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For every footballer, playing and scoring in the UEFA Champions League is a dream they harbour from a very young age.
Very few are able to do both, and even fewer are able to score in crunch moments in big-game situations when their team needs a source of inspiration. The Champions League is the grandest stage European club football has to offer, and to make a difference when millions are watching is surely an incredible feeling.
Not many can claim to have scored multiple goals in the latter stages of the Champions League, with legends of the game dominating this list.
We look at the:
5 players who have scored the most goals in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and finals
#5 Jari Litmanen | 6 goals (Ajax)
Arguably Finland's greatest ever footballer, Jari Litmanen was a goal-scoring attacking midfielder who enjoyed his best playing spell with Ajax.
Litmanen joined Ajax from MyPa in 1992, and played a crucial role as Ajax won the Champions League in 1995. In the 1995/96 Champions League, the Finland international was the top goalscorer with nine goals, but couldn't stop Juventus from beating Ajax in the finals.
Litmanen made 228 appearances in all competitions for Ajax, scoring 129 goals. He left the club in 1999 for Barcelona and, after a short stint with Liverpool, he returned to Ajax in 2002. However, injuries hindered his playing time at the club and after making appearances for the likes of Lahti, Hansa Rostock and Malmo the 50-year old retired in 2011.
#4 Alessandro Del Piero | 6 goals (Juventus)
One of the greatest players of his generation, Alessandro Del Piero is regarded as a Juventus legend.
Del Piero joined Juventus from Padova in 1993, and thus began an association that would last for 19 seasons. The Italy international was a highly-creative forward with strong technical skills and technical ability, and was utilized in various attacking positions during his time with Juventus.
The forward made 705 appearances for Juventus and even spent a season in Serie B when Juventus were relegated. He scored 290 goals for the Old Lady, and won the Champions League in 1996, when Juventus beat Ajax. Del Piero played a crucial role as Juventus clinched the trophy, scoring six goals and finishing as the second highest scorer.
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#3 Robert Lewandowski | 7 goals (Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund)
One of the best strikers in football right now and one of the best players of his generation, Robert Lewandowski continues to astound with his performances.
The Poland international made his name with Borussia Dortmund, where he was part of the side which finished as runner-up in the 2012/13 Champions League. Bayern Munich quickly moved to sign him on a free transfer in 2014, and Lewandowski has not looked back ever since.
The 32-year old has made 326 appearances in all competitions for Bayern Munich, scoring 288 goals. Lewandowski scored 15 goals in the Champions League and 55 goals in all competitions as Bayern Munich won the treble last season.
#2 Lionel Messi | 8 goals (Barcelona)
Arguably the greatest player to have played the game, Lionel Messi's legacy in football can only be matched by a select few.
A product of the famed Barcelona academy, Messi is a one-club man. He has made 773 appearances in all competitions for the Camp Nou outfit, scoring 667 goals. An incredible creator, dribbler and goalscorer, the Argentina international has won four Champions League titles with Barcelona, among other trophies.
The 33-year old has dominated headlines of late, with his Barcelona contract expiring in the summer. He has been heavily linked with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, but Barcelona's new president Joan Laporta will be keen to ensure that the club's greatest ever player is a Barcelona player next season.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo | 17 goals (Manchester United and Real Madrid)
The debate will go on as to who the better player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is, but the Portuguese superstar tops this list.
Ronaldo has enjoyed a trophy-laden career at the very top, representing clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. The 36-year old is Real Madrid's all-time top goalscorer, and is also the all-time top goalscorer in the history of the Champions League.
The attacker has five Champions League titles, one with Manchester United and four with Real Madrid. Now at Juventus, there is intense pressure on Ronaldo to help the Old Lady triumph in Europe's premier club competition, but Juventus are struggling at the moment.
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