Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens: Who are Belgium's top UEFA Champions League performers?

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Which Belgian players have the most appearances and goals in Europe's leading club competition?

Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne and Dries Mertens

Runners-up to Liverpool in 1978, Club Brugge are the only Belgian side to have made it to a European Cup final, but plenty of the nation's top players have enjoyed success in the continent's top club competition. Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard have both been regulars for all-conquering Real Madrid, while Kevin De Bruyne was one of the stars of the Manchester City side that won the UEFA Champions League in 2023.

Last updated: 20/12/2025

Most appearances by Belgian players in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

93: Thibaut Courtois (Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea, Real Madrid)
85: Axel Witsel (Standard Liège, Benfica, Zenit, Dortmund, Atlético de Madrid)
82: Kevin De Bruyne (Genk, Chelsea, Manchester City, Napoli)
61: Eden Hazard (Lille, Chelsea, Real Madrid)
56: Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)
55: Yannick Carrasco (Monaco, Atlético de Madrid)
52: Daniel Van Buyten (Marseille, Bayern München)
51: Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht, Hamburg, Manchester City)
50: Toby Alderweireld (Ajax, Atlético de Madrid, Tottenham, Antwerp)
45: Timmy Simons (Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven)
45: Jan Vertonghen (Ajax, Tottenham, Benfica)

Top-scoring Belgian players in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

Kevin De Bruyne after winning the Champions League with Manchester City in 2023UEFA via Getty Images

18: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United, Inter, Chelsea)
16: Kevin De Bruyne (Genk, Chelsea, Manchester City, Napoli)
16: Dries Mertens (Napoli, Galatasaray)
11: Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)
10: Eden Hazard (Lille, Chelsea, Real Madrid)
9: Luc Nilis (Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven)
8: Charles De Ketelaere (Club Brugge, Milan, Atalanta)
7: Wesley Sonck (Genk, Ajax)
7: Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
6: Yannick Carrasco (Monaco, Atlético de Madrid)
6: Loïs Openda (Club Brugge, Leipzig, Juventus)
6: Gert Verheyen (Club Brugge)

Most appearances by Belgian players in UEFA club competition*

Axel Witsel celebrates a Champions League win with Dortmund in 2019©AFP/Getty Images

133: Dries Mertens (Utrecht, PSV Eindhoven, Napoli, Galatasaray)
133: Axel Witsel (Standard Liège, Benfica, Zenit, Dortmund, Atlético de Madrid)
132: Jan Vertonghen (Ajax, Tottenham, Benfica, Anderlecht)
128: Timmy Simons (Lommel, Club Brugge, PSV Eindhoven)
114: Thibaut Courtois (Genk, Atlético, Chelsea, Real Madrid)
111: Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe (Hamburg, Club Brugge, Legia Warszawa, Olympiacos, Gent)
106: Filip De Wilde (Beveren, Anderlecht, Sporting CP)
105: Michel Preud'homme (Standard Liège, Mechelen, Benfica)
104: Gert Verheyen (Anderlecht, Club Brugge)
102: Hans Vanaken (Lokeren, Club Brugge)
101: Kevin De Bruyne (Genk, Chelsea, Wolfsburg, Manchester City, Napoli)
101: Olivier Deschacht (Anderlecht)

Top-scoring Belgian players in UEFA club competition*

Luc Nilis with Aston Villa in 2000©Getty Images

49: Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht, Chelsea, Everton, Manchester United, Inter, Roma)
39: Dries Mertens (Utrecht, PSV Eindhoven, Napoli, Galatasaray)
38: Luc Nilis (Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven, Aston Villa)
25: Hans Vanaken (Lokeren, Club Brugge)
25: Gert Verheyen (Anderlecht, Club Brugge)
24: Michy Batshuayi (Standard Liège, Marseille, Chelsea, Dortmund, Valencia, Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Frankfurt)
23: Roger Claessen (Standard Liège, Beerschot VAC)
22: Kevin De Bruyne (Genk, Chelsea, Wolfsburg, Manchester City, Napoli)
22: François Van Der Elst (Anderlecht)
21: Paul Van Himst (Anderlecht, Molenbeek Brussels Strombeek)

Notable firsts

Eric Gerets after becoming Belgium's first European Cup winner in 1988©Bob Thomas/Getty Images

First Belgian side to reach a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final
Liverpool 4-3 agg Club Brugge, 1975/76

First Belgian side to win the European Cup Winners' Cup
West Ham 2-4 Anderlecht, 1975/76

First Belgian side to reach a European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League final
Liverpool 1-0 Club Brugge, 1977/78

First Belgian side to win the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
Anderlecht 2-1 agg Benfica, 1982/83

First Belgian to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League
Eric Gerets (PSV 0-0 Benfica, aet, PSV win 6-5 on pens, 1987/88)

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*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Finalissima and UEFA Intertoto Cup

Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens: Who are Belgium's top UEFA Champions League performers?

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Most appearances by Belgian players in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

Top-scoring Belgian players in the UEFA Champions League (group stage/league phase to final)

Most appearances by Belgian players in UEFA club competition*

Top-scoring Belgian players in UEFA club competition*

Notable firsts