Often hailed as one of the greatest and most prestigious football tournaments in the world, the UEFA Champions League, also popularly referred to as “UCL”, is an annual association football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The history of the UEFA Champions League has witnessed numerous legendary football players who took command of their clubs, led them to a phenomenal streak of success over the years and established themselves as the most iconic goalscorers in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
In this article we will take a look at the top five most iconic goal scorers of all-time in the history of UEFA Champions League.
Top Five Greatest of All-Time in the History of UEFA Champions League
- Cristiano Ronaldo: 140 Goals
One of the greatest football players in the world, often also hailed as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), Cristiano Ronaldo has undoubtedly dominated the history of the UEFA Champions League with numerous formidable records and feats under his name, including five tournament titles – four out of which came with Real Madrid and one with the Manchester United Club. With a total of 140 goals, Cristiano Ronaldo is in the first spot in our list of top five greatest goalscorers of all-time in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
- Lionel Messi: 129 Goals
Barcelona’s all-time top goalscorer, Argentine professional football player Lionel Messi, is at the second spot in our list of the top five greatest goalscorers of all-time in the history of the UEFA Champions League, with a total of 129 goals. Lionel Messi has clinched a total of four tournament titles with FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. Additionally, Lionel Messi also holds the record for scoring the highest count of hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions League, i.e. eight. Furthermore, As of 2024, Lionel Messi is also the youngest football player in the history of the UEFA Champions League to cross the benchmark of 100 goals.
- Robert Lewandowski: 94 Goals
Next, at the third spot in our list of top five greatest goalscorers of all-time in the history of the UEFA Champions League, we have striker Robert Lewandowski with a total of 94 goals. Often commemorated as one of the most dominant goalscorers, Robert Lewandowski garnered enormous fame and fortune for his successful 15 goals stint at the UEFA 2019-2020 season, which also earned him the title of the league’s top-scorer of the season. Additionally, Robert Lewandowski also holds the record for scoring most goals in a single knockout stage, i.e. six.
- Karim Benzema: 90 Goals
Well, if you’re a fan of Real Madrid, you would also agree with the fact that Karim Benzema has undoubtedly proven himself to be one of the greatest strikers of all-time for the club. Real Madrid’s second-highest goalscorer of all-time, Karim Benzema, has clinched a total of five UEFA Champions League titles for the Real Madrid club. Karim Benzema netted a total of 15 goals in the 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League and became the top goalscorer of the season. In addition to being in the list of top-five goalscorers in the UEFA, Karim Benzema is also recognised as the greatest top assist in the league.
- Raul: 71 Goals
At the fifth spot in our list of the top five most iconic goalscorers of all-time in the history of the UEFA Champions League, we have former football player and current Spanish football manager Raúl González Blanco, also popularly referred to as “Raùl”, with a total of 71 goals.
Often hailed as one of the greatest Spanish football players in the world, Raul became the face of dominance for Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League in the early 2000s and proved to be a mainstay until the legendary football players from the modern generation took over the command. With a total of three UEFA Champions League titles, Raul is also the first-ever player in the history of the league to score a total of fifty goals, speaking volumes about his dominance on the field in the era or early 2000s.
