All-Time Top Scorers Champions League: To go down in the history of the Champions League, you need to score at least 46 goals. You don’t have to be the top scorer every season. It is enough to score stably. Top scorers Champions League.
The top 10 goal scorers include both recognized record-holders Ronaldo and Messi, and players who have never become the best scorers of the Champions League season: Inzaghi, Ibrahimovic, Anri, Lewandowski, and Benzema.
Top Scorers Champions League
We will highlight the most striking goals in the career of each striker and look at the impact of goals on the results of teams. We will see if the teams won the matches in which the forward scored;
Did the scorers’ achievements help their team achieve results in the tournament: advance to the playoffs and win the Champions League. When calculating the benefits of a striker for the team, we will rely on the statistics of winning goals.
All-Time Top Scorers Champions League
This is the official UEFA ranking, which includes goals from the group stage to the Champions League final. Statistics were updated on April 11, 2021, according to transfermarkt.com and uefa.com.
10. Filippo Inzaghi – 46 goals
Filippo Inzaghi scored in the 2006/07 Champions League final. In the final match in Athens, Milan faced Liverpool (2: 1), and Filippo scored a double. Inzaghi scored the first goal before the break, in the 45th minute. Pirlo shot from a free-kick, the ball touched Inzaghi and flew into the opposite corner from the goalkeeper Pepe Reina. Inzaghi has scored 4 similar goals this season. Top scorers Champions League.
In the 88th minute, Kaka brought Inzaghi one on one with the goalkeeper, Filippo beat Reina and sent the ball into an empty net.
Inzaghi’s teams have lost only 2 of 31 UCL matches in which Filippo has scored.
9. Andrey Shevchenko – 48 goals
Andriy Shevchenko scored his first Champions League hat-trick in the 1997/98 season. Barcelona hosted Dynamo at Camp Nou, and Shevchenko sent three goals to Vitor Bayi’s goal in the first half. Dynamo won the match 4: 0.
In the 1998/99 season, Dynamo knocked out Real Madrid in the ¼ final (3: 1) and advanced to the semifinals for the third time. Shevchenko scored all three goals of Dynamo. Andrey shared the top scorer title this season with Manchester United’s Dwight Yorke. Both players scored 8 goals.
In the 2005/06 season, Shevchenko became the Champions League top scorer with 9 goals, beating Ronaldinho by 2 goals. In the matches of the group stage, Andrey made his only poker in the Champions League.
Andrey scored 5 of 48 goals from the penalty spot. But this list does not include the most important penalty that Shevchenko scored in the 2002/03 Champions League final. It was a penalty kick, so it didn’t count.
Shevchenko’s teams lost only 4 out of 39 matches in which Andriy scored.
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 48 goals
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Zlatan scored the most goals in the Champions League for PSG. Playing for the Parisians, Ibra also designed his only poker in the tournament. In the 2013/14 draw, Ibrahimovic scored 4 goals against Anderlecht in the group stage. Zlatan scored the second goal with the heel, and the third from 30 meters into the nine-goal. Top scorers Champions League.
PSG qualified from the group in the first place, advanced to the ⅛ final of Bayer Leverkusen with a total score of 6: 1, where Ibrahimovic scored two goals. PSG then lost 3-3 to Chelsea in the quarterfinals.
Ibrahimovic’s teams have lost just 5 of Zlatan’s 38 games.
Three times these were matches with the participation of Barcelona. In the 2009/10 season, Zlatan scored for Barcelona, but the Catalans lost to Rubin Kazan (1: 2). In the 2011/12 season, Zlatan scored for Milan against Barça, but the Milanese lost (2: 3).
7. Thierry Henry – 50 goals
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In the 2005/06 season, Henry scored a 2-0 goal against Sparta and broke Ian Wright’s record for goals for Arsenal. Wright had 185 goals, and Henry’s second goal was 186th. Henri just recovered from the injury, was supposed to play no more than half an hour, but entered the field already in the 15th minute due to the injury of Jose Antonio Reyes. Top scorers Champions League.
Wenger marked the first goal: Thierry scored with the outside of his foot from the edge of the penalty area. Henry became Arsenal’s top scorer in history that day, and a statue of the striker was erected at the Emirates.
In the 2005/06 season, Thierry Henry scored one of Arsenal’s best goals in the Champions League playoffs. In the ⅛ final, Londoners met with Real Madrid. The only goal in the two-legged confrontation was scored by Henry in Madrid.
The Frenchman took the ball in the central circle, went through three opponents, entered the penalty area, and shot into the far corner of Iker Casillas’ goal. This goal is included in the list of the 60 best goals in the history of European competition by UEFA. Arsenal reached the final this season but lost to Barcelona (1: 2).
Thierry Henry scored his only Champions League hat-trick in 2002/03 against Roma in the group stage (3: 1). Henri equalized in the 6th minute and scored twice more – in the 70th and 75th. Thierry scored the third goal with a direct free-kick. Top scorers Champions League
Henry scored his last 50th goal in the Champions League in 2008/09 with Barcelona, who beat Bayern 4-0 in the Champions League quarter-finals. In the same season, Henry won the Champions League for the first and only time – Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0 in the final. Henri did not score after the quarterfinals.
Henry’s teams have lost just 3 of Thierry’s 39 goals.
6. Ruud Van Nistelrooy – 56 goals
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Van Nistelrooy became the first player to score in 9 consecutive Champions League matches. This happened in the 2002/03 season. Van Nistelrooy’s record lasted 15 years until it was beaten by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2017/18 season.
Van Nistelrooy became the top scorer three times – and only with Manchester United. But never in these years did MJ win a title. In the 2001/02 season, Manchester United reached the semifinals, in 2002/03 – to the quarterfinals, in 2004/05 – to the ⅛ final.
The only poker in the Champions League was won by Van Nistelrooy for Manchester United in the 2004/05 season against Sparta Prague in the group stage. The match ended 4-1, with Van Nistelrooy scoring two goals in both halves. Manchester United was eliminated from the tournament in the ⅛ finals, Van Nistelrooy did not score in the playoffs. Top scorers Champions League
Van Nistelrooy’s side have lost 8 of their 43 matches when he scored. PSV and Manchester United lost their matches in the Champions League, in which Van Nistelrooy scored for the first time.
5. Robert Lewandowski – 63 goals
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Lewandowski is the author of the fastest poker in the history of the Champions League. Robert scored four goals against Crvena Zvezda in the 2019/20 season in 14 minutes and 31 seconds.
Robert has had two Champions League poker games in his entire career. Lewandowski made his first poker in the 2012/13 season for Borussia. In the semifinals against Real Madrid, Robert scored one goal in the first half and scored three times in the second, Borussia won (4: 1) and advanced to the final.
Robert Lewandowski’s teams have lost only 3 of the 42 Champions League matches when he scored a goal. Two more matches ended in a draw, in the remaining 38 matches, when Robert scored, his teams won.
4. Karim Benzema – 64 goals
In the 2010/11 season, Karim Benzema scored his first hat-trick for Real Madrid in a group stage match against Auxerre (4-0). The first goal of this match was Real’s 300th goal in the Champions League. Real was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals, Benzema scored in ⅛ for the last time, as he was not included in the lineup.
Karim Benzema’s team lost only 2 times (out of 47) in the match in which he scored a goal: one defeat each against Lyon and Real Madrid. Lyon lost in the 2008/09 season in the group stage to Bayern (2: 3), Karim scored his second match.
Benzema has often opened the scoring, scoring first in 23 of 47 games. Moreover, his team did not lose any of these matches. The last case – in the 2019/20 season in the match of the 5th round of the group stage, Real Madrid – PSG. Benzema opened the scoring and the match ended 2: 2.
3. Raul Gonzalez – 71 goals
Raul was the first to play 100 matches and the first to score 50 goals in the Champions League. Raul scored a hat-trick only once – in the Champions League debut. In the 1995/96 season, Real Madrid played Ferencváros in the group stage and won 6-1.
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Raul is one of the five players to have scored in two Champions League finals, having scored for Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002. In addition to him, Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona, 2006, 2009), Lionel Messi (Barcelona, 2009, 2011), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, 2014, 2016), and Mario Mandzukic (Bayern, 2013; Juventus, 2017). Top scorers Champions League.
In the 1999/00 season, Raul became the top scorer in the Champions League and Real Madrid won the tournament. There were three top scorers this season, all scoring 10 goals: Raul, Rivaldo (Barcelona), and Mario Jardel (Porto).
Raul scored 7 goals in the group stage, 2 in the quarterfinals, and 1 in the final. In the quarter-finals, Real Madrid played against Manchester United, all goals were scored in the second game at Old Trafford. The first goal was scored by Roy Keane in his own net, at the beginning of the second half, Raoul scored twice. Manchester United played 2 goals but lost 2: 3.
In the semi-finals, Real Madrid beat Bayern 3-2 on aggregate. Raoul didn’t score but gave one assist. In the final against Valencia, Raul scored in the 75th minute, by which time Real was already leading 2-0. Real Madrid won the final 3-0. Top scorers Champions League.
Raoul’s side has lost only 6 of the 57 matches in which he has scored.
2. Lionel Messi – 114 goals
Messi has scored in 15 UEFA Champions League appearances. That’s one season less than record-holder Ryan Giggs, while Lionel still has some time left.
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Messi has scored against all opponents in European competition – he hit the gates of all the clubs that Barcelona met. Messi is ahead of Ronaldo in goals in the group stage – 68 to 63. Messi took 123 matches to score 100 goals. This is 21 matches less than Ronaldo. On account of Messi, like Ronaldo, 8 hat-tricks in the Champions League.
Messi made his first Champions League poker in the 2009/10 season. In the ¼ final, Barcelona defeated Arsenal (4: 1). Leo became the top scorer of the Champions League this season with eight goals. Top scorers Champions League.
Messi is the author of the first pent-trick in the Champions League. This happened in the 2011/12 season in the ⅛ final match with Bayer (7: 1). Three seasons later, this record was repeated by Luiz Adriano in the group stage match between BATE and Shakhtar (0: 7).
In the 2008/09 season, Messi became the Champions League top scorer with 9 goals. Leo scored 5 goals in the group stage, 3 goals in the playoffs, and 1 goal in the final. In the final game, Barcelona faced Manchester United in Rome. Samuel Eto’o opened the scoring in the 10th minute, Messi put an end to the match, scoring with his head in the 70th minute – 2: 0.
In the 2010/11 season, Messi became the Champions League top scorer with 12 goals. Leo scored 4 doubles, one of them in the semifinals with Real Madrid. In the final, Messi scored again – and again for Manchester United.
In the 2014/15 season, Messi shared the victory in the bombing race with Neymar and Ronaldo – all players chalked up 10 goals. Messi only scored in the group stage and in the semi-finals. In this draw, Neymar, who then played for the Catalans, made a great contribution to the advancement of the tournament.
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For example, Barcelona beat Bayern in the semifinals with a total score of 6: 2, Neymar scored three goals, and Messi scored a double. In the final, Neymar also scored in the 97th minute, catching up with Messi and Ronaldo in the scorers’ race.
Barcelona has lost only 3 of the 70 games Messi has scored. The Catalans suffered all the defeats in the group stage: from Celtic, PSG, and Manchester City.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 128 goals
Only Ronaldo has scored in three Champions League finals and he alone has scored in 11 consecutive tournament appearances. Ronaldo was the first to score 50 goals in the playoffs.
Ronaldo is the oldest hat-trick writer ever. In the 2018/19 season, he hit Atlético’s goal three times in the ⅛ final match, at that time Cristiano was 34 years and 35 days old.
In seven consecutive Champions League seasons, Ronaldo has scored at least 10 goals. He, like Messi, has 8 hat-tricks in the Champions League. It took Cristiano 144 matches to score 100 goals. Top scorers Champions League.
Cristiano has scored in 11 straight Champions League appearances, breaking Rud Van Nistelrooy’s record with a streak of 9. In the 2017/18 season, in the first leg of the final against Juventus, Ronaldo beat Van Nistelrooy’s achievement and brought the streak to 11 matches thanks to a goal in the return game.
Club Ronaldo always won the trophy if Cristiano became the top scorer. It happened five times: once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid.
In the 2007/08 season, Ronaldo scored 8 goals, overtaking Messi by 2 goals. Cristiano scored 5 goals in the group stage and 3 in subsequent matches. Including 1 goal Ronaldo scored in the final in Luzhniki, having opened an account.
The main time of the match “Manchester United” – “Chelsea” ended with a score 1: 1. In the penalty shoot-outs, Cristiano became the only one from Manchester United who did not convert the penalty spot. Terry and Anelka did not score for Chelsea, and Cristiano won the first Champions League trophy.
In the 2013/14 season, Ronaldo became the top scorer with 17 goals, ahead of his closest pursuer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, by 7 goals, and Messi by 9. Ronaldo scored in all stages of the tournament – from the group to the final. In the final, Cristiano scored in the 120th minute from the penalty spot.
In the 2015/16 season, Ronaldo won the goal-scoring race with 16 goals, overtaking second-best Lewandowski by 7 goals and Messi by 10. Ronaldo scored poker and two hat-tricks in the tournament. In the final, Real Madrid met Atlético.
In the 2016/17 season, Ronaldo became the top scorer with 12 goals, overtaking Messi by 1 goal. Barcelona with Messi was eliminated in the quarterfinals and Messi scored the last goal at ⅛. By this time, Ronaldo had only 2 goals. From the quarterfinals to the final, Ronaldo scored 10 goals. Before the final in Cardiff with Juventus, Ronaldo was 1 goal behind Messi. Real Madrid won 4-1, Cristiano scored 2 goals and became the top scorer.
In the 2017/18 season, Ronaldo won the scorer race with 15 goals, beating closest rivals Salah, Mane, and Firmino by 5 goals and Messi by 9. After the quarterfinals, Ronaldo did not score.
Ronaldo’s side has lost 10 of the 84 matches in which he scored.
Summary table of the impact of forwards’ goals on team results
Between 23 and 35% of the forwards’ goals brought the team a victory
The most victorious goals were scored by Raul and Inzaghi, the least – by Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo.
- Van Nistelrooy’s goals had the least influence on the result of the match. That is, the forward scored, but the team still lost. He has the largest percentage of such matches.
- Messi and Benzema lost most often if they scored a goal – 4% of such games each.
- Teams Inzaghi and Benzema have lost the least number of matches in which they scored – 2 matches each.
All of the forwards in the top 10 have helped their teams win individual matches.
Top-3 strikers significantly helped teams achieve results in the tournament: advance to the playoffs and win the Champions League
Only Raul, Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo have had seasons of personal triumphs with their teams’ Champions League victories. Raoul’s team won the Champions League once when he won the bombing race.
Messi’s team won the tournament three times when he became the top scorer. Ronaldo’s team won the Champions League five times when he became the top scorer. The rest of the forwards have no such matches.
Top Scorers of Champions League
| A place | Player | Goals | Games | Years |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 127 | 166 | 2003 – present v. |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | 113 | 139 | 2005 – present v. |
| 3 | Raoul | 71 | 142 | 1995–2011 |
| 4 | Karim Benzema | 62 | 116 | 2006 – present v. |
| 5 | Robert Lewandowski | 59 | 84 | 2011 – present v. |
| 6 | Rude Van Nistelrooy | 56 | 73 | 1998-2009 |
| 7 | Thierry Henry | 50 | 112 | 1997–2012 |
| 8 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 48 | 120 | 2001 – present v. |
| 9 | Andrey Shevchenko | 48 | 100 | 1994–2012 |
| 10 | Filippo Inzaghi | 46 | 81 | 1997–2012 |
Top 10 Most Productive Goalscorers By Champions League Seasons
| A place | Season | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | 2013/14 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid) | 17 |
| 2 | 2015/16 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid) | 16 |
| 3 | 2017/18 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid) | 15 |
| 4 | 1962/63 | Jose Altafini | Milan | fourteen |
| 5 | 2011/12 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | fourteen |
| 6 | 1959/60 | Ferenc Puskas | Real Madrid) | 12 |
| 7 | 2002/03 | Rude Van Nistelrooy | Manchester United | 12 |
| 8 | 2010/11 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 12 |
| 9 | 2012/13 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid) | 12 |
| 10 | 2016/17 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid) | 12 |
All Poker Games in Champions League History
Two of these pent-tricks became pent-tricks: Lionel Messi in the 2011/12 season and Luiz Adriano in the 2014/15 season.
| Season | Stage | Player | Match |
| 1992/93 | Group | Marco Van Basten | Milan – Gothenburg (4: 0) |
| 1999/00 | 2nd group stage | Simone Inzaghi | Lazio – Marseille (5: 1) |
| 2003/04 | Group | Dado Psho | Monaco – Deportivo (8: 3) |
| 2004/05 | Group | Rude Van Nistelrooy | Manchester United – Sparta Prague (4: 1) |
| 2005/06 | Group | Andrey Shevchenko | Fenerbahce – Milan (0: 4) |
| 2009/10 | ¼ final | Lionel Messi | Barcelona – Arsenal (4: 1) |
| 2011/12 | Group | Bafetimbi Gomis | Dynamo Zagreb – Lyon (1: 7) |
| 2011/12 | ⅛ final | Lionel Messi (5) | Barcelona – Bayer Leverkusen (7: 1) |
| 2011/12 | ⅛ final | Mario Gomez | Bayern Munich – Basel (7: 0) |
| 2012/13 | Semifinal | Robert Lewandowski | Borussia Dortmund – Real Madrid (4: 1) |
| 2013/14 | Group | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Anderlecht – PSG (0: 5) |
| 2014/15 | Group | Luiz Adriano (5) | BATE – Shakhtar (0: 7) |
| 2015/16 | Group | Cristiano ronaldo | Real Madrid – Malmo (8: 0) |
| 2019/20 | Group | Serge gnabry | Tottenham – Bayern (2: 7) |
| 2019/20 | Group | Robert Lewandowski | Red Star – Bayern Munich (0: 6) |
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