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#8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (38 goals)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is going strong in the Champions League at the age of 40. The Swedish international has represented many clubs in the Champions League and has participated in the tournament since the turn of the millennium. He has scored 38 goals in 83 group stage games.
The Milan striker has the worst goal-to-game ratio (0.45) among the players who made it to the top 10. Although he has played for six different teams in the Champions League, including Barcelona, PSG, and Juventus, the coveted trophy eludes him.
Ibrahimovic is one of the most decorated active footballers. He has scored in each of the last four decades. Sweden's top goalscorer has been a clinical striker wherever he has gone.
#7 Thierry Henry (38 goals)
Thierry Henry has also scored 38 goals in the Champions League group stages. However, he ranks higher as he has played fewer matches (76) than Ibrahimovic. Henry is widely regarded as one of the best forwards of the 21st century, and his goal record factually agrees with that statement.
The Frenchman represented Monaco, Arsenal and Barcelona in the Champions League and scored a half-century of goals. An integral part of Arsenal’s Invincibles squad, Henry could only fulfill his Champions League thirst when he won the trophy with Barcelona.
The Belgian assistant coach is France's all-time top scorer. Many believe Henry deserves to partner Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time Champions League XI. However, a certain Robert Lewandowski might have something to say about this.
#6 Ruud van Nistelrooy (50 goals)
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 50 Champions League group stage goals is a massive jump from the previous best of 38. The former Manchester United star’s goals to games ratio of 0.83 is highly commendable.
“The Ruud Devil” won three Champions League top scorer awards (fourth highest) in the early 2000s. His overall record of 56 goals in 73 matches is exemplary. He would be right up there with the leading Champions League goalscorers if he played as many games as Messi and Ronaldo have.
Despite having such a remarkable track record, he never managed to get his hands on the Champions League trophy. The footballer-turned-coach has won five league titles in total during stints with PSV, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
#5 Raul (53 goals)
Raul Gonzalez has a history with the UEFA Champions League. The Real Madrid legend was the top scorer in the competition before Cristiano Ronaldo arrived on the scene. Ronaldo took not only Raul’s number 7 jersey but also snatched some of his records.
Raul remains one of the most distinguished goal scorers in Champions League history, having scored 71 times in double the number of matches. 53 of those strikes were delivered in the group stage of the competition.
The Spaniard was the Champions League's top scorer for two consecutive seasons in 1999-00 (joint) and 2000-01. Overall, he is the fifth leading scorer in the Champions League. He played a pivotal role in three of Real Madrid’s 13 Champions League triumphs.
