The UEFA Champions League has produced some sensational matches over the years, often accompanied by memorable goalscoring feats.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are among the hotshots to have shown their prowess already during the 2023/24 competition.
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 92 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.
| Rank | Name | Goals | Appearances | Years | Club (s) |
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 140 | 183 | 2003-present | Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus |
| 2. | Lionel Messi | 129 | 160 | 2005-present | Barcelona, PSG |
| 3. | Robert Lewandowski | 92 | 113 | 2011-present | Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona |
| 4. | Karim Benzema | 90 | 152 | 2005-present | Real Madrid, Lyon |
| 5. | Raul | 71 | 142 | 1995-2011 | Real Madrid, Schalke |
| 6. | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 56 | 73 | 1998-2009 | PSV, Manchester United, Real Madrid |
|
7. |
Thomas Muller | 53 | 146 | 2009-present | Bayern Munich |
| 8. | Thierry Henry | 50 | 112 | 1997-2012 | Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona |
| 9. | Alfredo Di Stefano | 49 | 58 | 1955-1964 | Real Madrid |
| 10. | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 48 | 124 | 2001-present | Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG |
| Andriy Shevchenko | 48 | 100 | 1994-2012 | Dynamo 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 17th place on the all-time Champions League scoring charts, with the striker having scored 42 goals in 64 games in the competition.
The majority of those have come for Paris Saint-Germain, but Mbappe also scored six Champions League goals for Monaco.
Kylian Mbappe Champions League goals
| Season | Goals | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 6 | 9 |
| 2017/18 | 4 | 8 |
| 2018/19 | 4 | 8 |
| 2019/20 | 5 | 10 |
| 2020/21 | 8 | 10 |
| 2021/22 | 6 | 8 |
| 2022/23 | 7 | 8 |
| 2023/24 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 42 | 64 |
Haaland jumped up to 20th in the list after scoring twice at Swiss side Young Boys during the group stage of the 2023/24 competition. That took him to 37 goals in 33 games.
Erling Haaland Champions League goals
| Season | Goals | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 8 | 6 |
| 2019/20 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020/21 | 10 | 8 |
| 2021/22 | 3 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | 12 | 11 |
| 2023/24 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 37 | 33 |
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.
Mohamed Salah, who was in the Europa League with Liverpool in 2023/24, is on 44 goals, but Mbappe and Haaland certainly seem the best bets in terms of getting close to surpassing Ronaldo’s achievement.
It is worth taking into consideration, though, that, despite being 37 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.