The UEFA Champions League and EFL Championship are two different worlds, but some players have made it into both, including many that are active in England's second tier right now. Whether it was 12 months or 12 years ago, here are six Championship players with Champions League experience you might not have been aware of.

1. Anel Ahmedhodzic

The Blades’ 6’5 centre-back signed from Malmo in the summer of 2022 after Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League. Ahmedhodzic appeared in 31 Premier League games last season, scoring twice and has gone on to play 23 times this season in the Championship already.

His Champions League journey dates back to the 21/22 season when he started five of Malmo’s group-stage matches. This included home and away against Juventus and Zenit St. Petersburg as well as a home tie against Chelsea. He missed out on playing at Stamford Bridge due to suspension. Unfortunately, he lost four of the five games but the Bosnian international can still boast five Champions League appearances to his name.

Anel Ahmedhodžić the best player tonight for #Malmo in the #UCL

Great performance from the 22 YR old pic.twitter.com/Z5mRmmcI8X

— BH Live 🇧🇦 (@BHlive_official) November 2, 2021

2. Teden Mengi

It’s common knowledge that Mengi was a product of Manchester United’s youth academy, at the club from the age of seven. After various loan moves the 22-year-old secured a move to Premier League side Luton last season, where he made 30 appearances scoring once. After speculation over a move away after the Hatters’ relegation, Mengi ended up staying at Kenilworth Road this season, starting every game he has been available for.

The Luton defender made just two appearances for the United senior team, both in European competitions, including a half-hour cameo in the Red Devils’ final group-stage game of the 21/22 season. Mengi replaced Luke Shaw in a 1-1 draw against Swiss side Young Boys at Old Trafford, not conceding a single goal whilst he was on the pitch.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Teden Mengi in just 29 minutes against Young Boys compared to Luke Shaw…

100% Ground Duels (most)
100% Aerial Duels (most)
1/3 Long Balls (most)
1/1 Dribbles (as many as Shaw)
17 Passes (as many as Shaw)
2 Clearances (most)
1 Blocked Shot (most)

That’s the tweet. 💫 pic.twitter.com/JN79AsO8rP

— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) December 8, 2021

3. Arnor Sigurdsson

Despite having an injury-riddled 24/25 season, Sigurdsson has shown enough quality during his 18 months at Blackburn Rovers to prove why he has scored at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid. Sigurdsson played three whole seasons at CSKA Moscow making 87 appearances. Despite making his last appearance in May 2021, he finally left the Russian team in December 2023 after his loan move to Rovers was made permanent.

Sigurdsson has made 41 appearances for Blackburn since the start of last season, with 13 goal contributions. The Icelandic international appeared in all six of CSKA’s Champions League group-stage games in the 18/19 season, starting four. His first goal came at home against Roma, and his second came in a 3-0 away win against Real Madrid, a match in which he also picked up an assist. His side finished bottom of the group despite earning seven points, but they can boast that six of those points came in two wins over the record champions.

What is happening at the Bernabeu?! 😱

Arnor Sigurdsson puts CSKA Moscow 3-0 up on Real Madrid on a night the Russian side will never forget! pic.twitter.com/cP31cs7DmY

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 12, 2018

4. Salis Abdul Samed

Some might be aware of Abdul Samed’s Champions League history due to how recent it was. The Sunderland midfield loanee made 91 French top-flight appearances for Lens and Clermont Foot, he also appeared at the 2022 World Cup for Ghana. The signing of the midfielder looked like a huge coup for Sunderland in a promotion-pushing season. However, it has unfortunately not worked out, with Abdul Samed spending most of the season injured, and not looking up to pace on his return.

The 24-year-old has made five appearances for the Black Cats this season, one less than the six Champions League appearances he made in the 23/24 campaign. He started all six of RC Lens’ group stage games, including a 2-1 home win against Arsenal, before switching the Champions League for the Championship last summer.

Salis Abdul Samed checks in at the Academy of Light! ❤️🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/yDYktQBLNK

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) September 4, 2024

5. Thomas Kaminski

Kaminski has been Luton’s number one since signing for them ahead of their debut Premier League season. Previously he had made over 100 appearances for Blackburn Rovers and earned his Belgian debut in March 2024. The 32-year-old has appeared in every single one of Luton’s matches this season bar one due to suspension keeping six clean sheets.

Before his time in England, Kaminski spent the majority of his playing days in Belgium, making 174 top-flight appearances in his homeland for five teams. One of those clubs was Anderlecht, who he made 22 appearances for between 2012 and 2014. That included three Champions League appearances in the 12/13 group stage, with two coming against PSG. He, unfortunately, conceded five goals in a single game against the Parisians but turned it around on the next matchday with a 1-1 draw against the French giants.

6. Nordin Amrabat

Hull City have an intriguing accumulation of players in their 24/25 squad, including the recent addition of veteran winger Nordin Amrabat. The Moroccan joined last month and has made two substitute appearances since, in an attempt to save Hull from relegation.

It is perhaps no surprise that the 37-year-old has appeared in the Champions League at some point in his long career, however, his 18 UCL appearances came between 2008 and 2013. Amrabat has faced some huge opponents in Europe including Real Madrid four times, Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus and Atletico Madrid, who he made his debut against for PSV Eindhoven in 2008. 14 of his appearances came in the group stage, but the other four came in the 12/13 round of 16 and quarter-finals playing for Galatasaray.

4⃣ Galatasaray 🆚 Real Madrid: When Didier Drogba back-heeled in Nordin Amrabat's pass in a dramatic 2013 quarter-final 👌@didierdrogba | @GalatasaraySK | #UCL pic.twitter.com/M8m7UDeTOB

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 11, 2021

Notably, Amrabat was not the only Hull winter signing to play Champions League football, Eliot Matazo played 24 minutes in the UCL across three games this season, before he was loaned to England last month.