The Champions League begins on Tuesday with Paris SG beating Dortmund. These five superstars are no longer there.
Paris SG against Dortmund is that Bat on Tuesday at the start of the Champions League. For the first time, five players who have shaped the premier class are no longer on the ball.
Neymar is no longer in Paris. For the first time in ten years, the Brazilian is missing from the premier class. The 31-year-old scored a total of 43 goals in the most important club competition for the French and previously for Barcelona. But this season is not a turning point because of Neymar’s absence.
Cristiano Ronaldo played in the qualification for the first time on August 14, 2002, but failed with Sporting against Inter Milan. He wore the Manchester United jersey in his first game in the group stage – on October 1, 2003 in a 2-1 defeat in Stuttgart. Ronaldo only scored his first goal in April 2007 – a brace in a 7-1 win against AS Roma. By the time of the 38-year-old Portuguese’s last Champions League goal celebration on November 23, 2021, there would be an impressive 140 goals. That is just as much a record as his 183 games. Real’s former goalkeeper Iker Casillas is in second place with 177, ahead of Messi with 163 and Benzema with 152. In eighth place is Bayern professional Thomas Müller (142 games), the best kicker who still plays in the premier class.
Lionel Messi had 129 hits in 19 seasons. In third place is Robert Lewandowski, who has 91 goals, one more than Benzema. The 36-year-old Argentine played in the Champions League for the first time on December 7, 2004. Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Deco and Eto’o were in the squad for the 2-0 defeat in Donetsk. On November 2, 2005, Messi scored his first goal since the summer in Miami.
Karim Benzema played in the Champions League for the first time on December 6, 2005, Lyon beat Trondheim 2-1. The 35-year-old Frenchman, now like Neymar and Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, crowned his debut with a 1-0 win.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic ended his career in the summer. The 41-year-old Swede played his first qualifying game on August 8, 2001. He played in the group phase for the first time on September 17, 2002 and scored twice for Ajax.
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2023-09-19 03:17:55
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