Two of Europe's hottest strikers are doing battle atop the UEFA Champions League scoring charts. After the grop stage, Ajax forward Sebastien Haller has the lead with 10 goals after his first penalty kick in his team's final group match. Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, who has nine goals, could not score in his group finale against Barcelona.
The 10 goals are notable for Haller, who became the first player in Champions League history to score in each of his first six matches. Haller has already matched the total achieved by last season's top scorer, Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland. Both Ajax and Bayern Munich are also guaranteed to play at least two more matches in the Round of 16.
Keep an eye on superstars Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) and Mo Salah (Liverpool) who could potentially make a run at the top spots, especially since their clubs have already advanced to the knockouts. Christopher Nkunku will remain stuck at seven goals after wrapping up his 2021-22 Champions League participation with eliminated RB Leipzig.
MORE: Champions League standings & results
In the chart below, the players are ranked by their goal totals beginning with the group stage. Assists are used as the first tiebreaker, and the second tiebreaker is fewest minutes played. Both are in line with the top scorer tiebreakers that European governing body UEFA implemented for the European Championships.
Champions League Top Scorers (2021-2022)
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals (PKs) | Assists | Matches | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sebastien Haller | Ajax | 10 (1) | 1 | 6 | 488 |
| 2. | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 9 (1) | 2 | 6 | 516 |
| 3. | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 7 (1) | 0 | 6 | 464 |
| Christopher Nkunku | RB Leipzig | 7 | 0 | 6 | 531 | |
| 5. | Cristiano Ronaldo | Man United | 6 | 0 | 5 | 431 |
| 6. | Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 5 (1) | 0 | 5 | 439 |
| Lionel Messi | PSG | 5 (2) | 0 | 5 | 450 | |
| Leroy Sane | Bayern Munich | 5 | 4 | 6 | 500 | |
| Riyad Mahrez | Man City | 5 (2) | 0 | 6 | 518 | |
| 10. | Kylian Mbappe | PSG | 4 | 4 | 6 | 493 |
| Pedro Goncalves | Sporting CP | 4 (1) | 2 | 4 | 279 | |
| Antoine Griezmann | Atletico Madrid | 4 | 1 | 5 | 286 | |
| 13. | Andre Silva | RB Leipzig | 3 | 2 | 6 | 410 |
| Gabriel Jesus | Man City | 3 | 1 | 4 | 79 | |
| Timo Werner | Chelsea | 3 | 1 | 3 | 153 | |
| Paulo Dybala | Juventus | 3 (2) | 1 | 4 | 243 | |
| Paulinho | Sporting CP | 3 | 1 | 6 | 429 | |
| Edin Dzeko | Inter Milan | 3 | 1 | 6 | 451 | |
| Steven Berghuis | Ajax | 3 | 1 | 6 | 457 | |
| Karim Adeyemi | RB Salzburg | 3 (2) | 1 | 6 | 459 | |
| Marco Reus | B. Dortmund | 3 (2) | 1 | 6 | 499 | |
| Hans Vanaken | Club Brugge | 3 | 1 | 6 | 540 | |
| Erling Haaland | B. Dortmund | 3 | 0 | 3 | 203 | |
| Darwin Nunez | Benfica | 3 (1) | 0 | 6 | 263 | |
| Noah Okafor | RB Salzburg | 3 | 0 | 6 | 360 | |
| Jonathan David | LOSC Lille | 3 | 0 | 6 | 521 | |
| Donyell Malen | B. Dortmund | 3 | 0 | 6 | 392 |
Note: Total of 33 players tied with two goals scored and 102 players tied with one goal scored. There have also been eight own goals among the total of 292 scored in the tournament.
Only four players have scored 10+ goals in a single Champions League Group Stage campaign:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 7, 2021
◎ Cristiano Ronaldo (15/16)
◎ Lionel Messi (16/17)
◎ Robert Lewandowski (19/20)
◉ Sébastien Haller (21/22)
Haller joins the top three scorers in the competition’s history. #UCL pic.twitter.com/cjDKq4QhRO
Champions League Top Scorers (since 1992-93)
Here are the top scorers for each UEFA Champions League tournament since the new format was adopted in 1992-93.
MORE: How to watch the Champions League in the USA
No surprise as to who the players are who have topped the list on most occasions: Cristiano Ronaldo has led the charts seven times, and Messi six. Their dominant run has happened in the past 14 editions of the Champions League, though neither has claimed the honor in the past two campaigns.
| Year | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | Erling Haaland | B. Dortmund | 10 |
| 2019-20 | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 15 |
| 2018-19 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 12 |
| 2017-18 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 15 |
| 2016-17 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 12 |
| 2015-16 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 16 |
| 2014-15 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 10 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 10 | |
| Neymar | Barcelona | 10 | |
| 2013-14 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 17 |
| 2012-13 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 12 |
| 2011-12 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 14 |
| 2010-11 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 12 |
| 2009-10 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 8 |
| 2008-09 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 9 |
| 2007-08 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Man United | 8 |
| 2006-07 | Kaka | AC Milan | 10 |
| 2005-06 | Andriy Shevchenko | AC Milan | 9 |
| 2004-05 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Man United | 8 |
| 2003-04 | Fernando Morientes | AS Monaco | 9 |
| 2002-03 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Man United | 12 |
| 2001-02 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Man United | 10 |
| 2000-01 | Raul Gonzalez | Real Madrid | 7 |
| 1999-00 | Mario Jardel | Porto | 10 |
| Rivaldo | Barcelona | 10 | |
| Raul Gonzalez | Real Madrid | 10 | |
| 1998-99 | Andriy Shevchenko | Dynamo Kyiv | 8 |
| Dwight Yorke | Man United | 8 | |
| 1997-98 | Alessandro Del Piero | Juventus | 10 |
| 1996-97 | Milinko Pantic | Atletico Madrid | 5 |
| 1995-96 | Jari Litmanen | Ajax | 9 |
| 1994-95 | George Weah | PSG | 7 |
| 1993-94 | Hristo Stoichkov | Barcelona | 5 |
| 1992-93 | Franck Sauzee | Marseille | 5 |