Top 10 Players with Most Goals in UEFA Champions League (All-Time List)

The UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of club football competition, contested amongst the most elite clubs in Europe since its inception in 1992. In the 2024-25 season, the tournament underwent a new format that has given room for several more teams to feature in the elite tournament. Increased teams mean more matches, and a chance for players to bag the most goals in Champions League.

This competition never fails to entertain the fans with plenty of mesmerising fixtures amongst the top clubs in the world. The competition witnessed some of the greatest footballers of all time, showing their class with the ball. Top clubs from UEFA higher coefficients leagues such as the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1, are leading the way. Over the years, the Champions League has witnessed countless prolific goal scorers. In this article, we are going to explore the top 10 highest goal scorer in Champions League.

List of Players Who Scored the Most Goals in UEFA Champions League?

Here's the list of the top 10 players who have amassed the most goals in UEFA Champions League in the competition's existence: Scroll down below to find out who has the most goals in Champions League.

Who has the most Goals in Champions League?

With the new age, goal-scoring sensations are quickly climbing the ranks of most goals in Champions League, securing their place in the star-studded list that includes the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Lewandowski and Benzema are only a few on this list of highest goal scorer in Champions League.

10. Thierry Henry (France)

One of the finest attackers of his generation, Thierry Henry became a household name during his prime playing for Arsenal and France. Even before his arrival in North London, the Frenchman opened his Champions League goal-scoring tally at Monaco in 1997. Henry started as a left winger and quickly stoodout displaying quick acceleration, explosiveness and prolificness as a goal getter.

He bagged a sensational brace in Monaco's 4-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the group stage of the 1997-98 season. Widely renowned as one of the best Premier League players in history, the winger went on to add 48 more goals to his account for Arsenal and Barcelona, respectively. The French icon made waves with scoring prowess in Europe, becoming the rare Arsenal star to have the most goals in UEFA Champions League.

9. Erling Haaland (Norway)

The serial scorer of Manchester City Erling Haaland is once again going after every record like there's no tomorrow. He has already etched his name in golden letters after steering the Sky Blues to their first-ever UEFA Champions League crown in the 2022-23 campaign. Overall, Haaland struck 12 times to finish as compeition's top scorer in just 11 outings. Erling is 9th in most goals in UEFA Champions League.
His pedigree of shattering records is what makes him an unstoppable force. The Norwegian international recently became the fastest player to net 100 Premier League goals. At 19 years old, he made his European debut in 2019 for Red Bull Salzburg, scoring a brilliant hat-trick to claim an emphatic 6:2 win over Genk. He has not stopped since, and now boasts 55 goals in 54 matches in the competition.

8. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands)

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was one of the most prolific goal scorers of his generation. he was known for close control, sharp movements and spectacular finishing that helped him rack up over 330 goals throughout his professional career. The Dutchman is also labelled as one of the best Manchester United strikers for his exploits in England with the Red Devils.

Especially in the Champions League, Nistelrooy was superb in finding the back of the net, finishing as top scorer in three editions in 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2004-05 seasons with his Premier League club. In total, the striker has scored 56 goals and made 18 assists in Europe's premier competition. He is 8th in the list of most goals in Champions League. Unfortunately, he failed to win the trophy despite playing for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

7. Thomas Müller (Germany)

The German icon Thomas Müller is the most underrated figure in modern football, despite achiveing signficant success with club and country both. At his prime, Muller was unplayable as a second striker or false number nine, equipped with creativity, vision and eye for goal. Since making his first Champions League outing in 2009, the German has clocked over 10 thousand minutes of gametime in the competition. Amassing 163 appearances and scoring 57 goals.

In fact, another astonishing fact about his 57 goal tally is that, Muller secured the most goals in Champions League for a single club, Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Ending his immensely successful stint in Europe, the 36-year-old forward signed for Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whites in the summer of 2025. A serial winner, he guided the Bavarians to clinch the big European Cup twice in 2013 and 2020.

6. Kylian Mbappe (France)

The French megastar Kylian Mbappe has been breaking records ever since he was a teenager, from netting 6 goals in his first UEFA Champions League exploit to becoming the youngest player to record goals in double figures at 18. Over the seasons, Mbappe has accumulated an impressive 64 goals in the club competition for AS Monaco, PSG and Real Madrid, at present.

Though the forward is still in search of his first Champions League success despite coming close to lifting the coveted silverware. The 27-year-old is making history with his clincalness in front of goal for La Liga giants Real Madrid, winning the 2024-25 European Golden Boot. The ex-PSG star has registered five UCL hat-tricks in his career, a total of 15 in total out of 64 goals.

5. Raúl González (Spain)

Before Cristiano Ronaldo's Los Blancos era, Raul Gonzalez was stealing the show with his astonishing style of play and goal-scoring spree. The Spanish striker came through the ranks of the Real Madrid academy and ended up as one of the greatest players in the club's history. He racked up serious numbers in front of goals, displaying his skills as a centre forward.

Not only did Raul break the scoring records in Spain, but he also showed his art as the most goals in Champions League and by scoring 71 goals. The World Cup winner was the tournament's top scorer for two successive campaigns in the 1999-00 and 2000-01 editions. Moreover, the centre forward lifted the prestigious trophy on three occasions with Los Blancos.

4. Karim Benzema (France)

The ex-Real Madrid man Karim Benzema took the responsibility of scoring goals on his shoulders after Cristiano Ronaldo made an unexpected move out of the Spanish capital. The Al Ittihad star has claimed the European title five times, but the 2021-22 campaign stands out the most thanks to his 15 goals. Several clutch performances in the knockouts against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and PSG salvaged the campaign.

Benzema made 120 goal contributions, 90 goals and 30 assists in a total of 152 appearances in the competition for Real Madrid and Olympique Lyon. The Frenchman stands 4th in the list of players with the most goals in Champions League. He was awarded as the Ballon d'Or for his remarkable 2021-22 season and subsequently lifted several accolades as a player.

3. Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

The Polish ace striker Robert Lewandowski is the only player to record two fastest Champions League hat-tricks in his career. The former Bayern Munich number nine has been a prolific scorer during his lengthy stint in Germany, with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. In the 2019-20 season, the Polishman finished as the top scorer, netting 15 goals to led Bavarians to win the championship, his first UCL trophy.

The ex-Dortmund forward Lewandowski is the only third player to surpass the 100-goal milestone in Europe's top-tier club competition. With 105 goals, the Barcelona striker has the third most goals in Champions League. At 37, he continues to find the back of the net with a clear ambition to help the Blaugrana end their long wait for continental glory since 2015, having already scored 32 goals for Catalan giants.

2. Lionel Messi (Argentina)

The most UEFA Champions League goals list is incomplete without the Argentine icon Lionel Messi; the forward boasts every major trophy in his trophy-laden cabinet. Messi has won countless titles with club and country, from LaLiga, Ligue 1, Champions League, to Copa America and the biggest football prize - the FIFA World Cup, before flying to Miami.

The Inter Miami captain has demolished countless records and set many milestones throughout his career, winning titles in every country Messi has played in: Spain, France and the United States. The 2022 World Cup winner finished a staggering six Champions League campaigns as the highest goal scorer. During his time in Europe playing in the UCL, Messi scored 129 goals in 163 games.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Standing tall at the top of most goals in Champions League list is Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring a record 141 goals and providing 42 assists in 183 outings. Out of his 140 goals, 67 of those arrived in the knockouts; makes him the only player with the most goals in the knockout stages. The Portuguese icon finished as golden boot winner on seven occasions – the most in competition's history.

Ronaldo was exceptional in the knockouts, dropping clutch performances and was the leading figure in Real Madrid's historic three-peat success. The all-time highest appearance maker won five European trophies with Los Blancos and Manchester United. The striker represented some of the biggest sides in Europe in the Champions League and still holds the record of most goals in a UEFA Champions League season (17 goals).