How Many Champions Leagues Has Messi Won?

Biser Todorov, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer to ever play the game. The Argentinian maestro has broken records both in La Liga and on the international stage, having also claimed his first World Cup in 2022.

Another prestigious football competition, the Champions League, is a tournament where Messi has lots of experience, having played in the competition for many years at Barcelona, as well as in Paris with Paris Saint Germain.

In this article, we ask, ‘How many Champions Leagues has Messi won?’. We look at Messi’s Champions League titles, and the role that he played in those wins, as well as looking at the records he has achieved in the competition. Read on to learn more.

How Many Champions Leagues Has Messi Won?

Lionel Messi has won 4 Champions League trophies, all of which were won whilst playing for Barcelona. He won those titles in the following seasons:

• 2005/06
• 2008/09
• 2010/11
• 2014/15

Messi Champions League Titles

2005/06

The first Champions League won by Lionel Messi came in the 2005/06 season, when he was just 18-years-old. He was still in the process of breaking into Frank Rijkaard’s starting XI, having only scored 9 first team goals at the time.

Unfortunately for Messi, he picked up an injury during the round of 16 tie against Chelsea, which ruled him out of the final against Arsenal. He wasn’t fit enough to be named on the bench either, so Messi had to watch the game as a spectator.

Barcelona won the final 2-1, thanks to goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti. This meant that Messi had won his first ever Champions League without kicking a ball in the final. He recalls this moment as a bittersweet one, with him purposely avoiding celebrations with his teammates after the match because of his disappointment of being injured.

He believed that he might not have had the opportunity to play in a Champions League final again, and wanted to at least be on the bench that evening in France.

2008/09

Well, as it happens, Messi did have the opportunity to be involved in a Champions League final, and this came just 3 years later during the 2008/09 season. This time around, Messi was fit to start the final against Manchester United, playing in the right wing position in a 4-3-3 under Pep Guardiola.

Barcelona were designated as the “home” team for the final, which meant they were able to decide which kit they wore. They opted to wear Barcelona’s traditional, blue and red home kit.

It didn’t take long for Barcelona to get a grip on the game, and it was that man again, Samuel Eto’o, who got himself on the scoresheet. The Cameroon striker scored the opening goal of the final in the 10th minute.

Having gone into half-time, 1-0 up, Barcelona increased their lead in the second half, with Lionel Messi getting the moment he’d always hoped for. In the 70th minute, Xavi played a cross into the box which looped over Rio Ferdinand’s head, leaving Messi free to score a great header against goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar.

Cristiano Ronaldo and co. could only watch on in disbelief, as Barcelona won the final 2-0. Messi received the fan’s man of the match award that evening, with 62,467 people in attendance. Watch Messi’s impressive header in the 2008/09 Champions League final below:

2010/11

Messi’s third Champions League trophy came just two seasons later, with a repeat of the 2008/09 final against Manchester United. The 2010/11 Champions League final took place at Wembley Stadium, with over 87,000 people in attendance on the night.

With Manchester United looking to seek revenge over the Catalonians after the 2008/09 final, they lined up in a 4-4-1-1 under manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Barcelona, on the other hand, lined up in their traditional 4-3-3, again under Pep Guardiola, however Lionel Messi was deployed as a false 9 this time around.

Spanish winger Pedro opened the scoring on the 27th minute, however Manchester United immediately responded, with English talisman Wayne Rooney scoring on the 34th minute. Messi then scored his second goal in a Champions League final, beating Van Der Sar with a powerful shot from just outside the penalty area.

David Villa added a third Barcelona goal in the 69th minute, which put the game to bed, meaning that Barcelona had won their third Champions League title in just 6 seasons. Messi was nominated man of the match in the final.

Watch Messi’s impressive strike against the Red Devils at Wembley here:

2014/15

The 2014/15 Champions League final saw Barcelona face a different opposition in Juventus. The final took place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, with 70,442 people in attendance on the night.

Barcelona were playing under Luis Enrique at this point, a manager who, at one point, had managed Barcelona’s B team. Again, Barcelona lined up in a 4-3-3 with Messi being joined by Brazilian maestro Neymar and Luis Suárez in the final third.

The Catalonians found themselves in front just 4 minutes into the final, thanks to a goal from Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitić. They went into half-time 1-0 up, however Juventus forced an equaliser in the 55th minute. This was the only goal Juventus scored, however, Barcelona added a second through Suárez and then a third in the 7th minute of injury time through Neymar.

Messi didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet that evening, but we’re sure he would’ve left the German capital happy after adding a fourth Champions League to his long list of footballing honours.

How Many Champions League Final Goals Does Messi Have?

Lionel Messi has scored two goals in Champions League finals:

• 1 vs Manchester United in 2008/09
• 1 vs Manchester United in 2010/11

Messi’s Champions League Records

Now that we’ve clarified how many Champions Leagues Messi has won, let’s have a look at his Champions League records. The Argentine isn’t short of footballing achievements, and has some impressive records against his name in Europe’s most prestigious competition.

Messi has the following Champions League records to his name:

• Most Champions League group stage goals
• Most Champions League round of 16 goals
• Most Champions League goals for a single club (Barcelona)
• Most successive seasons scoring in the Champions League

Most Champions League Group Stage Goals

Messi has the record for the most Champions League group stage goals, having hit the 80 goal mark whilst playing for PSG. He scored 71 of these goals playing for Barcelona.

Most Champions League Round of 16 Goals

When it comes to round of 16 matches, Messi also holds the record, having scored 29 goals at this stage of the competition over the years.

Most Champions League Goals for a Single Club

Messi has scored 120 goals for Barcelona in the Champions League, holding the record for the most Champions League goals for a single club.

Most Successive Seasons Scoring in the Champions League

Arguably the most impressive scoring record Messi holds in Europe’s top competition is scoring in the most successive seasons, having scored in 18 consecutive seasons.

Head-to-Head Champions Leagues: Messi vs Ronaldo

A common question asked among football enthusiasts is ‘Who has more Champions Leagues: Messi or Ronaldo?’. Cristiano Ronaldo has won one more Champions League title than Lionel Messi, having won 5. He won 4 with Real Madrid and 1 with Manchester United, whereas Messi has won 4 with Barcelona.

Will Messi Win Any More Champions Leagues?

There’s a chance that Lionel Messi will win another Champions League trophy, especially if he makes an iconic move back to Barcelona. Although the Catalan giants haven’t won the competition since Messi last won it with them in the 2014/15 season, they have made a strong resurgence under the management of ex-player Xavi.

Unfortunately, the Argentinian forward hasn’t had much luck in Europe whilst playing for PSG, with them only reaching the round of 16 stage in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.

Conclusion

Lionel Messi’s Champions League titles all came within 10 finals between the 2008/09 and 2015/16 seasons. Having scored 2 goals across those four finals, even after not featuring in one of them, Messi was a driving force behind Barcelona’s dominance in Europe.

Furthermore, Messi has firmly cemented his name in football history by breaking several impressive records on Europe’s biggest stage, including most goals in successive Champions League tournaments.

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