Iker Casillas starts for Spain, becomes Europe's joint-most capped player
FC Porto 'keeper Iker Casillas started for Spain during Sunday's international friendly with Romania, and with the appearance, has become Europe's joint most capped player.
Casillas, 34, made his 166th appearance for Vicente del Bosque's defending European champions, joining retired Latvian international Vitalijs Astafjevs for the continental standard.
| Name | Country | Pos. | Caps | Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iker Casillas | Spain | GK | 166 | YES |
| Vitalijs Astafjevs | Latvia | MF | 166 | NO |
| Martin Reim | Estonia | MF | 156 | NO |
| Gianluigi Buffon | Italy | GK | 155 | YES |
| Lothar Matthaus | Germany | MF | 150 | NO |
| Anders Svensson | Sweden | MF | 142 | NO |
| Robbie Keane | Ireland | FW | 143 | YES |
| Thomas Ravelli | Sweden | GK | 143 | NO |
| Lilian Thuram | France | DF | 142 | NO |
| Marko Kristal | Estonia | MF | 142 | NO |
| Anatoliy Tymoshchuk | Ukraine | MF | 142 | YES |
| Giorgos Karagounis | Greece | MF | 139 | NO |
No longer Spain's No. 1 in light of David De Gea's emergence as a world-class shot-stopper and the unavoidable influence of aging, Casillas can lay claim to one of Europe's most decorated careers.
The former Real Madrid 'keeper boasts five La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, and three Champions League trophies, while on the international stage, Casillas has been between the sticks for two European Championship victories and the 2010 World Cup win.
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