Ranking the 10 players with most appearances in the 21st century
There have been many fine players who have graced the game in the 21st century. But few have also displayed impressive longevity while performing at the top level.
World-class goalkeepers like Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas, fabulous defenders like Sergio Ramos, Giorgio Chiellini, midfield maestros like Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Kevin De Bruyne, and striking phenomenons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski, to name a few, have dazzling exploits for club and country.
The likes of Casillas, Ramos, Xavi and Andres Iniesta have won all the major titles on offer - La Liga, Champions League, European Championship and the FIFA World Cup - with Ramos still active.
Messi and Chiellini, who have been playing for almost two decades, recently added an international trophy apiece to their glorious cabinets.
So without further ado, here's a look at the ten players with the most appearances for club and country since the turn of the century:
Note 1: All stats as per transfermarkt.com
Note 2: Two players are 4th on the list with 941 apps apiece, so the ranking starts from #9
#9 Wayne Rooney - 884
Wayne Rooney is one of only two players to have scored over 200 goals in the Premier League.
The Manchester United legend scored most of his goals - 183 - for the Old Trafford club. It was a record tally for the most Premier League goals for a single club before Sergio Aguero overtook him on the last day of the 2020-21 season.
In almost 500 games in the competition, the diminutive forward also tallied an impressive 103 assists. He is the only player in Premier League history to register 200 goals and 100 assists.
The all-time Manchester United top goalscorer (253 goals) made more than 550 appearances for the 13-time Premier League champions. His 764th and last club-football appearance came for Derby County last season before he became the club's manager.
Rooney also had a lengthy career with England, making multiple appearances at the Euros and the FIFA World Cup. His tally of 53 goals (in 120 games) is the most by a player for the Three Lions.
#8 Sergio Ramos - 895
Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos is one of the game's most prominent goalscoring defenders.
Ramos recently brought up a century of goals for Real Madrid, whom he left this summer after a one-and-a-half-decade stint to join French giants PSG. Although he has a questionable disciplinary record, the centre-back has shown his aerial prowess at both ends of the field.
With 671 appearances, Ramos is Real Madrid's fourth-most capped player, while his 180 caps for Spain are the most by a European male player in international football.
The 35-year-old, who has scored 23 times for Spain, has won all major trophies - La Liga, the Champions League, the European Championship and the FIFA World Cup - during his illustrious career.
Ramos is now only five games away from making his 900th appearance for club and country, a milestone he'll hope to achieve this year after an injury-plagued 2020-21 campaign.
#7 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 906
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the finest strikers to have graced the game, especially since the turn of the century.
The evergreen Swede has turned out for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG and Manchester United.
Ibrahimovic, who recently scored his 500th goal in club football, has won league titles in four different countries (Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France), but the Champions League has eluded him.
The towering 39-year-old Swede scored 15 league goals for AC Milan last season to help them return to the Champions League after a long absence.
One of 11 players to have made over 100 appearances for Sweden, Ibrahimovic is the all-time top scorer in the Nordic nation's history with 62 goals. Earlier this year, he came out of retirement, but an injury dashed his hopes of appearing in a record-equalling fifth European Championship.
#6 Petr Cech - 916
Petr Cech is one of the finest goalkeepers to grace the Premier League. During an illustrious decade-and-a-half-long stint in the competition, the Czech custodian kept a record 207 clean sheets in nearly 450 appearances for two different clubs.
The four-time Premier League winner made most of his appearances for Chelsea and Arsenal, keeping close to 300 clean sheets in over 630 games for the two London giants.
The 39-year-old, who is now retired, also dazzled with the Czech Republic, keeping an impressive 56 clean sheets in 125 appearances.