© SIPA
In the ongoing European Football Championship, Portugal's national team star Cristiano Ronaldo can further improve his impressive achievement. The 36-year-old forward has played the most matches (21) in the history of the competition and greatly surpasses his closest competitors. Which other footballers can boast exceptional numbers in their national teams? Here is a list of the most matches played in each (ever participated) national team in the European Championship:
Albania 3 matches - Amir Abrashi, Ansi Agolli, Etrit Berisha, Elseid Hysaj, Ermir Lenjani, Mergim Mavraj, Odise Roshi, Armando Sadiku Austria 5 - Martin Harnik4 - Sebastian Prödl3 - Alessandro Schöpf, David Alaba, Robert Almer, Marco Arnautović, René Aufhauser, Julian Baumgartlinger, Martin Hinteregger, Andreas Ivanschitz, Roman Kienast, Florian Klein, Ümit Korkmaz, Jürgen Macho, Emanuel Pogatetz, Marcel Sabitzer, Jürgen Säumel, Martin Stranzl Belgium 9 - René Vandereycken8 - Jean-Marie Pfaff7 - Jan Ceulemans Bulgaria 4 - Daniel Borimirov3 - Krasimir Balakov, Dimitar Berbatov, Marian Hristov, Trifon Ivanov, Zoran Janković. Zdravko Lazarov, Yordan Lechkov, Borislav Mihaylov, Martin Petrov, Luboslav Penev, Hristo Stoichkov, Tsanko Tsventanov, Zlatko Yankov, Ivaylo Yordanov, Zdravko Zdravkov Croatia 12 - Darijo Srna11 - Vedran Ćorluka10 - Ivan Rakitić Czech Republic (and Czechoslovakia) 14 - Petr Čech, Karel Poborský12 - Pavel Nedvěd Denmark 13 - Peter Schmeichel10 - Michael Laudrup, John Sivebæk England 11 - Gary Neville10 - Wayne Rooney9 - Tony Adams, Steven Gerrard, Alan Shearer Finland 1 - Paulus Arajuuri, Marcus Forss, Lukas Hradecky, Glen Kamara, Joni Kauko, Robin Lod, Daniel O'Shaughnessy, Joel Pohjanpalo, Teemu Pukki, Jukka Raitala, Rasmus Schüller, Tim Sparv, Joona Toivio, Jere Uronen, Leo Väisänen France 16: - Lilian Thuram14: - Zinédine Zidane13: - Laurent Blanc, Didier Deschamps Germany (and West and East Germany) 18 - Bastian Schweinsteiger14 - Philipp Lahm13 - Mario Gómez, Thomas Hässler, Jürgen Klinsmann, Miroslav Klose Hungary 4 - Flórián Albert, Balázs Dzsudzsák, Richárd Guzmics, Zoltán Gera, Gábor Király, Ádám Lang, Ádám Szalai Iceland 5 - Kari Arnason, Birkir Bjarnason, Jón Dadi Bödvarsson, Johann Gudmundsson, Aron Gunnarsson, Hannes Halldorsson, Birkir Sævarsson, Kolbeinn Sigthórsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Ragnar Sigurdsson, Ari Skúlason Italy 17 - Gianluigi Buffon13 - Antonio Cassano, Alessandro Del Piero, Paolo Maldini Latvia 3 - Vitālijs Astafjevs, Oļegs Blagonadeždins, Imants Bleidelis, Aleksandrs Isakovs, Aleksandrs Koļinko, Juris Laizāns, Valentīns Lobaņovs, Marians Pahars, Andrejs Prohorenkovs, Andrejs Rubins, Igors Stepanovs, Māris Verpakovskis, Mihails Zemļinskis Netherlands 16 - Edwin van der Sar13 - Dennis Bergkamp, Phillip Cocu Ireland 4 - Craig Cathcart, Stuart Dallas, Steven Davis, Jonny Evans, Gareth McAuley, Michael McGovern, Oliver Norwood, Jamie Ward, Conor Washington Norway 3 - Eirik Bakke, André Bergdolmo, Bjørn Otto Bragstad, John Carew, Dan Eggen, Tore André Flo, Steffen Iversen, Thomas Myhre, Erik Mykland, Ole Gunnar Solskjær Poland 8 - Jakub Błaszczykowski, Robert Lewandowski, Łukasz Piszczek Portugal 21 - Cristiano Ronaldo15 - João Moutinho, Nani, Pepe Ireland 6 - Shane Long, Aiden McGeady, John O'Shea, Stephen Ward Romania 8 - Gheorghe Hagi7 - Cristian Chivu, Dorinel Munteanu Russia (and USSR) 10 - Sergei Ignashevich9 - Aleksandr Anyukov, Yuri Zhirkov8 - Igor Akinfeev, Roman Pavlyuchenko Scotland 6 - Andy Goram, Gary McAllister, Stuart McCall Serbia (and Yugoslavia) 7 - Dragan Stojković5 - Dragan Džajić4 - Jovan Acimović, Miroslav Djukić, Ljubinko Drulović, Vladimir Jugović, Ivica Kralj, Predrag Mijatović, Savo Milošević Slovakia (and Czechoslovakia) 6 - Koloman Gögh*, Ladislav Jurkemik*, Anton Ondruš*4 - Jozef Barmoš, Ján Ďurica, Marek Hamšík, Matúš Kozáčik, Ján Kozák, Juraj Kucka, Marián Masný*, Peter Pekarík, Martin Skrtel, Vladimír Weiss*appeared in Czechoslovakia's ranks Slovenia 3 - Milenko Ačimovič, Aleš Čeh, Mladen Dabanovič, Marinko Galič, Amir Karič, Srečko Katanec, Željko Milinovič, Džoni Novak, Molan Osterc, Mladen Rudonja, Miran Pavlin, Spain 16 - Cesc Fàbregas, Andrés Iniesta15 - David Silva, Sergio Ramos Sweden 13 - Zlatan Ibrahimović, Olof Mellberg, Andreas Isaksson Switzerland 7 - Valon Behrami, Stephan Lichtsteiner6 - Gelson Fernandes, Patrick Müller, Hakan Yakin Turkey 9 - Rüştü Reçber8 - Hakan Balta Ukraine (and USSR) 8 - Oleksiy Mykhailychenko*7 - Oleh Kuznetsov*6 - Yevhen Khacheridi, Yevhen Konoplyanka, Andriy Pyatov, Andriy Yarmolenko*appearances in the USSR ranks Wales 7 - Joe Allen, Gareth Bale
