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Top 20 revealed
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Representing your country is one of football’s greatest honours - but doing it hundreds of times takes something truly extraordinary. Over the past 25 years, a handful of players have become the heartbeat of their national teams, racking up appearance after appearance in major tournaments, qualifiers, and friendlies. These are the pretty much ever-presents - often the leaders, the survivors, and the relentless professionals who’ve carried their nations through eras of change.
From global icons to tireless veterans who’ve quietly built remarkable international careers, the modern game has produced a generation of players whose consistency and longevity set them apart. Transfermarkt takes a closer look at the footballers with the most international caps this century, revealing the top 20 stars.
The players with most international caps since 2000
Leading the way is the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, who has clocked up as many as 223 caps for his native Portugal. He has won the Nations League twice in that time, as well as tasting glory at Euro 2016. In second is the majestic Lionel Messi, who has made 194 caps for Argentina - the icon has won two Copa Americás and most famously the 2022 World Cup. Third goes to Luka Modrić, who has racked up 191 caps for Croatia down the years. Fourth goes to midfielder Andrés Guardado, who has played 182 times for Mexico this century.
In fifth spot is former Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, who has represented Honduras 181 times. Heroic defender Sergio Ramos takes sixth having made 180 caps for Spain. He is followed in seventh by forward Alexis Sánchez who has made 168 caps for Chile. Eighth goes to iconic goalkeeper Iker Casillas who has played 167 times for Spain. In ninth is another legendary keeper in the form of Gianluigi Buffon, who racked up 164 caps for Italy, whilst Costa Rica's Celso Borges completes the top 10 having made 163 caps for the Central American nation.
