The UEFA Champions League has witnessed dozens of great forwards, but only a select few have reached historic scoring heights. Analysts from The Analyst and Opta have updated the all-time scoring record for the competition, excluding goals from qualification rounds.
Top 20 Champions League scorers:
- Cristiano Ronaldo — 140 goals
- Lionel Messi — 129
- Robert Lewandowski — 109
- Karim Benzema — 90
- Raul — 71
- Kylian Mbappe — 71
- Erling Haaland — 59
- Thomas Muller — 57
- Ruud van Nistelrooy — 56
- Harry Kane — 55
- T Thierry Henry — 50
- Mohamed Salah — 50
- Andriy Shevchenko — 48
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic — 48
- Filippo Inzaghi — 46
- Didier Drogba — 44
- Antoine Griezmann — 44
- Neymar — 43
- Alessandro Del Piero — 42
- Sergio Aguero — 41
Cristiano Ronaldo: The absolute peak (140 goals)
The Portuguese forward remains the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 140 goals in 183 appearances. Ronaldo has netted for three of Europe's top clubs: 21 goals for Manchester United, 105 for Real Madrid, and 14 for Juventus. Now at Al Nassr, it's unlikely he will add to this remarkable tally.
Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in a single season: 17 in the 2013/14 campaign, culminating in victory over Atletico in the final. Two years later, he scored 16 in one season. Ronaldo has been the tournament's top scorer seven times, found the net in 93 different matches (in 51% of his games), registered eight hat-tricks, and troubled 38 different clubs. His 10 goals against Juventus stand as a record for any player against a single team.
Lionel Messi: The genius of one club (129 goals)
Argentinian superstar Messi stands second with 129 goals. He holds the record for the most goals scored for a single club, netting 120 times for Barcelona. He added nine while representing Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi has inflicted pain on a record 40 different teams in the tournament, with Arsenal being his preferred target, conceding nine goals (7% of his total). He has found the net in 18 consecutive Champions League seasons, starting from 2005/06. Like Ronaldo, he has achieved eight hat-tricks but boasts the unique feat of scoring five goals in one match against Bayer Leverkusen in March 2012 (that season amassed a total of 73 goals for his club).
Robert Lewandowski: The century maker (109 goals)
Polish striker Lewandowski crossed the century mark on November 26 while playing for Barcelona against Brest. Of his 109 goals, 69 came during his time at Bayern Munich, where he transferred from Borussia Dortmund. With 23 goals for Barcelona, he has become only the second player after Ronaldo to score 10+ goals for three different clubs.
Lewandowski has broken Gerd Müller's European competition record while with Bayern (65) and established a club record for most goals in a single season by netting 15 during the victorious 2019/20 campaign. In the knockout stages of the 2025/26 season, he scored his 108th and 109th goals against Newcastle United, further extending his record: he has now scored against 41 different clubs.
Karim Benzema: Consistency spanning 18 years (90 goals)
Benzema has concluded his time with 90 goals before his move to Al Ittihad. The Frenchman boasts a remarkable record of scoring in every single Champions League season he has participated in, starting from his debut with Lyon back in 2005.
In the 2021/22 season, Benzema won his first Golden Boot, scoring 15 goals and leading Real Madrid to trophy glory. He netted 78 goals for the club, which ranks second in the club’s history after Ronaldo.
Raul and Kylian Mbappe: Both with 71 goals
Spanish legend Raul held the all-time scoring record for a long while with 71 goals (66 for Real Madrid and 5 for Schalke 04). He was the first player to hit 50 goals in the tournament as early as September 2005.
Mbappe has now matched Raul's tally, scoring his 50th goal on December 10, 2024, while playing for Real against Atalanta at the age of 25 years and 356 days (the second-youngest player to reach this milestone after Messi). Mbappe took just 79 matches to reach his half-century, and during the 2025/26 season, he amassed 15 goals in a single campaign—more than any player except for Ronaldo.
Clubbing with 50+: The Pursuers and Historical Snipers
- Erling Haaland (59 goals): The Norwegian phenomenon redefined the records in September 2025 by reaching 50 goals faster than anyone else, achieving this milestone in just 49 matches (for Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City). His record-breaking feat surpassed Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 62 games. In his first 50 Champions League matches, he scored 52 goals, eclipsing Ruud's 43. A double on opening day of the 2026/27 season allowed Haaland to surpass Muller; he now stands at 59 goals in 59 appearances.
- Thomas Muller (57 goals): The German scored 57 goals and provided 25 assists for Bayern, having won the tournament in 2013 and 2020 before moving to Vancouver Whitecaps.
- Ruud van Nistelrooy (56 goals): The Dutchman achieved 50 goals in 62 matches at the age of 31. He holds Manchester United's club record in the competition with 35 goals (ahead of Rooney’s 30 and Giggs’ 28).
- Harry Kane (55 goals): The forward hit his 49th and 50th in March 2026 for Bayern against Atalanta. It took him 66 matches to reach 50 goals, the same as Messi, with only Haaland (49) and Van Nistelrooy (62) having reached that mark quicker.
- T Thierry Henry (50 goals): The Frenchman netted for Monaco (7), Barcelona (8), and Arsenal (35). He remains the top scorer in the history of the Gunners in European competitions.
- Mohamed Salah (50 goals): The Egyptian achieved his 50th milestone goal in March 2026 while playing for Liverpool against Galatasaray, becoming the first African player in history to reach this landmark.
