Playing for your country is one of the highest honours for any footballer.
While some players are happy enough with one cap, others have become veterans for their nation as they repeatedly prove their worth in the international arena.
Being able to play regularly for your country is no easy feat — particularly in an era where so much football is played at club level.
But some players have managed to put together a lengthy list of appearances as they etch their name into the history books.
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Who has the most international caps ever?
Men’s football
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is the current leader in men’s international football with 211 caps for his country.
Ronaldo’s endurance saw him eclipse Bader Al-Mutawa’s previous record for most international caps with 196 with the latter still technically eligible for Kuwait, although he has not played since 2022.
Lionel Messi is fourth on the list with 185 appearances for the Argentina senior team to his name at present.
Top 10 most caps in men’s international football
Table updated as of July 1, 2024
| Rank | Player | Country | Caps |
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo* | Portugal | 211 |
| 2. | Bader Al-Mutawa | Kuwait | 196 |
| 3. | Soh Chin Ann | Malaysia | 195 |
| 4. | Lionel Messi* | Argentina | 185 |
| 5. | Ahmed Hassan | Egypt | 184 |
| 6. | Ahmed Mubarak | Oman | 183 |
| = | Hassan Al-Haydos | Qatar | 183 |
| 8. | Sergio Ramos | Spain | 180 |
| 9. | Andres Guardado | Mexico | 179 |
| 10. | Claudio Suarez | Mexico | 177 |
| = | Hossam Hassan | Egypt | 177 |
*Denotes player still active in international football
Women’s football
When it comes to the record for most caps in football, men’s international stars do not even come close to the greats of the women’s game. In fact, Ronaldo’s tally would not be good enough to break into the top 10 on the women’s all-time list.
The outright record is held by Kristine Lilly, who won a quite remarkable 354 caps for the United States to become the leading appearance-maker in the international game. The USWNT dominates the list, with seven of the top 10 having turned out for USA.
Top 10 most caps in women’s international football
Table updated as of June 22 2024
| Rank | Player | Country | Caps |
| 1. | Kristine Lilly | USA | 354 |
| 2. | Christine Sinclair | Canada | 331 |
| 3. | Carli Lloyd | USA | 316 |
| 4. | Christie Pearce | USA | 311 |
| 5. | Mia Hamm | USA | 276 |
| 6. | Julie Foudy | USA | 274 |
| 7. | Abby Wambach | USA | 255 |
| 8. | Joy Fawcett | USA | 241 |
| 9. | Caroline Seger | Sweden | 240 |
| 10. | Formiga | Brazil | 234 |
*Denotes player still active in international football
