Top Champions League goalscorers of all time: Cristiano Ronaldo wins special award as Mohamed Salah joins Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe
Robert Lewandowski now has over 100 Champions League goals, but he still has a long way to go to catch leader Cristiano Ronaldo. Lewandowski may be 36 years old but he’s still scoring and with Barcelona this season, he’s finding the net more and more. Ronaldo’s goal record under the old format will never be brokenAFP It has him clear in the top three of the all-time Champions League scorers, behind Lionel Messi and Ronaldo who are almost untouchable. The Portuguese icon leads the way with a staggering total while the legendary Messi is just behind. The Champions League expansion means there will be more games than ever, which is why UEFA have honoured Ronaldo with a special award to recognise his status as the all-time scorer under the old format. Having more games to play will benefit the chasing pack that includes Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah and Man City’s Erling Haaland. Salah reached the half-century mark against Girona in December, scoring his 50th goal from the penalty spot. That has seen him join Kylian Mbappe and leapfrog Zlatan Ibrahimovic to join the top 10 of this list. Meanwhile, Harry Kane is the highest English goalscorer in Champions League history with 34 and he’ll look to add to that tally with Bayern Munich over the coming years. 10= Kylian Mbappe (AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid) – 50 goals in 79 games Mbappe scored on his Champions League debut for MadridGetty The Champions League has been dominated by Mbappe in more recent seasons and he’s made it into the top 10 already. At 25 years old, the Frenchman is the youngest player on this list, with his scoring now continuing for Real Madrid. He broke a record at 18 for reaching 10 goals in the competition and he has scored at least four goals in every campaign he’s played in. Although so far in his first season at Real, he’s struggling in front of goal and missed a penalty during the league phase. 10= Mohamed Salah (Basel, Roma, Liverpool) – 50 goals in 95 games Salah now has 50 Champions League goalsGetty Liverpool’s ‘Egyptian King’ has now claimed a spot inside the top ten. Salah’s record in the Champions League is incredible, scoring his 50th goal in the competition against Girona in December. That strike, which was from the penalty spot, came during a season where he has seemingly gone up to another level with the Reds. He will be hoping to lead Arne Slot‘s side to some silverware to add to his one Champions League title that he won in 2019. 9. Thierry Henry (Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona) – 51 goals in 112 games Henry regularly found the back of the net in Europe’s biggest tournament Arsenal icon Henry is inside the top ten scorers with 50 goals. A large majority of his strikes came while playing for the Gunners but he never managed to get his hands on the Champions League trophy. That was until he joined Barcelona and achieved success with the Spanish giants, scoring five goals in their title-winning campaign. 8. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) 55 goals in 156 games Muller is an all-time great for BayernAFP Bayern legend Muller is an incredibly underrated player. He is very rarely included in conversations of the best ever, but his record in the Champions League has him in the history books. As a two-time winner of the competition too, the forward has to go down as one of the best players ever in Europe. And he’s continuing to score at the age of 35, netting his 55th goal in this competition against Shakhtar in December. 7. Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea) – 59 goals in 116 games Shevchenko was one of the world’s best strikers Shevchenko, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2004, is one of the Champions League’s greatest strikers. In his last year during his first spell at Dynamo Kyiv, he netted eight goals in ten appearances in 1998/99 which was his best goal-to-game ratio. And then while at AC Milan, his performances at domestic and continental level led to his best personal accolade 20 years ago. He also won one European title while at Milan before his scoring dipped in his two years with Chelsea near the end of his career. 6. Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid) – 60 goals in 81 games Van Nistelrooy’s goals-to-games ratio is incredibleGetty Van Nistelrooy is a three-time Champions League top scorer and therefore it is no surprise to see him sixth in this list. The Manchester United legend, and now Leicester City manager, almost averages a goal per game in UEFA’s primary competition. He never got his hands on the trophy but his individual legacy continues as one of the highest goalscorers ever. 5. Raul (Real Madrid, Schalke) – 71 goals in 144 games Raul is one of football’s greatest strikers Real Madrid icon Raul is another player to often be left out of the greatest players
Robert Lewandowski now has over 100 Champions League goals, but he still has a long way to go to catch leader Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lewandowski may be 36 years old but he’s still scoring and with Barcelona this season, he’s finding the net more and more.
It has him clear in the top three of the all-time Champions League scorers, behind Lionel Messi and Ronaldo who are almost untouchable.
The Portuguese icon leads the way with a staggering total while the legendary Messi is just behind.
The Champions League expansion means there will be more games than ever, which is why UEFA have honoured Ronaldo with a special award to recognise his status as the all-time scorer under the old format.
Having more games to play will benefit the chasing pack that includes Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah and Man City’s Erling Haaland.
Salah reached the half-century mark against Girona in December, scoring his 50th goal from the penalty spot.
That has seen him join Kylian Mbappe and leapfrog Zlatan Ibrahimovic to join the top 10 of this list.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane is the highest English goalscorer in Champions League history with 34 and he’ll look to add to that tally with Bayern Munich over the coming years.
10= Kylian Mbappe (AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid) – 50 goals in 79 games
The Champions League has been dominated by Mbappe in more recent seasons and he’s made it into the top 10 already.
At 25 years old, the Frenchman is the youngest player on this list, with his scoring now continuing for Real Madrid.
He broke a record at 18 for reaching 10 goals in the competition and he has scored at least four goals in every campaign he’s played in.
Although so far in his first season at Real, he’s struggling in front of goal and missed a penalty during the league phase.
10= Mohamed Salah (Basel, Roma, Liverpool) – 50 goals in 95 games
Liverpool’s ‘Egyptian King’ has now claimed a spot inside the top ten.
Salah’s record in the Champions League is incredible, scoring his 50th goal in the competition against Girona in December.
That strike, which was from the penalty spot, came during a season where he has seemingly gone up to another level with the Reds.
He will be hoping to lead Arne Slot‘s side to some silverware to add to his one Champions League title that he won in 2019.
9. Thierry Henry (Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona) – 51 goals in 112 games
Arsenal icon Henry is inside the top ten scorers with 50 goals.
A large majority of his strikes came while playing for the Gunners but he never managed to get his hands on the Champions League trophy.
That was until he joined Barcelona and achieved success with the Spanish giants, scoring five goals in their title-winning campaign.
8. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) 55 goals in 156 games
Bayern legend Muller is an incredibly underrated player.
He is very rarely included in conversations of the best ever, but his record in the Champions League has him in the history books.
As a two-time winner of the competition too, the forward has to go down as one of the best players ever in Europe.
And he’s continuing to score at the age of 35, netting his 55th goal in this competition against Shakhtar in December.
7. Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea) – 59 goals in 116 games
Shevchenko, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2004, is one of the Champions League’s greatest strikers.
In his last year during his first spell at Dynamo Kyiv, he netted eight goals in ten appearances in 1998/99 which was his best goal-to-game ratio.
And then while at AC Milan, his performances at domestic and continental level led to his best personal accolade 20 years ago.
He also won one European title while at Milan before his scoring dipped in his two years with Chelsea near the end of his career.
6. Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid) – 60 goals in 81 games
Van Nistelrooy is a three-time Champions League top scorer and therefore it is no surprise to see him sixth in this list.
The Manchester United legend, and now Leicester City manager, almost averages a goal per game in UEFA’s primary competition.
He never got his hands on the trophy but his individual legacy continues as one of the highest goalscorers ever.
5. Raul (Real Madrid, Schalke) – 71 goals in 144 games
Real Madrid icon Raul is another player to often be left out of the greatest players in football debate.
However, he played over 140 times in the Champions League, winning it three times and scoring 71 goals in the process.
All the titles and almost all of those goals came for Los Blancos, while a late-career spell at Schalke saw him add five to his tally.
4. Karim Benzema (Lyon, Real Madrid) – 90 goals in 152 games
Another iconic Real Madrid striker joins this list of goalscorers, with Benzema netting 90 times.
The Frenchman scored his first Champions League goal for Lyon in 2005/06 and after a move to Madrid, he put together a superb record.
Remarkably in 2021/22, he netted 15 times in 12 games, leading his side to their 14th trophy in this competition at the time.
3. Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona) – 101 goals in 125 games
Lewandowski is showing no signs of stopping in Europe.
At 36 years old, the Poland striker is still scoring for Barcelona and he is now part of an exclusive club after scoring his 100th goal in Europe.
He has joined Ronaldo and Messi as the only players to have ever netted over a century of goals in the Champions League.
Lewandowski starred for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the competition too, winning his only title with the latter in 2020.
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain) – 129 goals in 163 games
There’s no surprise to see Messi in the top two of this list.
The iconic Argentinian scored 129 goals in 163 games in the Champions League before making his move to the MLS.
He has four European titles to his name, while also holding multiple records that include the most group-stage goals ever (71), most round-of-16 goals (29) and the most successive scoring seasons.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus) 141 goals in 187 games
The king of the Champions League is Ronaldo.
His 140 goals for Man United, Real Madrid and Juventus make him the highest goalscorer in the history of the competition.
The Portuguese legend netted 17 times in one campaign in 2013/14 which is a record that still stands and may never be broken.
He’s also scored the most ever knockout stages goals (67) and the most hat-tricks (8) ever seen in the tournament.
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