Ranked: The Top 10 Men’s Internationals with the Most Caps Ever.

To gain insight into footballers’ opinions on the club versus country debate, one need only look at the number of players who have taken measures to avoid injury prior to the World Cup 2022. Representing one’s country is widely regarded as the greatest honor a player can achieve. Some players may only get the opportunity to do so once, while others have played for their country over 100 times.

Here is a list of the top ten most capped international players in men’s football history:

10. Gianluigi Buffon, Italy (176)
Buffon still plays for Parma and has won more caps than any other Italian player. He has represented Italy in eight major tournaments, including their World Cup victory in 2006.

8= Claudio Suarez, Mexico (177)
Suarez, a centre-back, played for Mexico for 14 years, captaining them for many of those years. He helped his country achieve significant success, including Gold Cup victories in 1993, 1996, and 1998, and a Confederations Cup win in 1999.

8= Mohamed Al-Deayea, Saudi Arabia (177)
Al-Deayea, the Middle East’s equivalent of Gabor Kiraly, played for Saudi Arabia between 1993 and 2006. He participated in the 1996 Asian Cup and was named in the Saudi squad for every World Cup between 1994 and 2006.

7. Andres Guardado, Mexico (179)
Guardado is an essential part of the Mexican squad even at 36 years old. He has represented his country in five World Cups and surpassed his predecessors to become the sole record-holder in Mexico and North America.

6. Sergio Ramos, Spain (180)
As a member of Spain’s World Cup-winning side in 2010 and their European Championship-winning teams in 2008 and 2012, Ramos has gained international glory. However, there is no certainty that he will be chosen for the current tournament.

5. Ahmed Mubarak, Oman (183)
Mubarak played for many clubs in his career and earned 183 caps for Kuwait before retiring in 2019. He was part of the Oman squad that won their first-ever Gulf Cup on foreign soil in 2017/18.

4. Ahmed Hassan, Egypt (184)
Hassan played a critical role in Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations victories in 1998, 2006, 2008, and 2010. However, he regrets never participating in a World Cup.

3. Soh Chin Ann, Malaysia (195)
Soh Chin Ann may not be well-known outside of Malaysia, but he is one of only two players in history to earn more caps than Bader Al-Mutawa. Soh played in the 1972 Olympics and was instrumental in Malaysia’s 1-1 draw against South Korea at the Asian Cup eight years later.

2. Bader Al-Mutawa, Kuwait (196)
Al-Mutawa has served Kuwait’s national team since 2003, earning the distinction of being the player with the most caps in men’s football. He is aiming to reach 200 caps soon.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal (197)
Ronaldo is currently playing in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr and has scored 120 international goals. He surpassed the previous record for most caps with his 197th in a win against Liechtenstein during Euro 2024 qualifying.

In conclusion, the players on this list demonstrate their dedication to representing their country in international football, often playing in numerous World Cups and other major tournaments. It is clear that the club versus country debate is still a significant issue for many players, with some even taking measures to avoid injury prior to international tournaments.



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