Top 5 Champions League goal-scorers among active players

Bhargav
Messi and Ronaldo are the two-most prolific scorers in the competition
Messi and Ronaldo are the two-most prolific scorers in the competition

The UEFA Champions League is the blue riband competition of European club football.

Formerly called the European Cup (from 1955-56 to 1991-92), the UEFA Champions League has been graced by 141 different clubs from 33 UEFA member associations.

In 2003-04, the Champions League did away with the second group stage and has since featured three two-legged knockout rounds - Round of 16 comprising the eight group winners and runner-ups, four quarterfinals and two semifinals, before a one-off final.

In 28 editions of the competition, Real Madrid (23 consecutive) and Barcelona of Spain have each have made a record 24 appearances, followed by 23 appearances apiece by Bayern Munich of Germany and Porto of Portugal, 22 by Manchester United of England and 20 by Juventus of Italy.

Atalanta of Italy, the competition debutantes in 2019-20, are one of 50 clubs to have made exactly one appearance in the group stage of the Champions League.

Real Madrid rejoice after winning their record 13th European Cup (7th Champions League title) in 2018
Real Madrid rejoice after winning their record 13th European Cup (7th Champions League title) in 2018

With seven titles, Real Madrid lead a group of 14 clubs to have won the competition in its present format. With 13 titles, Real are also the most successful club overall in the European Cup / UEFA Champions League.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Spanish capital club have played the most matches (260), have the most match wins (155) and have scored the most goals (551) in the Champions League. Three of the competition's five most prolific scorers have donned the Real Madrid jersey.

Let us have a look at the top five active players (with their respective ranks in the all-time list shown in parenthesis) to have scored the most goals in the UEFA Champions League.

#5 Thomas Muller (14th all-time)

Thomas Müller 
Thomas Müller

Thomas Müller is one of 38 players (12th active) to have played 100 games in the Champions League. He is also one of 15 players to have scored 40 goals in the Champions League.

The German's tally of 43 goals (all for Bayern Munich) places him 14th in the list of all-time top goal scorers in the competition.

Playing in his 12th Champions League season right now, Müller has scored in 11 campaigns. The German has netted a goal against 25 different clubs, with five goals against Arsenal being his highest goal-tally against a single club.

Müller holds the record for most goals in the competition without scoring a hat-trick.

Also check out: Premier League Table La Liga Table Champions League Schedule

#4 Robert Lewandowski (6th all-time)

Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski

In 81 appearances in the Champions League, Robert Lewandowski has scored 54 goals (17 for Borussia Dortmund and 37 for Bayern Munich). That is the sixth-best tally of goals by a player in the competition.

The Polish marksman is one of seven players to have scored 50 goals in the Champions League and one of 19 players to have scored multiple hat-tricks in the competition. He is the only player to score four goals in a Champions League semifinal (against Real Madrid in 2012-13).

Lewandoswki has scored against 23 different clubs in the Champions League. The Pole's six goals against Real Madrid is his highest goal tally against any club.

#3 Karim Benzema (4th all-time)

Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema is one of four players to have scored 60 goals in the Champions League.

In 113 appearances in the competition, Benzema has scored 60 goals (12 for Lyon and 48 for Real Madrid). That is the fourth-best goal tally of all time in the Champions League.

Benzema has scored against 28 different clubs in the Champions League. The Frenchman's favourite clubs in the competition are Ajax, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, against whom he has scored four goals apiece.

Benzema is one of 19 players to register a Champions League hat-trick twice, and is one of four players to have scored a goal in 14 consecutive Champions League seasons.

The Frenchman, along with 20 other players, has won the Champions League on four occasions (all for Real Madrid).

#2 Lionel Messi (2nd all-time)

Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi

One of seven players with 130 appearances in the Champions League, Lionel Messi has scored 112 goals in the competition.

Messi is one of only two players to tally 100 goals in the Champions League, and has the highest single-club goal tally in the competition.

One of four players to have scored in 14 consecutive seasons in the Champions League, the diminutive Argentinian has netted against a record-equaling 32 different clubs. He also has a record-equaling eight hat-tricks in the competition.

Messi's tally of 66 goals in the group stage is the highest in the competition's history.

Messi is the only player in the history of the competition to score four or more goals in a game on four occasions, and is one of 20 players to have won the Champions League four times (all for Barcelona).

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (1st all-time)

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time top-scorer in the Champions League with 126 goals (15 for Manchester United, 105 for Real Madrid and six for Juventus). Not surprisingly, he has a slew of records (both standalone and shared) in the competition.

Ronaldo has scored against a record-equaling 32 different clubs in the competition and is the oldest scorer of a Champions League hat-trick. Along with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo has scored a competition-record eight hat-tricks.

Ronaldo is the only player to score in Champions League finals for two different winning clubs (Manchester United in 2008, Madrid in 2014 and 2017).

The Portugal captain is also the only player to score in each game of the group-stage of the Champions League (2015-16) and the only player to score 10 or more goals in seven successive seasons (2011-12 to 2017-18).

Ronaldo's 17 goals in 2013-14 is the most in a Champions League season by any player.

Ronaldo's 66 goals in the knockout stage of the Champions League (Round of 16 to final) is 20 goals better than the next highest tally in the competition.

The Portuguese striker's 163 Champions League appearances is the most in competition history behind former Real Madrid teammate Iker Casillas (177).

Ronaldo has been the Champions League top-scorer in a record six consecutive seasons and is the only player to win five Champions League titles (one for Manchester United, four for Real Madrid).

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Edited by Musab Abid