TL;DR
- Cristiano Ronaldo leads Champions League scorers with 140 goals for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
- Lionel Messi is second with 129 goals for Barcelona and PSG; Robert Lewandowski is third with 105 goals.
- Kylian Mbappe ranks sixth all-time with 60 goals, while Erling Haaland has 54 goals in fewer games.
The UEFA Champions League has delivered some thrilling contests throughout its history, frequently featuring outstanding goal-scoring performances.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are anticipated to be prominent figures near the summit of the Golden Boot standings for 2025/26, alongside forwards such as Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski, and Raphinha.
While Lewandowski ranks as the third-leading scorer in the tournament, it's highly improbable he'll surpass the top two unless his professional career extends significantly into his forties.
AllSportsPeople presents an overview of the leading goal scorers throughout the history of the Champions League and European Cup.
MORE: All the latest UEFA Champions League news | Players with the most UCL titles in history
Most goals in Champions League history
With 140 goals in the competition throughout his distinguished career, Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer, having found the net for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus in the Champions League.
Lionel Messi currently holds the second spot with 129 goals scored for Barcelona and PSG. Lewandowski follows in third place, having recently achieved the milestone of 100 goals in the competition on November 26, 2024, becoming only the third player to do so. Notably, the Polish forward is the sole player to have scored a hat-trick for three distinct clubs in this tournament: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona.
Table and statistics updated as of Wednesday, November 26.
| Rank | Name | Goals | Appearances | Years | Club (s) |
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo* | 140 | 183 | 2003-present | Man United, Real Madrid, Juventus |
| 2. | Lionel Messi* | 129 | 160 | 2005-present | Barcelona, PSG |
| 3. | Robert Lewandowski* | 105 | 137 | 2011-present | Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona |
| 4. | Karim Benzema | 90 | 152 | 2005-present | Real Madrid, Lyon |
| 5. | Raul | 71 | 142 | 1995-2011 | Real Madrid, Schalke |
| 6. | Kylian Mbappe* | 60 | 91 | 2016-present | Monaco, PSG, Real Madrid |
| 7. | Thomas Muller* | 57 | 163 | 2009-2025 | Bayern Munich |
| 8. | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 56 | 73 | 1998-2009 | PSV, Man United, Real Madrid |
| 9. | Erling Haaland* | 54 | 53 | 2019- | Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, Man City |
| = | Thierry Henry | 50 | 112 | 1997-2012 | Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona |
| = | Alfredo Di Stefano | 49 | 58 | 1955-1964 | Real Madrid |
| 12. | Mohamed Salah* | 48 | 92 | 2013-present | Basel, Chelsea, Roma, Liverpool |
| = | Andriy Shevchenko | 48 | 100 | 1994-2012 | Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea |
| = | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 48 | 124 | 2001-present | Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG |
*Active players
Where do Mbappe and Haaland rank in all-time Champions League goal scorers?
The Champions League has already seen impressive performances from Mbappe and Haaland, and they're anticipated to maintain this level of play for the foreseeable future.
Mbappe now stands alone atop the 6th place all-time Champions League/European Cup scoring list. His hat-trick versus Kairat Almaty in September 2025 propelled him ahead of Thomas Muller. The forward has netted 60 goals in 91 games in the tournament, surpassing legends such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Thierry Henry, and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Kylian Mbappé's goal tally in the Champions League
| Season | Goals | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 6 | 9 |
| 2017/18 | 4 | 8 |
| 2018/19 | 4 | 8 |
| 2019/20 | 5 | 10 |
| 2020/21 | 8 | 10 |
| 2021/22 | 6 | 8 |
| 2022/23 | 7 | 8 |
| 2023/24 | 8 | 12 |
| 2024/25 | 7 | 14 |
| 2025/26 | 5 | 4 |
| Total | 60 | 91 |
Haaland has reached 54 goals in only 52 career appearances matches in the Champions League, surpassing Van Nistelrooy's previous record for the quickest to score 50 goals in the tournament.
Erling Haaland's goal tally in the Champions League
| Season | Goals | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 8 | 6 |
| 2019/20 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020/21 | 10 | 8 |
| 2021/22 | 3 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | 12 | 11 |
| 2023/24 | 6 | 9 |
| 2024/25 | 8 | 9 |
| 2025/26 | 5 | 4 |
| Total | 54 | 52 |