Most goals in Champions League history: Ronaldo, Messi and the all-time leading scorers

Jeorge Bird

Most goals in Champions League history: Ronaldo, Messi and the all-time leading scorers image

The UEFA Champions League has produced some sensational matches over the years, often accompanied by memorable goalscoring feats.

Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will be expecting to feature near the top of the Golden Boot standings for 2024/25, although they can expect stiff competition from Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski.

Erling Haaland set the standard last season, including becoming just the second player to score five goals in a Champions League knockout game since Lionel Messi did so in 2011/12.

The Sporting News brings you a look at the all-time top scorers in Champions League and European Cup history.

MORE: Champions League top goal scorers 2022/23: Updated golden boot rankings

Who has the most Champions League goals ever?

Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way, having scored 140 goals in the competition during his illustrious career, which has seen him bag goals for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus in Champions League play. Of course, he will not be adding to that tally for now, with the Red Devils playing Europa League football during the 2022/23 season.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is second with 129 goals for Barcelona and PSG, while Robert Lewandowski is third, having found the net on 96 occasions. The Poland international became the first player to score a hat-trick for three different teams in the competition (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona) after netting three times for Barcelona against Viktoria Plzen. He got his latest goals in the 5-0 thrashing of Young Boys on October 1, 2024.

RankNameGoalsAppearancesYears Club (s)
1.Cristiano Ronaldo1401832003-presentMan United, Real Madrid, Juventus
2.Lionel Messi1291602005-presentBarcelona, PSG
3.Robert Lewandowski961222011-presentBayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona
4.Karim Benzema901522005-presentReal Madrid, Lyon
5.Raul711421995-2011Real Madrid, Schalke
6.Ruud van Nistelrooy56731998-2009PSV, Man United, Real Madrid

7.

Thomas Muller541522009-presentBayern Munich
8.Thierry Henry501121997-2012Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona
9.Alfredo Di Stefano49581955-1964Real Madrid
=Kylian Mbappe49742016-presentMonaco, PSG, Real Madrid
11.Zlatan Ibrahimovic481242001-presentAjax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG
=Andriy Shevchenko481001994-2012Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea

Where do Mbappe and Haaland rank in all-time Champions League goal scorers?

Kylian Mbappe and Haaland have already impressed in the Champions League and are expected to continue to do so for some time to come.

Mbappe is already in equal 10th place on the all-time Champions League scoring charts, with the striker having scored 49 goals in 74 games in the competition. That puts him level with the great Alfredo Di Stefano.

The majority of those have come for Paris Saint-Germain, but Mbappe also scored six Champions League goals for Monaco, and one so far for Real Madrid.

Kylian Mbappe Champions League goals

SeasonGoalsGames
2016/1769
2017/1848
2018/1948
2019/20510
2020/21810
2021/2268
2022/2378
2023/24811
2024/2512
Total4974

Haaland is on 42 goals in just 41 career appearances in the Champions League. He is already ahead of Sergio Aguero in the all-time goals list.

Erling Haaland Champions League goals

SeasonGoalsGames
2018/1986
2019/2022
2020/21108
2021/2233
2022/231211
2023/2469
2024/2512
Total4241

Lewandowski and Benzema have been prolific in the Champions League but it is nearly impossible task for them to match Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goals scored in the competition, needing upwards of 50 goals to catch him. Thomas Muller and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are also veterans, and Benzema and Ibrahimovic were not involved in the competition at the start of 2023/24.

It is worth taking into consideration, though, that, despite being 39 years old at the start of 2023/24, Ronaldo could still potentially add to his all-time record tally, which would make him even more difficult to catch — provided he returns to play in the competition after his spell in Saudi Arabia.

Jeorge Bird