All posts by h716a5.icu

The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football, with some of the best players of all time starring in the competition, previously known as the European Cup. But who is the top goalscorer of all time in the famous club competition?

Football FanCast has listed the top 20 Champions League scorers, with a detailed look at the top 11.

All information correct as of 14th May 2025.

Rank

Player

Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi

Robert Lewandowski

Karim Benzema

Raul

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Andriy Shevchenko

Thomas Muller

Kylian Mbappe

Mohamed Salah

Thierry Henry

Filippo Inzaghi

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Alfredo Di Stefano

Erling Haaland

Eusebio

Sergio Aguero

Didier Drogba

Neymar

Alessandro Del Piero

Antoine Griezmann

The 15 best Champions League/European Cup finals – ranked

Ahead of the Champions League final, here are the best showdowns of years gone by.

ByPatric Ridge May 30, 2025

Here is a detailed look at the top 11 Champions League goalscorers:

11 Thierry Henry 51 goals

Arsenal icon Thierry Henry got his first taste of Champions League football with AS Monaco, helping the French side to the semi-finals in 1997/98.

The Frenchman would go on to turn out for Juventus and then Arsenal, where he suffered heartbreak in the 2006 final against Barcelona. However, Henry would finally get his hands on the trophy after joining Barcelona, defeating Manchester United in the 2009 final.

Arsenal's top 25 Champions League moments

Arsenal have enjoyed some of their greatest European nights in the Champions League.

ByMark Marston May 15, 2025 10 Mohamed Salah 51 goals

Mohamed Salah has been at the top of his game for a while now, so reaching a half-century of Champions League is a more-than-deserving accolade for a player of his stature.

The majority of his CL strikes have come for Liverpool, with whom he won the Champions League in 2019, thanks in part to the Egyptian scoring early in the final against Tottenham Hotspur, as well at numerous stages along the way.

9 Kylian Mbappe 55 goals

Kylian Mbappe has been around for ages, and yet he is barely into his mid-twenties. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Frenchman has already racked over 50 Champions League goals – overtaking the likes of compatriot Thierry Henry in the process.

Now at Real Madrid, we can maybe expect the goals to continue to flow for the striker, and with more group stage games these days, there’s every chance he’ll reach triple figures before too long.

8 Thomas Muller 57 goals

Thomas Muller has been a fantastic servant for Bayern Munich over the years, notching 57 goals for the Bavarians at the highest level of European competition.

The German made his Champions League debut back in 2009 and won the competition on two occasions, in 2013 and 2020.

Only Robert Lewandowski has more goals (69) in a Bayern shirt than Muller, putting him in some healthy company.

7 Andriy Shevchenko 59 goals

Best known for his time with Dynamo Kyiv and Milan, Andriy Shevchenko netted 59 times in the Champions League, including a famous hat-trick at the Nou Camp against Barcelona for Kyiv.

Shevchenko, who also turned out for Chelsea, won the tournament with Milan in 2003. The Ukrainian retired in 2012 and went on to manage his country between 2016 and 2021.

The top 10 Champions League games of all time – ranked

That night in ’99 and the Miracle in Istanbul are both featured in the list of the Champions League’s greatest-ever games.

ByFreddie Taylor Sep 25, 2023 6 Ruud van Nistelrooy 60 goals

Powerful Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy turned out for two of Europe’s biggest clubs in Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Upon retiring in 2012, Van Nistelrooy scored 60 goals in the competition and was the top scorer in three separate editions of the tournament, though he never managed to win the Champions League.

5 Raul 71 goals

Real Madrid icon Raul held the record as the all-time top scorer in the Champions League for a number of years and averaged a goal every other game in his 142 appearances in Europe.

The Spaniard lifted the trophy on three occasions with Madrid and became the manager of Real Madrid’s B side in 2019, so he could potentially be a future first-team boss at the Bernabeu.

4 Karim Benzema 90 goals

Another Real Madrid legend who scored plenty of Champions League goals at the Bernabeu is Karim Benzema, who also netted a number of his 90 goals in Europe for Lyon.

Now playing in Saudi Arabia, Benzema netted in a record 18 consecutive Champions League seasons, winning the tournament five times, as well as the top scorer award in 2021/22.

Ballon d'Or past winners: The best XI of former champions

Probably the only time you’ll ever see Messi and Ronaldo in the same team.

1 ByBarney Lane Oct 23, 2024 3 Robert Lewandowski 105 goals

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski became the third player to reach 100 Champions League goals during his time at Barcelona, with the ton secured in their league phase win over Stade Brest in November 2024, 13 years after his CL debut.

Previously of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, Lewandowski is Bayern’s top scorer in European football, scoring 15 times in 2019/20, when he lifted his only Champions League trophy.

2 Lionel Messi 129 goals

Barcelona legend Lionel Messi comes in as runner-up on the list, with 120 of his 129 Champions League goals coming for the Catalan giants.

Messi scored against 40 different teams in the competition, which is a record, but it was against Arsenal that he was most prolific, netting nine times against the Gunners.

The Argentine has also represented Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, winning the tournament with Barcelona on three separate occasions, the last coming in 2015.

Leeds United might have well strolled to automatic promotion in the end with a sizeable 100-point haul next to their name, but the Whites will know the Premier League is a different beast altogether compared to the Championship.

Indeed, Daniel Farke will be the manager tasked with turning the West Yorkshire giants back into a Premier League-ready outfit, with Leeds unfortunately falling back down to the EFL at the end of the 2022/23 season after three campaigns at the daunting level.

To help achieve that, the German looks to be in the market for some new defensive buys to shore up his newly promoted side, with a fresh goalkeeper very much a must when leaping up to the unforgiving top-flight.

Leeds' targets in defence

Of course, one of the main talking points towards the back-end of their promotion campaign was Farke axing Illan Meslier due to far too many errors seeping into the Frenchman’s game.

Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a great shock to anyone that the Whites are prioritising an upgrade in the number one position, with Serbian shot-stopper Djordje Petrovic reportedly catching their eye.

A new report from TEAMTalk suggests that Leeds are seriously considering a move for the Chelsea goalkeeper off the back of a standout loan stint in France with RC Strasbourg.

With Petrovic’s first-team situation uncertain at Stamford Bridge, Leeds could offer the 25-year-old plenty more game time, with the five-time Serbia international perhaps finding a new defensive teammate in Leonardo Balerdi if he also relocates to Elland Road shortly.

Further reports claim that the Whites are ready to put forward a bumper £38m bid for the Argentine centre-back, meaning their defence could have a fresh look ahead of their Premier League adventure if both signings enter the building, with the new duo in question potentially helping Leeds to stay afloat.

How Farke could transform Leeds' defence

Amazingly, despite playing for two separate Ligue 1 clubs currently, the standout pairing could both be donning Leeds colours next season if everything goes smoothly.

Both defensive figures do look ready for the challenge of top-flight football in England too, with Balerdi a calm orchestrator at the back for Marseille with a mammoth 104 touches of the ball averaged per league clash, alongside Petrovic also receiving some glowing praises in-between the sticks for Liam Rosenior’s men.

Petrovic’s constant class in goal for Strasbourg has even seen the ex-Hull City boss label the 25-year-old as “world-class”, alongside also stating that the 6 foot 4 ‘keeper will go on to have a “remarkable” career after his formative loan experience in France is up.

Leeds will hope the promising stopper morphs into an even better ‘keeper in West Yorkshire, therefore, with his numbers in Ligue 1 this campaign making him a huge upgrade on a waning Meslier in terms of being able to handle the pressures of a top division.

Games played

29

25

Minutes averaged*

90

84

Touches*

56.9

107.4

Accurate passes*

36.1 (78%)

89.4 (94%)

Ball recoveries*

9.0

6.1

Clean sheets

10

4

Combined, both Petrovic and Balerdi have managed to collect 14 clean sheets this season in league action, with the Serbian also proving himself to be a calm presence on the ball much like his South American counterpart, seen in him averaging a 78% pass accuracy from 29 league contests.

To add context, Meslier has only amassed 21 clean sheets in the Premier League from a far higher 107 clashes, with Petrovic already up to five at the intimidating level when infrequently featuring under Enzo Maresca.

Whilst Balerdi might find it hard to displace the likes of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon in the heart of defence immediately, his hefty £38m price tag must count for something in terms of his game time not being too thin.

With a safer pair of gloves in Petrovic too, Leeds will pray they don’t fall victim to a leaky Premier League campaign that ends with the all-too-familiar taste of relegation.

Farke's next Pukki: Leeds looking to sign "powerful" £17m striker

Daniel Farke will hope this new potential signing can become his next Teemu Pukki at Leeds United.

ByKelan Sarson May 9, 2025

Glasgow Rangers held their annual player of the year award ceremony on Sunday evening. After a campaign filled with disarray at Ibrox, many would have wondered why the club bothered.

Nevertheless, several first-team players won awards on the night. John Souttar claimed the John Greig CBE Achievement Award while Hamza Igamane won the Men’s Goal of the Season award for his stunning late winner against Celtic at Parkhead in March.

Elsewhere, Cyriel Dessers won the Sam English Bowl for being the club’s top scorer this season. The most deserving award, however, went to Nicolas Raskin, who won both the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year and Men’s Player of the Year awards, with both the players and supporters recognising the Belgian’s achievements.

With the 49ers Enterprises takeover looking like it could go ahead before the start of next season, they will be keen on building as strong a squad as possible.

Financial investment would be welcome, of course, but keeping the club’s best players for a tilt at the Premiership title next term is the main aim.

Having won two awards on the weekend, Raskin is certainly one player who could attract plenty of attention this summer, no doubt about that.

Nico Raskin: Rangers most indispensable player?

Michael Beale may go down as one of the worst managers in the history of the football club, but paying a fee of just £1.5m to bring the young midfielder to Ibrox is arguably the best decision he made while in charge.

He may have struggled to assert his authority during his first few months at the club, but the persistence the former Standard Liege starlet has shown is now beginning to pay off.

After suffering an injury in pre-season last summer, it appeared as though Raskin would never fulfil his potential at Ibrox. Upon his return to the first-team picture in September, the 23-year-old has been a revelation.

Nine goal contributions have been registered across 43 appearances in all competitions, but it was his opener against Celtic in the 3-2 win last month which was the most important.

Raskin even captained the side during the festive season when James Tavernier was sidelined through injury, and he gave a dominating performance in the Old Firm clash at the turn of the year.

The midfielder has shown in the Premiership so far this term. His tenacious nature has certainly been on display, making 2.9 tackles per game and winning an impressive 6.5 total duels per match – a success rate of 57% – which has allowed the player to dominate at the heart of the pitch.

Going forward, however, Raskin has demonstrated his attacking abilities. Not only has he created six big chances for his teammates, but the Belgian also averages one key pass and 0.9 successful dribbles per match in the top flight.

This combination of attacking and defensive traits makes Raskin a prized asset at Ibrox. There will be a time when the club decides to cash in, but he could be the fulcrum of a new-look side at the start of next season.

Who shouldn’t be at the club next season? Well, it may be a bit of a surprise to some.

Rangers' most dispensable player?

While the 49ers will be keen on strengthening the squad, they must also balance the books by moving several players this summer.

It shouldn’t be a difficult decision on who to release and sell, especially with so many players underperforming throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Dessers may have won the Sam English Bowl, but in reality, the Gers must cash in on him before the start of next season.

Beale may have spent little to bring Raskin to Scotland, but the opposite is true of Dessers’ move to Glasgow. Indeed, he cost around £4.5m from Serie A side Cremonese in the summer of 2023.

Given that Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent had left for free just a month or so before, Beale had to inject some goals into his side ahead of the 2023/24 season. Dessers had netted just ten goals the season prior, hardly the prolific forward Beale required.

Goals

16

13

Assists

4

2

Big chances missed

27

20

Shots per game

2.9

2.2

Goal conversion percentage

16%

19%

A total of 22 goals and nine assists during his maiden year at the Light Blues certainly appears to be a decent tally, but diving deeper, Dessers could have scored a lot more.

In the Premiership alone, he missed a staggering 27 big chances across 35 matches, often taking three or four opportunities to find the back of the net.

This season hasn’t exactly been much of an improvement. 13 domestic goals have been scored thus far, yet he has still missed 20 big chances in the top flight. With four games to go, this figure could still rise.

Scottish analyst John Walker dubbed the centre-forward as “poor” during a pre-season friendly against Manchester United last July. He may offer plenty in terms of work rate and determination, but the Nigerian striker simply isn’t the right man to lead the club into a new era under the 49ers.

The 30-year-old has two years left on his current contract at Rangers, which means this summer represents the perfect chance to try and make back some of the £4.5m that was spent on him two years ago.

Not only that, but he is also one of the highest earners at the Light Blues. Taking home a wage of £27k-per-week, Dessers ranks second behind only Tavernier in terms of earnings.

There is no doubt that freeing up this money in the summer and redirecting it back into bringing one or two younger talents would be the best thing to do.

The club face one of the most important transfer windows in recent memory this summer. Get things right and Celtic could be set for a serious title challenge next season.

On the flip side, however, if the same mistakes are made, Rangers will continue to be left in the wake of their rivals as they motor to a fifth consecutive title.

Rangers must axe £3m flop who has missed more games than Lawrence

Kevin Thelwell has a big job on his hands at Rangers

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 27, 2025

If you had told Arsenal fans that Jakub Kiwior would start in a 3-0 home win and 2-1 away win against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this season, they would likely have laughed in your face.

It’s not that the Polish international is a bad player; he has stepped up at points in the past, but it would be fair to say that for much of this season, he’s been something of an afterthought and has struggled in the few appearances he’s made, like away to Fulham.

Yet, since Gabriel Magalhães’ injury, the former Spezia star has seriously stepped up, and perhaps the biggest compliment is that he’s made the Brazilian’s absence something of an afterthought.

However, there is no room for sentimentality in football, and if recent reports are to be believed, Mikel Arteta and Co have identified a defender they want to sign in the summer, a defender who would be an upgrade on Kiwior.

Arsenal's transfer targets

Now, as they once again missed out on the title this season, Arsenal are obviously looking to strengthen all over the pitch, and one of the names most heavily linked with the club in recent weeks has been Benjamin Sesko.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Slovenian striker, who’s still just 21, has enjoyed another stellar campaign with RB Leipzig this year, racking up 20 goals and six assists in just 41 appearances, making his supposed £58m release clause look fairly reasonable.

Another 20-year-old touted for a move to the Emirates this summer is Lyon’s incredible Rayan Cherki.

The Frenchman could be available for just £25m, which sounds like a total bargain considering he’s racked up a staggering haul of 12 goals and 18 assists in just 40 games this season and has been tipped as a “future Ballon d’Or winner,” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker.

However, neither of these exciting attackers will replace Kiwior, which is where Dean Huijsen comes in.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal have maintained their strong interest in the Bournemouth star and insist he is someone they want to sign.

The report does not mention a potential price, but stories from earlier this month reiterated the claim that the Spaniard has a £50m release clause in his current deal.

It might not be an easy deal to get over the line, but given Huijsen’s immense ability and potential, it’s one worth fighting for, even if it could be bad news for Kiwior.

How Huijsen compares to Kiwior

If Arsenal were to get their man in the summer and bring Huijsen to the Emirates, it seems unlikely that he’d break up the partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel – at least for a while – so his biggest competition for a place in the squad would likely be Kiwior.

So, with that said, how do the pair stack up against one another?

Well, while it’s certainly less important for a centre-back, it’s the Bournemouth ace who just about comes out ahead when it comes to their respective output, producing three goal involvements in 31 games at an average of one every 10.33 games.

In contrast, the former Spezia ace has provided two assists in 23 games, coming out to an average of one every 11.5 games.

Unfortunately for the Polish international, he also comes out on the losing side when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

In fact, in practically every relevant metric for a modern centre-back, Huijsen comes out on top.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.08

0.16

Progressive Passes

2.93

4.69

Progressive Carries

0.29

1.54

Passing Accuracy

90.7%

84.0%

Key Passes

0.29

0.61

Passes into the Final 1/3

3.64

6.05

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.14

0.31

Shot-Creating Actions

0.57

1.67

Goal-Creating Actions

0.00

0.13

Tackles Won

0.67

0.90

Blocks

0.64

1.45

Interceptions

0.62

1.90

Clearances

3.21

7.19

Ball Recoveries

2.14

3.99

Aerial Duels Won

1.14

2.68

Assessing the data, it really is no surprise that data analyst Ben Mattinson called him “the most in-demand centre-back in the world” with the Cherries defender notably a clear upgrade in key metrics such as progressive passes, ball recoveries, key passes and aerial duels won per 90 minutes,

Ultimately, Kiwior has done an exemplary job in recent weeks, but there is no way around it: Huijsen is a far better player and prospect. Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign the Spaniard this summer.

Best signing since Rice: £58m goalscoring "monster" wants to join Arsenal

The incredible international could be just what Arsenal need.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 21, 2025

Sheffield United are thought to be one of the sides in the lead to sign a new 6ft 4 defender for Chris Wilder.

Sheffield United planning for Premier League return

The Blades, despite starting the Championship season with a two-point deduction, are on course for an immediate return to the Premier League.

With seven games to go, Wilder’s side sit top of the second tier ahead of Leeds United and Burnley and look good for one of two automatic promotion spots.

Leeds (81 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (81 pts)

Luton Town (a)

Oxford United (a)

Coventry City (a)

Middlesbrough (a)

Millwall (h)

Derby County (a)

Preston North End (h)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Norwich City (h)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

With the club hoping they’ll be preparing for Premier League football in 2025/26, those behind the scenes at Bramall Lane have already been identifying transfer targets.

The best CF in the EFL signs: Sheffield United dream XI after promotion

Sheffield United will have to be busy in the transfer market if promotion up to the Premier League is sealed.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 30, 2025

They could look to raid the Championship, similar to how Ipswich Town operated last summer, with a move for Sunderland centre-back Daniel Ballard on the cards.

January target Jimmy Dunne from Queens Park Rangers remains of interest to the Blades, whereas Norwich City attacker Borja Sainz is another transfer target for Sheffield United.

However, away from the Championship, another defensive option is believed to be on the Blades’ radar.

Sheffield United in the lead for defender Terry Yegbe

According to reports from Sweden, relayed by Sport Witness, Sheffield United are in the race to sign Elfsborg defender Terry Yegbe. There were claims that Brighton & Hove Albion were about to sign Yegbe for around €5.4m (£4.5m), however, it is stated that Elfsborg would want up to €6.98m (£5.9m).

It is added that Sheffield United are still one of three clubs leading the race to sign Yegbe alongside Crystal Palace and Fulham.

The 24-year-old moved to Elfsborg in February 2024 from Finish side SJK Seinajoki for €550,000 and is under contract until 2028. Over the last 12 months, Yegbe, who stands at 6 foot 4, has made 44 appearances for his current employers, scoring three goals and even playing in the Europa League.

A centre-back who can also play as a left-back, Yegbe has also represented Ghana at international level and, over the last 365 days, ranks in the 99th percentile for clearances when compared to other centre-backs. [FbRef]

By the looks of things, a move to Yorkshire for Yegbe could be one to keep an eye on, especially if the Blades win promotion over the coming weeks.

Dustin Silgardo, Sidharth Monga and Karthik Krishnaswamy get together to discuss India’s former ODI captain

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2025Indian cricket was pushed into a new era on Sunday when Shubman Gill was elevated to ODI captaincy. He takes over from Rohit Sharma, who led the team through a prosperous period, which included a record of 15-1 during the 2023 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Dustin Silgardo, Sidharth Monga and Karthik Krishnaswamy get together on the Rock and Roll It podcast to discuss Rohit’s impact on the game and what awaits him in the future