Top 5 highest goal scorers in Champions League history

The UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of European club football. The yearly spectacles attract fans worldwide as footballing giants go head to head for a chance to lift the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy. A victory also secures them a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup finals, often won by the UCL winners themselves.

One of the biggest motivators to winning the Champions League is not just the sporting accolades, but also the whopping $77 million as prize money. 

Scoring in the Champions League is no easy task. As clubs splurge millions to form some of the best defenses in Europe, attackers are tasked with breaking defensive lines and scoring in the most challenging of situations. To do so consistently throughout 10 or more seasons makes it all the more impressive. From Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski, here’s a look at the five highest goalscorers in the competition.

5. Raul Gonzalez- 71 goals

The legendary number 7 of Real Madrid burst onto the scene with Los Blancos in 2009. Raul was Real Madrid’s highest goal scorer in the Champions League and its history before the ascent of Cristiano Ronaldo.

He was a prolific poacher with a huge amount of goals for Real Madrid as well as for his national team, Spain. He had amassed 71 goals in the Champions League for his club before he hung up his boots in 2014. 

Even though Raul left Real Madrid in 2010, the fact that only four forwards have ever managed to surpass him in this field is so

4. Karim Benzema – 90 goals

Karim Benzema is the 4th highest goal scorer in the UEFA Champions League. He has 90 goals in 149 appearances in the competition. He has played for two clubs, Olympique Lyon and Real Madrid.

Benzema’s record in the Champions League acquired a sudden boost after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. He was at the forefront of Real Madrid’s attack as they won the competition most recently in the 2021/22 season. 

Benzema called time on his career at Real Madrid and moved to Saudi club Al-Ittihad last summer. With the Frenchman leaving Europe entirely, Benzema will likely remain as the fourth-highest scorer in the competition at least for a few more seasons.

3. Robert Lewandowski- 92 goals

Robert Lewandowski is the highest-scoring Polish striker in the history of the competition. A very clinical poacher, he was crowned as the top scorer in the UCL for the 2019/20 and the 2020/21 seasons.

His 92 goals are spread across three clubs, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and FC Barcelona. While 3rd position belongs to the Pole, it is unlikely that he will eclipse Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, who are at least 37 goals ahead of him. 

2. Lionel Messi- 129 goals

It is no shock that Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players to ever play the sport, makes it to the list of the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine netted an unbelievable 129 goals spread across 19 editions of the competition. While most of his goals came in an FC Barcelona jersey, a few were also scored for PSG during his two years at the club. 

He is the all-time leading goal scorer in FC Barcelona’s history. The four-time Champions League winner also has 40 assists to his name, two less than eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi currently plays out of Europe, for MLS club Inter Miami. However, his record is likely to be untouched, at least for the foreseeable future.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo- 140 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo is synonymous with success and goals in the UEFA Champions League. He owns the record for most goals scored in the Champions League in one season. The Portuguese striker scored 17 goals in the 2013/14 season, beating the previous record of 14 goals set by Lionel Messi in the 2011/12 campaign.

Ronaldo came close to breaking his record twice, in the 2015/16 and 2017/18 seasons. In  2015, Ronaldo’s 16-goal tally comprised 11 goals in the group stage alone – a record that still stands to this date. Furthermore, he netted three hat tricks that term, becoming the first to do so in a single edition. In the 2017/18 campaign, the Portuguese star scored 15 goals. He earned another record to his name as he became the first and only player to score in all six group matches of a UCL season.

Cristiano Ronaldo's ready for the next chapter ? pic.twitter.com/o6LQQn13bU

— GOAL (@goal) January 11, 2023

His name will forever be etched in the glorious halls of the UEFA Champions League for ages to come, as the Portuguese legend has 140 goals in the Champions League in just 183 His name will forever be etched in the glorious halls of the UEFA Champions League for ages to come, as the Portuguese legend has 140 goals in the Champions League in just 183 appearances for Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United. With a return to Europe unlikely, the Al-Nassr #7 will hold on to his record for many years to come. 

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