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The UEFA Champion's League is the most exciting club competition in World Football. Each season, the best teams in Europe have the offer to compete against each other from September to May – all bidding to become Kings of Europe.
Several legends of the game have scored copious amounts of goals in the 60 plus years the historic competition has been contested.
This slideshow counts down the five most prolific goalscorers in Champions League history.
Note: All statistics correct at time of writing (September 19, 2018)
=4 Karim Benzema (56 goals)
Played in Champions for these clubs: Lyon, Real Madrid
Karim Benzema has contested Champions League Football for two clubs, Lyon and his current employers, Real Madrid.
Although in the shadow of his more illustrious team-mates who have pulled on the famous Madrid shirt on the biggest stage, few have been more prolific than the Frenchman.
Benzema scored 12 times for Lyon in the Champions League and has added 44 more with Madrid. The most recent of which coming in the 2017-18 Champions League Final versus Liverpool.
Benzema's goals have contributed to four Champions League successes with his current club in 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18.
=4 Ruud van Nistelrooy (56 goals)
Ruud Van Nistelrooy - Scored the majority of his Champions League goals for Manchester United
Clubs: PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid
Ruud Van Nistelrooy enjoyed playing in the Champions League and for a time was the competition's record goalscorer.
However, despite his incredible goal-scoring exploits, he is the only man featured on this list who never won the Champions League or even contested the final for any of his clubs. His time at Manchester United and Real Madrid came at relatively fallow periods for the European super-powers.
However, despite his lack of club success in the competition, his performances and goals will live long in the memory.
#3 Raul (71 goals)
Clubs: Real Madrid, Schalke
Raul spent 16 years playing for Real Madrid where he scored 66 Champions League goals for the club where he is so revered by it's fan base. Raul's goals contributed to three Champions League victories for Los Blancos in 1997-98, 1999-2000 and 2001-02.
He left his hometown club for German outfit Schalke where he scored five more Champions League goals taking his overall tally to 71; a then-record.
#2 Lionel Messi (103 goals)
Clubs: Barcelona
The legend of Lionel Messi is well known. The 31 year old is one of the finest players to ever play the game and has for his entire career performed at the highest level for the Spanish giants, Barcelona.
Messi's 103 goals contributed massively to his club's four Champions League triumphs during his tenure, with victories in 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2014-15
Messi surpassed the 100 goal mark in the Champions League with a double against Chelsea in March 2018, reaching the landmark in just 123 appearances - a record.
Messi has many more years yet to reach number one on this list.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (120 goals)
Clubs: Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus
No surprise here. The man who's goal-scoring record is unmatched leads the line for most goals scored in the Champions League. Unsurprisingly, his glut of goals have led to him playing a major role in five Champions League triumphs; one for Manchester United in 2007-08 and four more for Real Madrid in 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Ronaldo has netted for three of his four clubs in the Champions League, not having yet scored in the competition for new club Juventus.
More remarkably than the goals he has scored is in how few games he has achieved the mark in. Ronaldo has scored his 120 Champions League goals in a little over 150 appearances.
An outstanding record for the most challenging competition in World Football.
What is even more amazing is that at the age of 33, Ronaldo can continue to add to his incredible tally.
