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The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious and the most exciting club football competition in the world. To win the Champions League is a dream for every player playing in Europe. However, some of the best players have failed to win the Champions League for various reasons ranging from the perennial bad luck to bizarre reasons like being cup-tied.
Let's take a look at the best strikers to have never won the Champions League.
(The article chronicles players who have featured predominantly as a striker and as a result, forwards who have played in other positions like Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti miss out.)
10) Edinson Cavani
PSG hitman is certainly one of the most lethal strikers on the planet at the moment. He's scored loads of goals wherever he's played in Europe be it Palermo, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain.
He's scored 78 goals in his last two seasons for PSG in all competitions (2016-17 & 2017-18) combined but hasn't been able to guide his team to victory in the Champions League. With Paris Saint-Germain, he was knocked out famously by FC Barcelona in the 2016-17 edition and by eventual winners Real Madrid in the 2017-18 season.
9) Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero has established himself as one of the world's finest strikers. His phenomenal record at Atletico Madrid and Manchester City speaks volumes of his talent. The clever forward is loved by City and Argentina fans in equal measure and always gives his all for his team.
However, he's been plying his trade in teams which do not mount a serious challenge at the Champions League. When he was at Atletico, the team wasn't the powerhouse it is today whilst Manchester City, despite Guardiola's stewardship, have failed to reach beyond the quarterfinals.
Aguero has vowed to leave City only after collecting a Champions League medal. It will be interesting to see whether the Argentine is able to keep his promise!
8) Gabriel Batistuta
The man is revered by fans so much that he has a life-size bronze statue erected in Florence. 'Batigoal', as he is fondly referred to by fans the world over, played the majority of his career at Fiorentina who, realistically, never had a real shot at winning the Champions League.
In fact, in 2001, Batigoal had to leave his beloved Fiorentina and switch to Roma to win the Scudetto, before retiring in 2005 after a one-year lucrative deal in the middle east.
Well, at least he was the inspiration behind Argentina's last international triumph, the 1993 Copa America, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win against Mexico in the final. Your move, Leo Messi.
7) Robert Lewandowski
The best striker in the Bundesliga by a mile, it is rather surprising that Robert Lewandowski has never won the Champions League. He came close with Borussia Dortmund, being the runner-up in the 2012-13 season and he switched after a season to Bayern Munich on a free transfer who had taken away the Polish striker's chance at glory in 2012/13 champions league final.
Pep Guardiola's was appointed as Bayern manager that same year with the sole intention of extending the Bavarian giant's continental dominance. He, however, failed to land the coveted prize in three consecutive seasons before moving on to Manchester City. His replacement, Carlo Ancelotti, also failed in this objective. After Ancelotti's departure, Jupp Heynckes steadied Bayern's ship domestically, but couldn't win in Europe. As a result, he is still searching for his first Champions League medal.
6) Antoine Griezmann
Man of the match in the 2018 World Cup finals, Antoine Griezmann has won a European club competition, the Europa League in 2018. For all of Europa league's prestige, the Uefa Champions League glory is something else entirely.
Griezmann has come close twice to winning the Champions League. In the final of the 2013-14 edition, Sergio Ramos equalized in the second half injury time to level the match which Real won 4-1 after running riot in Extra time. In 2015-16 final, he missed a penalty, which if converted, would have crowned Atletico champions.
At 27, the French striker has time on his side. It'll be interesting to see if Atletico Madrid can repay the faith Griezmann put in the club by signing a new long-term contract by winning the Champions League.
5) Micheal Owen
Another player who has won the second tier of the European cup competition, the UEFA Cup as it was called back then, Micheal Owen had the world at his feet at a very young age. Ballon d'Or winner at 22, he got his big move to Real Madrid in 2004.
However, this is where the fairy tale ended. Frustrated by the substitute status at Madrid, he returned to Premier League with Newcastle the following year. A number of injuries meant he lost his devastating pace and accuracy he was known for during his spell at Liverpool. He did come close to winning the Champions League with Manchester United in 2011, but a Leo Messi inspired FC Barcelona overpowered Sir Alex's side and Micheal Owen finished his career without a Champions League medal
4) Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer had the opportunity to join Manchester United and be a teammate of Roy Keane, the man with whom the Geordie had multiple infractions over the next decade. He chose to return to his boyhood club and never won a trophy again.
Despite raking up 283 goals in the English top flight, including a record 260 in the Premier League era, featuring in an inconsistent Newcastle side meant that Alan Shearer never had a chance at winning any trophy, let alone the Champions League. What he does have though, is a brass statue outside the home ground of the club he has always supported. Not bad, eh?
3) Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is another player who has won the second tier of the European club competition. He is probably the most curious case of this list. In his European career, he has featured for Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, clubs which have won the Champions League a combined 24 times!
However, he never played for the clubs at the top of their games. At times, the club he transferred from won the Champions League like Inter Milan in 2010 and Barcelona in 2011. Now plying his trade in MLS, Zlatan may never win Europe's top prize!
2) Ruud van Nistelrooy
A three-time Champions League top scorer and a top scorer in three different leagues (Eredivisie, Premier League, and La Liga), however, one is surprised to know that the Dutch maestro was unable to win the big prize.
His best chance to win the Champions League was when he was at Manchester United. However, his spell at United coincided with United's slump in form. In his five year stay at United, he won just four trophies, winning the league just once. As a result, RvN cannot boast about with his Champions League medal.
1) Ronaldo
The greatest player to have never won the Champions League per the FourFourTwo Magazine, Ronaldo missed out on a medal due to an unfortunate technicality.
When AC Milan won the Champions League in January 2007, Ronaldo was denied the opportunity to participate and be allotted a medal because he was 'cup-tied'. This is because he played for Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier in the season and thus was ineligible to represent AC Milan.
The closest that el Fenemino has been to Champions League success was in 2003 when he helped Real Madrid to the semi-finals, in which they lost to Juventus.
