The Champions League is one of the most watched club football competitions in the world. The greatest players in football history have graced the competition, but only a select few have established themselves among the all-time Champions League top scorers.
From Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to modern-day stars such as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, the competition’s scoring charts feature some of the most prolific forwards ever to play the game. Reaching the top requires exceptional finishing, consistency, and longevity at Europe’s highest level.
In this article, we rank the top 10 Champions League scorers of all time, looking at their total goals, clubs, memorable campaigns and achievements in the competition. From legendary retired stars to players still adding to their tallies, these are the Champions League’s all-time leading goalscorers.
10. Harry Kane – 55
Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world right now and has established himself among the Champions League’s elite goalscorers, reaching 55 goals across his European career. The England captain made his biggest impact with Tottenham, helping them reach the 2019 Champions League final.
His move to Bayern Munich has given him another platform for Champions League success. Kane brings a combination of finishing, movement, and link-up play that makes him more than a traditional penalty-box striker. He can drop deep to create chances before arriving in dangerous positions himself.
Kane’s record is particularly impressive because his Champions League career has included spells at clubs with different levels of European expectation. He also enjoyed an outstanding 2025/26 campaign, scoring 14 goals in the competition. That was the highest tally ever recorded by an English player in a single Champions League season. At 55 goals, Kane sits tenth on this list and has plenty of time to climb further.
9. Ruud van Nistelrooy – 56
Ruud van Nistelrooy scored 56 Champions League goals during a career defined by exceptional penalty-box finishing. The Dutch striker represented PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, and Real Madrid in the competition, consistently producing goals against some of Europe’s strongest clubs. His record was built around movement, anticipation and ruthless finishing rather than elaborate dribbling.
His most productive European years came with Manchester United, where he became one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s most reliable attacking players. Van Nistelrooy was outstanding at finding space between defenders before finishing quickly. He could score from crosses, cutbacks, or loose balls, making him particularly dangerous inside crowded penalty areas.
Van Nistelrooy later joined Real Madrid and continued to perform at the highest level. His 56 goals place him ninth on the all-time Champions League list. His record remains remarkable, especially given the elite competition he faced throughout his career. Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of the best Premier League strikers of all time, and he matched those performances in Europe.
8. Thomas Müller – 57
Thomas Müller has scored 57 Champions League goals and remains one of the competition’s most distinctive attacking players. The German forward has never depended on explosive pace or elaborate dribbling. Instead, his movement and reading of the game have repeatedly allowed him to find dangerous positions against elite defences.
Müller spent his entire senior club career with Bayern Munich, giving him regular opportunities to compete for European honours. He played important roles in Bayern’s Champions League victories in 2013 and 2020. His ability to arrive late, combine with teammates, and exploit gaps made him a constant threat throughout those successful campaigns.
His goalscoring record also reflects remarkable longevity. Müller remained productive across different managers, tactical systems and generations of Bayern players. He finished his Champions League career with 57 goals, placing him eighth on this list. His contribution was not limited to scoring, as his pressing and movement frequently helped teammates find opportunities. Few forwards have been as consistently effective without relying on traditional striker attributes.
7. Erling Haaland – 59
Erling Haaland has reached 59 Champions League goals at an extraordinary rate. The Norwegian striker needed far fewer appearances than many players above him to reach this total, highlighting the scoring efficiency that has defined his European career. He first attracted attention with Red Bull Salzburg before continuing his development at Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland’s physical qualities make him extremely difficult to defend. He combines strength, acceleration, and intelligent movement with a powerful finish. He can score from close range, attack crosses or punish defensive mistakes with his pace. His left foot is particularly dangerous, although he has shown he can finish effectively with either.
Haaland also played a major role in Manchester City’s Champions League triumph in 2023, adding Europe’s biggest club trophy to his growing collection. His 59 goals place him seventh on this list, although his scoring rate is even more remarkable. UEFA records Haaland with 59 goals in only 59 appearances. Given his age, he has plenty of time to climb higher. Few players have reached this milestone so quickly at his age. It would be no surprise to see Haaland at the top of this list in years to come.
6. Raúl – 71
Raúl scored 71 Champions League goals during a distinguished career with Real Madrid and Schalke. For many years, the Spanish forward held the competition’s scoring record before later generations eventually surpassed him. His European achievements were closely connected with Real Madrid, where he became one of the club’s defining attacking players.
Raúl helped Madrid win three Champions League titles in 1998, 2000 and 2002. He regularly contributed important goals during those campaigns, while his movement and positioning made him difficult to mark. He was not the quickest or most powerful striker, but his anticipation allowed him to create shooting opportunities in almost every game.
His 71 goals remain an outstanding achievement, particularly considering the era in which he played. Raúl reached his tally across 142 Champions League appearances, demonstrating remarkable longevity. He now shares fifth place with Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list. However, Mbappé ranks above him here because the Frenchman has reached the same total in significantly fewer matches. That gives Mbappé the superior goals-per-game ratio and the higher position in this ranking.
5. Kylian Mbappé – 71
Kylian Mbappé has scored 71 Champions League goals and sits fifth on the all-time list. He is placed ahead of Raúl despite both players having the same total because Mbappé will clear this tally sooner rather than later. His superior goals-per-game ratio makes his scoring record particularly remarkable.
The French forward first announced himself in the competition with Monaco, helping them reach the semi-finals during the 2016/17 campaign. He later became Paris Saint-Germain’s leading attacking figure before joining Real Madrid. Mbappé combines explosive acceleration with outstanding finishing, allowing him to attack space and score from wide positions.
His 2025/26 campaign was particularly impressive, as he finished as the Champions League’s leading scorer with 15 goals. UEFA records him with 71 goals in 99 appearances, underlining his efficiency. He has already scored for three clubs in the competition and reached the final with Paris Saint-Germain in 2020. At just 27, Mbappé has considerable time and opportunity to climb this list and challenge the players above him.
4. Karim Benzema – 90
Karim Benzema scored 90 Champions League goals during a remarkable career with Lyon and Real Madrid. The French striker became one of the competition’s most dependable forwards, particularly during his long and hugely successful spell in Madrid. He helped the club win five Champions League titles, including four between 2014 and 2018.
Benzema was particularly influential during Real Madrid’s 2021/22 triumph. His hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain helped Madrid overturn a first-leg deficit before he continued scoring throughout their dramatic knockout run. He eventually finished that campaign with 15 goals, matching his best Champions League tally and earning the Ballon d’Or later that year.
His game was about much more than finishing. Benzema’s movement, link-up play, and ability to create space made him central to Madrid’s attacking system. He could drop deep, combine with midfielders and still arrive inside the penalty area. His 90 goals place him firmly fourth on the all-time list. That total reflects remarkable longevity, consistency and an ability to deliver when the pressure was greatest. He also scored 78 goals for Madrid alone in the competition and helped them to four Champions League trophies in five years, including a goal in the 17/18 final against Liverpool.
3. Robert Lewandowski – 109
Robert Lewandowski has scored 109 Champions League goals and is one of Europe’s most prolific forwards. The Polish striker built his reputation with Borussia Dortmund before becoming a dominant scorer at Bayern Munich. He later continued his European career with Barcelona, maintaining an impressive scoring record across different tactical systems.
Lewandowski played a central role in Bayern’s 2020 Champions League triumph, scoring 15 goals during the campaign. He finished as the competition’s leading scorer that season and was eventually recognised as one of world football’s outstanding forwards. His finishing is based on movement, anticipation and composure, while his strength allows him to compete effectively against powerful defenders.
He can score with either foot, attack crosses, and create chances through quick combinations around the box. Those qualities have helped him remain productive across different clubs. His 109 goals place him third on the all-time Champions League list, behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He also became the third player to reach 100 goals in the competition, joining the two players above him in an exclusive group of elite scorers.
2. Lionel Messi – 129
Lionel Messi scored 129 Champions League goals during his European career with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. His total places him second on the all-time list, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo. The vast majority of his goals came with Barcelona, where he became the club’s greatest European goalscorer and one of the competition’s defining players. His performances in European football helped confirm to millions of fans that Messi is the greatest player of all time.
Messi helped Barcelona win the Champions League four times, including victories in 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015. His scoring methods were incredibly varied. He could beat defenders through close control, finish from outside the penalty area or combine with teammates before adding the final touch to a wonderful passage of play. He also became a major threat from free kicks.
One of his most memorable performances came against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012, when he scored five goals in a single match. UEFA records Messi with 129 goals in 163 appearances, alongside 40 assists. He also holds the competition record for round-of-16 goals and shares the record for most goals in a knockout-phase match. His European legacy remains extraordinary, with only one player having scored more. His record also includes 71 goals before turning 30.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 140
Cristiano Ronaldo is the Champions League’s all-time leading goalscorer with 140 goals. His record stands above Lionel Messi’s 129 and reflects an extraordinary European career. Ronaldo scored for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, producing goals across more than a decade of Champions League competition.
His most productive spell came with Real Madrid, where he became the central figure in one of the competition’s most successful teams. Ronaldo helped Madrid win the Champions League four times between 2014 and 2018, having already lifted the trophy with Manchester United in 2008, where he is considered one of the best Man United players of all time. He was frequently decisive during the knockout stages.
Ronaldo’s scoring style evolved throughout his career. He began as a winger who relied heavily on pace and dribbling before becoming a more central forward. His movement, aerial ability and finishing allowed him to remain productive as his game changed. UEFA records him with 140 goals in 183 Champions League appearances. He also holds the records for most appearances, goals, and wins in the competition, making his statistical legacy difficult to match. His longevity remains central to that record today in Europe.
