Most goals in Champions League history: Ronaldo, Messi and all-time leading scorers as Lewandowski, Mbappe chase GOATs
The list of top scorers in UEFA Champions League history is a collection of some of the greatest talents who ever played in Europe's top club competition. But a new generation of stars is quickly rising up the ranks.
Getty Images Most goals in Champions League history: Ronaldo, Messi and all-time leading scorers as Lewandowski, Mbappe chase GOATs originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The UEFA Champions League has produced some sensational matches over the years, often accompanied by memorable goalscoring feats.
Kylian Mbappe is expected to feature towards the top of the Golden Boot standings for 2025/26 , along with the likes of Barcelona forwards Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. Lewandowski is the third-highest goal-scorer in the competition, but there is little chance of him catching the top two unless his career spans well into his 40s. The Sporting News brings you a look at the all-time top scorers in Champions League and European Cup history.
MORE: All the latest UEFA Champions League news | Players with the most UCL titles in history Most goals in Champions League history Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way, having scored 140 goals in the competition during his illustrious career, which saw him bag goals for Manchester United , Real Madrid and Juventus in the Champions League. Lionel Messi , meanwhile, is second with 129 goals for Barcelona and PSG, while Lewandowski is third, having become just the third player to reach a century of goals in the competition on November 26, 2024. The Poland international is also the only player to score a hat-trick for three different teams in the competition (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona).
Table and statistics updated as of Wednesday, March 18. Rank Name Goals Appearances Years Club (s) 1. Cristiano Ronaldo* 140 183 2003-present Man United, Real Madrid, Juventus 2.