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As a country, Brazil has arguably produced the most entertaining forwards in the history of football. With their dazzling feet, mesmerizing trickery, and heartfelt celebrations, Brazilian goalscorers have always managed to keep their fans on the edge of their seats.
As you would expect, the most prestigious club competition, the UEFA Champions League, has also witnessed its fair share of 'Samba' magic. Many Brazilians have gone down in Champions League history for their clever movement, incisive through balls and, most importantly, match-winning goals.
Here, we will take a look at some of the most standout Brazilian goalscorers in the history of the great European competition.
Today, we will take a look at five Brazilians who have scored the most in the Champions League.
#5 Ronaldinho - 18 goals
Barcelona and Brazil legend Ronaldinho needs no introduction. He is arguably the most skillful player the world of football has ever witnessed and won every major trophy with his clubs and national team.
The Brazilian maverick represented Barcelona and AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League for six seasons between 2004 and 2011. He played a total of 47 games for the two teams, registering 18 goals and 14 assists.
Ronaldinho’s most successful season in the Champions League came in the 2005-06 campaign for the Blaugrana. The World Cup winner scored seven times and provided five assists in 12 appearances that season.
Ronaldinho, who scored a group-stage hat-trick against Udinese that season, was ever-present in the team and assisted the only goal against Milan in the semi-final.
Barcelona eventually won the title, beating Arsenal 2-1 in the final.
#4 Willian - 18 goals
Former Chelsea star Willian is the fourth-highest scoring Brazilian in the history of the Champions League. He rarely got to play as an out-and-out forward during his time at Stamford Bridge, but his knack for scoring earned him some precious goals.
Willian, who made his Champions League debut at Shakhtar Donetsk, has played 71 Champions League games in his career. Over 10 seasons, the Brazil international has netted 18 times and provided 19 assists.
He also scored once for Shakhtar Donetsk in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.
Willian’s best-ever goalscoring run in the Champions League came in the 2015-16 season. He scored five goals and provided an assist for the Blues that season.
Willian currently plies his trade at his boyhood club, Corinthians. He provided two assists in nine appearances for the Brazilian outfit last year.
#3 Rivaldo - 27 goals
World Cup and UEFA Champions League winner Rivaldo was one of the best attacking midfielders during his time. He was an imposing presence in the middle of the park and had the quality to unlock any defense in the world.
He possessed impeccable vision, a knack for finding teammates, and a penchant for scoring ridiculous goals.
The Ballon d’Or winner made his Champions League debut with Barcelona in the 1997-98 season. He took part in six matches that season, but failed to register even a single goal or assist.
In the 1999-2000 season, Rivaldo produced his best-ever goalscoring run in the Champions League. He scored 10 goals in 14 appearances for the Blaugrana.
Overall, Rivaldo played 73 Champions League games, scoring 27 goals and providing 11 assists.
#2 Ricardo Kaka - 30 goals
Unlike most Brazilians, Ricardo Kaka was never a flamboyant showman. Yes, he too had a plethora of tricks up his sleeves, but he rarely needed them to get out of sticky situations. Instead, he banked on his intelligence, pace and golden touch in the final third of the pitch to make a decisive impact.
Kaka, who won the Ballon d’Or, World Cup, and the UEFA Champions League in his prime, made 86 Champions League appearances in 10 seasons.
His debut in the premier European competition came during the 2003-04 season in AC Milan colors and he marked the campaign with four goals and an assist. His best ever Champions League season came in 2006-07, in which he scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 13 appearances.
Kaka’s 13 goal contributions helped Milan win the coveted trophy at the end of the season.
Between 2009 and 2013, Kaka plied his trade at Real Madrid. Injuries kept him from attaining greatness during that spell, with the Brazilian only scoring five times for Los Blancos in the Champions League.
Overall, Kaka scored 30 times and provided 26 assists in the European competition between 2003 and 2014.
#1 Neymar - 41 goals
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar is currently the leading Brazilian goalscorer in the illustrious history of the UEFA Champions League. The versatile forward, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in the 2014-15 season, has netted 41 goals and provided 39 assists in 73 UCL appearances.
Considering the number of interruptions he has to deal with due to injuries, the tally is nothing short of astonishing.
Neymar made his Champions League debut at Barcelona in the 2013-14 season. He scored four goals and provided seven assists for the Blaugrana that season.
The following season, he emerged as a potent goalscorer for Barcelona in the premier European competition, scoring 10 times in 12 games. The Brazilian was on the scoresheet in the final as Barcelona cruised to a 3-1 win over Juventus.
Since leaving Barcelona in 2017, Neymar has scored 20 goals for PSG in the Champions League.
He is expected to play a starring role when the Parisians take on Real Madrid in the first leg of their Round of 16 UEFA Champions League tie next month.
