golden Shoes . He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona , where he has won a club-record 34 trophies , including ten La Liga titles , four UEFA Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey . A prolific goalscorer and a creative playmaker , Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga ( 433 ) , a La Liga and European league season ( 50 ) , most hat-tricks in La Liga ( 35 ) and the UEFA Champions League ( 8 ) , and most assists in La Liga ( 181 ) and the Copa América ( 13 ) . He has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country . Born and raised in central Argentina , Messi relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13 , for whom he made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004 . He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years , and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008-09 he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football ; that year , aged 22 , Messi won his first Ballon d'Or . Three successful seasons followed , with Messi winning three consecutive Ballons d'Or , including an unprecedented fourth . During the 2011-12 season , he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season , while establishing himself as Barcelona 's all-time top scorer . The following two seasons , Messi finished second for the Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo - his perceived career rival - before regaining his best form during the 2014-15 campaign , becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga and leading Barcelona to a historic second treble , after which he was awarded a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015 . Messi assumed the captaincy of Barcelona in 2018 , and in 2019 he secured a record sixth Ballon d'Or . An Argentine international , Messi is his country 's all-time leading goalscorer .
Argentina ( Spanish : [ aɾxenˈtina ] ) , officially the Argentine Republic [ A ] ( Spanish : República Argentina ) , is a country located mostly in the southern half of South America . Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west , the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north , Brazil to the northeast , Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east , and the Drake Passage to the south . With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 ( 1,073,500 sq mi ) , [ B ] Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world , the fourth largest in the Americas , the second largest in South America after Brazil , and the largest Spanish-speaking nation . The sovereign state is subdivided into twenty-three provinces ( Spanish : provincias , singular provincia ) and one autonomous city ( ciudad autónoma ) , Buenos Aires , which is the federal capital of the nation ( Spanish : Capital Federal ) as decided by Congress . The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions , but exist under a federal system . Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica , the Falkland Islands ( Spanish : Islas Malvinas ) , and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period . The Inca Empire expanded to the northwest of the country in Pre-Columbian times . The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century . Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776 . The declaration and fight for independence ( 1810-1818 ) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861 , culminating in the country 's reorganization as a federation of provinces with Buenos Aires as its capital city . The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability , with several waves of European immigration , mainly Italians and Spaniards , radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook ; 62.5% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry , and the Argentine culture has significant connections to the Italian culture .
Paolo Cesare Maldini ( Italian pronunciation : [ ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni ] ; born 26 June 1968 ) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a left back and central defender for A.C. Milan and the Italy national team , who is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever defenders , and as one of the greatest players of all time . As the Milan and Italy captain for many years he was considered a leader by fellow footballers , leading to the nickname Il Capitano ( The Captain ) . Maldini holds the record for most appearances in Serie A , alongside Gianluigi Buffon , with 647 . He is currently serving as technical director for Milan , as well as being co-owner of USL Championship club Miami FC . During his playing career , Maldini spent all 25 seasons of his career in the Serie A with Milan , before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009 . He won 25 trophies with Milan : the UEFA Champions League five times , seven Serie A titles , one Coppa Italia , five Supercoppa Italiana titles , five European Super Cups , two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup . During his years at Milan , Maldini played at a world class level for his entire career spanning two-and-a-half decades , and won the Best Defender trophy at the UEFA Club Football Awards at the age of 39 , as well as the Serie A Defender of the Year Award in 2004 . Following his retirement after the 2008-09 season , his lifelong club Milan retired his number 3 shirt . Maldini made his debut for Italy in 1988 , playing for 14 years before retiring in 2002 with 7 goals and 126 caps , an appearance record at the time , which has since only been topped by Fabio Cannavaro in 2009 and Gianluigi Buffon in 2013 . Maldini captained Italy for eight years and held the record for appearances made as Italy 's captain , wearing the armband 74 times , until he was once again overtaken by Cannavaro , in 2010 , and subsequently Buffon . With Italy , Maldini took part in four FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships . Although he did not win a tournament with Italy , he reached the final of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000 , and the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1988 .
Italy ( Italian : Italia [ iˈtaːlja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Italian Republic ( Italian : Repubblica Italiana [ reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna ] ) , is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands . Italy is located in south-central Europe , and it is also considered a part of Western Europe . The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 ( 116,350 sq mi ) and shares land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino . Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland ( Campione ) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea ( Lampedusa ) . With around 60 million inhabitants , Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union . The capital and largest city is Rome ; other major cities are Milan , Naples , Turin , Palermo , Genoa , Bologna , Florence and Venice . Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean , Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures . In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy , the most predominant being the Indo-European Italic peoples who gave the peninsula its name , beginning from the classical era , Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy , Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy , while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively . An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC , which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People . The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula , eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe , North Africa and Asia . By the first century BC , the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural , political and religious centre , inaugurating the Pax Romana , a period of more than 200 years during which Italy 's law , technology , economy , art , and literature developed . Italy remained the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the empire , whose legacy can also be observed in the global distribution of culture , governments , Christianity and the Latin script .
Associazione Calcio Milan ( Italian pronunciation : [ assotʃatˈtsjoːne ˈkaltʃo ˈmiːlan ] ) , commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional football club in Milan , Italy , founded in 1899 . The club has spent its entire history , with the exception of the 1980-81 and 1982-83 seasons , in the top flight of Italian football , known as Serie A since 1929-30 . A.C. Milan 's 18 FIFA and UEFA trophies is the fourth highest out of any club ( joint with Boca Juniors ) , and the most out of any Italian club . Milan has won a joint record three Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup , seven European Cup/Champions League titles ( Italian record ) , the UEFA Super Cup a joint record five times and the Cup Winners ' Cup twice . With 18 league titles , Milan is also the joint-second most successful club in Serie A , along with local rivals Internazionale and behind Juventus ( 35 league titles ) . They have also won the Coppa Italia five times , and the Supercoppa Italiana seven . Milan 's home games are played at San Siro , also known as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza . The stadium , which is shared with city rivals Internazionale , is the largest in Italian football , with a total capacity of 80,018 . Inter are considered their biggest rivals , and matches between the two teams are called Derby della Madonnina , which is one of the most followed derbies in football . The club is one of the wealthiest in Italian and world football . It was a founding member of the now-defunct G-14 group of Europe 's leading football clubs as well as its replacement , the European Club Association .
Andrés Iniesta Luján ( Spanish pronunciation : [ anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan ] ; born 11 May 1984 ) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Japanese club Vissel Kobe . He spent most of his career at Barcelona , where he served as the captain for three seasons . Iniesta is widely considered to be one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest midfielders of all time . Iniesta came through La Masia , the Barcelona youth academy , after an early migration from his birthplace , and impressed from an early age . He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002 . He began playing regularly during the 2004-05 season and remained in the team until 2018 . Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015 , and his 35 trophies , which includes nine La Ligas and four UEFA Champions League titles , make him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time . After twenty-two years at Barcelona , Iniesta signed for Japanese club Vissel Kobe in 2018 . Iniesta played for Spain at the Under-16 , Under-19 and Under-21 levels before making his international debut in 2006 . He helped Spain win UEFA Euro 2008 , playing every game and being selected in the Team of the Tournament . Iniesta was also a key member of the victorious Spanish team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup ; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands , for which he was named the Man of the Match , and was selected to the tournament 's All-Star Team . At UEFA Euro 2012 , Iniesta led Spain to their second consecutive continental crown , again being chosen as the Man of the Match of the final against Italy , and was named the Player of the Tournament .
Clarence Clyde Seedorf ( Dutch pronunciation : [ ˈklɛrəns ˈseːdɔrf ] ( listen ) ; born 1 April 1976 ) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player . He was most recently the manager of the Cameroon national team . Regarded by many as one of the best midfielders of his generation , in 2004 , he was chosen by Pelé as part of the FIFA 100 . Seedorf is one of the most decorated Dutch players ever , and has won domestic and continental titles while playing for clubs in the Netherlands , Spain , Italy and Brazil . He is considered one of the most successful players in UEFA Champions League history , as he is the first , and currently the only , player to have won the Champions League with three clubs - once with Ajax , in 1995 , once with Real Madrid , in 1998 and twice with Milan , in 2003 and 2007 . At international level , he represented the Netherlands on 87 occasions , and took part at three UEFA European Football Championships ( 1996 , 2000 , 2004 ) and the 1998 FIFA World Cup , reaching the semi-finals of the latter three tournaments .
The Netherlands ( Dutch : Nederland , [ ˈneːdərlɑnt ] ( listen ) ) , informally Holland , is a country in Northwestern Europe with some overseas territories in the Caribbean . In Europe , it consists of 12 provinces that border Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , with maritime borders in the North Sea with those countries and the United Kingdom . Together with the Caribbean Netherlands - Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba - it forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The official language is Dutch and a secondary official language in the province of Friesland is West Frisian . In the north and east of the country , Low Saxon is also spoken , and in the southeast , Limburgish . In the Caribbean Netherlands English and Papiamento are recognised languages . The five largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague , Utrecht and Eindhoven . Amsterdam is the country 's most populous city and nominal capital , while The Hague holds the seat of the States General , Cabinet and Supreme Court . The Port of Rotterdam is the busiest seaport in Europe , and the busiest in any country outside Asia . Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the busiest airport in the Netherlands , and the third busiest in Europe . The country is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G10 , NATO , OECD and WTO , as well as a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . It hosts several intergovernmental organisations and international courts , many of which are centered in The Hague , which is consequently dubbed 'the world 's legal capital ' .
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax ( Dutch pronunciation : [ ˈaːjɑks ] ) , also known as AFC Ajax , Ajax Amsterdam , or simply Ajax , is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam , that plays in the Eredivisie , the top tier in Dutch football . Historically , Ajax ( named after the legendary Greek hero ) has been the most successful club in the Netherlands , with 34 Eredivisie titles and 19 KNVB Cups . It has continuously played in the Eredivisie , since the league 's inception in 1956 and , along with Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven , it is one of the country 's big three clubs that have dominated that competition . Ajax has historically been one of the most successful clubs in the world . According to the IFFHS , Ajax were the seventh-most successful European club of the 20th century and The World 's Club Team of the Year in 1992 . According to German magazine Kicker , Ajax were the second-most successful European club of the 20th century . The club is one of the five teams that has earned the right to keep the European Cup and to wear a multiple-winner badge ; they won consecutively in 1971-1973 . In 1972 , they completed the continental treble by winning the Eredivisie , KNVB Cup , and the European Cup . It also won the first organized UEFA Super Cup in 1972 against Glasgow Rangers ( played in 1973 ) . Ajax 's last international trophies were the 1995 Intercontinental Cup , 1995 UEFA Super Cup and the 1995 Champions League , where they defeated Milan in the final ; they lost the 1996 Champions League final on penalties to Juventus . In 1995 , Ajax was crowned as World Team of the Year by World Soccer magazine . Ajax is also one of four teams to win the continental treble and the Intercontinental Cup or Club World Cup in the same season/calendar year ; This was achieved in the 1971-72 season .
Paul Scholes ( /skoʊlz/ SKOHLZ ; born 16 November 1974 ) is an English football coach and former player , as well as a co-owner of Salford City . He spent his entire professional playing career with Manchester United , for whom he scored over 150 goals in more than 700 appearances between 1993 and 2013 . His first managerial position was at Oldham Athletic , for 31 days in February and March 2019 . Scholes came through the Manchester United youth academy as one of Fergie 's Fledglings ( a group of players recruited by Manchester United under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson ) . Scholes made his full debut for Manchester United in the 1994-95 season . He went on to make 718 appearances for United , the third-highest number of appearances by any player for the club . Scholes announced his retirement from playing in May 2011 and was appointed as a coach at Manchester United . However , he returned to playing in January 2012 , and went on to play one more season for the club before retiring again in May 2013 . With United , Scholes won 25 trophies including 11 Premier League titles ( more than any other English player ) and two UEFA Champions League titles . Scholes represented the England national team from 1997 to 2004 , gaining 66 caps and participating in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups , as well as the UEFA Euro 2000 and Euro 2004 tournaments . Scholes announced his retirement from international football in August 2004 , citing his family life and his club career with Manchester United as being more important . Regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation , over his career Scholes has received praise from other managers and players , including Xavi , who said in 2014 that Scholes was the best central midfielder he had seen in the previous 15 to 20 years , describing him as a spectacular player who has everything .
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom . It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north . The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest . England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south . The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain , which lies in the North Atlantic , and includes over 100 smaller islands , such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight . It is the largest country of British Isles . The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period , but takes its name from the Angles , a Germanic tribe deriving its name from the Anglia peninsula , who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries . England became a unified state in the 10th century , and since the Age of Discovery , which began during the 15th century , has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world . The English language , the Anglican Church , and English law - the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world - developed in England , and the country 's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations . The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England , transforming its society into the world 's first industrialised nation . England 's terrain is chiefly low hills and plains , especially in central and southern England . However , there is upland and mountainous terrain in the north ( for example , the Lake District and Pennines ) and in the west ( for example , Dartmoor and the Shropshire Hills ) .