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#4 Karim Benzema (56 goals)
Karim Benzema recently went past Raul in the all-time Champions League top scorer charts and narrowly beat him in this countdown as well. The Frenchman, who has looked rejuvenated in the last few seasons, has scored 56 goals in 79 group stage appearances.
The Real Madrid number 9 has a terrific record in Europe’s continental competition. He has won the Champions League four times, registering 76 goals and 28 assists in the process.
Benzema has had a few off-field issues, mainly with Valbuena and Giroud. However, that hasn’t affected his goal tally. At 33, the former Lyon striker retains his status as one of the best forwards in Europe.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (56 goals)
Like Benzema, Robert Lewandowski has also scored 56 Champions League group stage goals. However, his superior goal-to-game ratio ensured he pipped the Real Madrid talisman to 3rd spot on the list.
Lewandowski seems to be getting better with his age. The Polish marksman has made Ballon d’Or worthy contributions for Bayern Munich over the last couple of seasons. He has scored 0.918 goals per group stage match, which is the second-best ratio.
Lewandowski scored 15 goals in the 2019-20 Champions League campaign and led Bayern Munich to their sixth trophy. Having scored nine goals already, he is well on course to finish another season as the Champions League's top scorer.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo (73 goals)
Cristiano Ronaldo is just two short of 100 Champions League group stage appearances and has netted 73 times. The all-time Champions League top scorer (140 goals) is renowned for his performances in the knockout rounds. However, he has a more-than-decent record in the group stage as well.
Ronaldo has a phenomenal record in the Champions League. He is a seven-time top scorer in the competition and has won the Champions League trophy on five occasions. He is the fourth player on this list to have represented Real Madrid, displaying their continental dominance.
The Portuguese international holds the record for most goals in football history, most Champions League goals, and most international goals, to name a few. His innate ability to beat the goalkeeper time and time again has earned him five Ballon d’Or awards.
#1 Lionel Messi (76 goals)
Lionel Messi is the top scorer in the Champions League group stage with 76 goals. It has taken “La Pulga” just 81 matches to reach that figure, averaging a spectacular 0.938 goals-to-game ratio. Last night's brace against Club Brugge created some breathing space between his and Ronaldo’s goal tallies in the group stages.
Messi recently joined PSG and has scored five goals for the Parisians in the group stages of this season’s Champions League. The remaining 71 goals came in a Barcelona shirt, earning him six top scorer crowns in the Champions League.
The four-time Champions League winner is 15 goals behind Ronaldo's overall record. However, he manages to trump the Portuguese when it comes to group stage goals, scoring nearly once every game. Messi is still going strong and looks eager to register more goals.
