Published 18:54 IST, May 29th 2021
Most goals in Champions League history record ft. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi
Here's a look at who has the most goals in Champions League history, with the list featuring eternal rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
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Premier League champions Manchester City will take on fellow Chelsea in what promises to be an enthralling 2021 Champions League final. The match will be played at the Estadio do Dragao and will kick off at 12:30 AM IST on Sunday, May 30. Here's a look at who has scored most goals in UCL history, the Cristiano Ronaldo Champions League stats and the Lionel Messi UCL stats.
Who has scored most goals in UCL history?
Like every major honour over the past 15 years, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are atop the list when it comes to most goals in Champions League history. The Portuguese ace has the most goals in Champions League, having amassed a whopping 134 goals in the competition, since his first appearance in 2003. The Cristiano Ronaldo Champions League stats mention that the 36-year-old has scored 15 times in the competition for Man United, 14 for Juventus, while the rest of his 105 goals have come during his nine-year stint with Real Madrid.
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The Lionel Messi UCL stats meanwhile state that the Barcelona captain has 120 goals to his name, since his first appearance in 2005. Messi and Ronaldo are the only two players to have reached a century of Champions League goals and are way ahead of the rest. The duo have combined nine Champions League titles, with Ronaldo's five Champions League titles being the most in the UCL era.
Following the legendary duo is Robert Lewandowski, who has scored most goals in UCL for Bayern Munich, with 73 of them. He has played for both Dortmund and Bayern Munich while achieving that. Karim Benzema and Raul are tied for the next spot with 71 goals each, with the Frenchman reaching the tally 12 games ahead of the Real Madrid legend.
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Another Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy makes the list, but the Dutchman scored most of his goals for Manchester United (35) than PSV Eindhoven (8) and Real Madrid (13). Arsenal legend and former Barcelona star has 50 goals in the competition, followed by Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano, Ac Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bayern Munich stalwart Thomas Muller. Sergio Aguero, who will be featuring in the 2021 Champions League final, has 41 goals to his name, tieing him at 16th spot with PSG star Neymar.
| Rank | Player | Goals | Games | Teams | Years |
| 1 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 134 | 176 | Manchester United (15) Real Madrid (105) Juventus (14) |
2003- |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | 120 | 149 | Barcelona | 2005- |
| 3 | Robert Lewandowski | 73 | 96 |
Borussia Dortmund (17) |
2011- |
| 4 | Karim Benzema | 71 | 130 | Lyon (12) Real Madrid (59) |
2006- |
| 4 | Raul | 71 | 142 | Real Madrid (66) Schalke 04 (5) |
1995-2011 |
| 6 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 56 | 73 | PSV Eindhoven (8) Manchester United (35) Real Madrid (13) |
1998-2009 |
| 7 | Thierry Henry | 50 | 112 | Monaco (7) Arsenal (35) Barcelona (8) |
1997-2012 |
| 8 | Alfredo Di Stefano | 49 | 58 | Real Madrid | 1955-1964 |
| 9 | Andriy Shevchenko | 48 | 100 | Dynamo Kyiv (15) Milan (29) Chelsea (4) |
1994-2012 |
| 9 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 48 | 120 | Ajax (6) Juventus (3) Inter Milan (6) Barcelona (4) Milan (9) Paris Saint-Germain (20) |
2001-2017 |
| 9 | Thomas Muller | 48 | 124 | Bayern Munich | 2008- |
(Image Courtesy: Ronaldo, Messi Instagram)
18:54 IST, May 29th 2021