The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious football competition globally, showcasing the top talents who have scored the most goals throughout its history. Originally introduced as the European Cup in the 1955/56 season, the tournament quickly became the pinnacle of European football, featuring the champions from each nation.
Key Takeaways
- Established in 1955, the European Cup became the premier club competition in Europe before being rebranded as the UEFA Champions League in 1992.
- Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano was one of the tournament’s most prolific players in its early years, retiring before the competition’s reformatting.
- Kylian Mbappé, despite breaking into the top 10 scorers in his mid-20s, still has a long way to go to reach the top of the Champions League’s all-time goal-scoring charts.
Rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, the competition adopted the format we recognize today, with group-stage fixtures providing more chances for modern players to shine. This shift has allowed many contemporary stars to surpass the records set by legendary players from earlier eras.
Over nearly 70 years, the Champions League has been home to some of the greatest teams, managers, and players in football history. Below, we highlight the top goal scorers who have made their mark in this iconic tournament.
Champions League Goalscorers of All Time
| Top Champions League Goalscorers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Clubs | Goals |
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus | 141 |
| 2. | Lionel Messi | Barcelona, PSG | 129 |
| 3. | Robert Lewandowski | Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona | 96 |
| 4. | Karim Benzema | Lyon, Real Madrid | 90 |
| 5. | Raul Gonzalez | Real Madrid, Schalke | 71 |
| 6. | Ruud van Nistelrooy | PSV, Manchester United, Real Madrid | 60 |
| 7. | Andriy Shevchenko | Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea | 59 |
| 8. | Thomas Muller | Bayern Munich | 54 |
| 9. | Thierry Henry | Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona | 51 |
| 10. | Filippo Inzaghi | AC Milan, Juventus | 50 |
| 11= | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, Man Utd | 49 |
| 11= | Alfredo Di Stefano | Real Madrid | 49 |
| 11= | Kylian Mbappe | Monaco, PSG | 49 |
| 14. | Mohamed Salah | Basel, Chelsea, Roma, Liverpool | 48 |
| 15= | Eusebio | Benfica | 47 |
| 15= | Sergio Aguero | Atletico Madrid, Man City, Barcelona | 47 |
| 17. | Didier Drogba | Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray | 44 |
| 18= | Neymar | Barcelona, PSG | 43 |
| 18= | Alessandro Del Piero | Juventus | 43 |
| 20. | Erling Haaland | RB Salzburg, Dortmund, Man City | 42 |
