European Championship all-time appearances: Ronaldo and Pepe lead the way

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 29 Feb 2024 14:09 GMT
• 4 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo has made the most appearances in European Championship history, with his participation in 2021 taking his tally to 25 games played in the competition.

The Portuguese football legend made his Euros debut back in 2004 and he has featured - and scored - in every tournament since then.

Ronaldo made six appearances in 2004, three in 2008, five in 2012, seven in 2016 and four in the delayed 2020 edition (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

He has played in every European Championship match Portugal have featured in since 2004, except their group stage game against Switzerland in 2008, and will have the chance to extend his record if he is selected in his nation’s squad for Euro 2024.

READ MORE: European Championship all-time top scorers - Ronaldo, Griezmann and the greatest goal kings

Ronaldo’s international team-mates Joao Moutinho and Pepe sit joint-second on the list of all-time European Championship appearances. Both Portuguese players have played 19 matches in the competition’s history.

Italy’s Leonardo Bonucci and Germany’s Bastian Schweinsteiger have both made 18 appearances in the European Championship.

Gianluigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini have played 17 times in the competition, while Spain trio Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba have racked up 16 Euros appearances each.

Who is the oldest player in European Championship history?

Legendary Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly is the oldest player to ever play in the European Championship. Kiraly became famous for wearing tracksuit bottoms instead of shorts and he played for his nation at Euro 2016, aged 40 years and 86 days old.

Lothar Matthaus is the second-oldest player in European Championship history (39 years and 92 days), while Morten Olsen, Maarten Stekelenburg and Peter Shilton complete the top five.

Who is the youngest player in European Championship history?

Kacper Kozlowski is the youngest player to ever play in the European Championship. The Poland international made his Euros debut in 2021, at the age of 17 years and 236 days old.

He broke Jude Bellingham’s record, who had previously become the youngest Euros player earlier in 2021.

Jetro Willems is the third-youngest player in European Championship history, while Enzo Scifo and Jamal Musiala complete the top five.