Champions League all-time top scorers: Ranking Europe’s greatest goal machines

A ranking of the Champions League all-time top scorers, from Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi to Lewandowski and Benzema. Stats updated before 2025/26.

The Champions League all-time top scorers chart reflects the evolution of European soccer’s greatest stage. Names etched in history reveal not only records, but also the relentless pursuit of glory across generations.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi stand as landmarks in that journey, their figures towering with unmatched consistency. Yet they are joined by icons such as Raul and Benzema, each adding their own chapter to the competition’s legacy.

Goals scored spotlight are more than statistics—they embody ambition, resilience, and the artistry of finishing. From the earliest heroes to today’s dominant strikers, the story of Europe’s goal machines remains ever unfolding.

Champions League all-time top scorers

1. Cristiano Ronaldo — 141 goals. A relentless evaluator of opportunities: powerful headers, late penalties, and an uncanny ability to produce in knockout moments for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

2. Lionel Messi — 129 goals. A creator-shooter whose technique and timing turned Barcelona’s possession into sustained attacking ferocity; his Champions League strike record reads like a catalogue of decisive, artistic finishes.

3. Robert Lewandowski — 105 goals. The clinical centre-forward: instinctive in the box and ruthlessly consistent from Dortmund to Bayern and then Barcelona. Goals here are evidence of uncanny positioning and finishing.

4. Karim Benzema — 90 goals. A front-man who evolved into a complete attacking reference for Real Madrid — game intelligence and clutch finishes defined his continental output.

5. Raul — 71 goals. A symbol of Real Madrid’s modern era: finishing with class and an ability to produce in the club’s most dramatic nights.

6. Ruud van Nistelrooy — 60 goals. The textbook penalty-box predator: a striker who punished half-chances with surgical precision at PSV, United and Real Madrid.

7. Andriy Shevchenko — 59 goals. Clinical and composed, Shevchenko’s time at AC Milan and Dynamo Kyiv produced some of the 2000s’ most memorable final-stage finishes.

8. Thomas Müller — 57 goals. Less a traditional poacher than a genius for late arrivals and spatial intelligence; Müller’s Champions League strikes reflect instinct over flamboyance.

9. Kylian Mbappe — 55 goals. A modern power-speed forward whose blend of pace and finishing has carried him from Monaco to PSG and then Real Madrid; still adding to an already imposing total.

10. Mohamed Salah — 51 goals. A forward who combined speed, shot selection and consistency for Liverpool; his Champions League moments include both group-stage brilliance and crucial knockout strikes.

11. Thierry Henry — 51 goals. Elegant, explosive and decisive… Henry’s Champions League goals were often the fine margins that elevated Arsenal and Barcelona in their biggest tests.

12. Filippo Inzaghi — 50 goals. A true poacher in the box, Inzaghi’s Champions League legacy is defined by instinctive positioning and unerring timing. His knack for scoring in crucial moments for Juventus and AC Milan made him one of Europe’s most feared finishers, often turning half-chances into historic goals.

13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic — 49 goals. A blend of audacity and technique, his continental goals came across a career spanning Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan, PSG and Manchester United.

14. Alfredo Di Stefano — 49 goals. The architect of Real Madrid’s early European conquests; historic significance equals his goal numbers in any serious Champions League conversation.

15. Erling Haaland — 49 goals. A scoring phenomenon: raw power, directness and a near-unnerving conversion rate that made him a match-winner for Salzburg, Dortmund and Manchester City.

Active players chasing the record

Haaland, Mbappe and Salah are the highest-profile active scorers who keep the conversation alive about what the next generation might achieve. Each follows a distinct script: Haaland’s terrifying conversion rate, Mbappe’s blend of speed and technical polish, and Salah’s steady clutch scoring for Liverpool.

• Erling Haaland | A pure finisher whose arrival at each club immediately raised the ceiling for goals per match; his 1.0+ goals-per-game ratio in Europe’s modern era is the statistical outlier coaches and analysts point to when discussing “instant impact.”

• Kylian Mbappe | Built around blistering pace and a widening repertoire of finishes, Mbappe’s continental total reflects both early promise at Monaco and sustained output at PSG and Real Madrid; he remains within striking distance of several retired greats.

• Mohamed Salah | Consistency personified: his Liverpool years produced important knockout contributions and a pattern of scoring that combines timing, angle selection and calm in tight spaces.

Those three exemplify different routes to the same end. None sits within easy reach of Ronaldo or Messi’s historic totals, but each can still reshape the top-20 picture with a few outstanding seasons.

Complete top scorers table