The UEFA Champion League has seen the stars shine in the 2022/23 group stage as Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah have all bagged more than a few goals already.
It is fair to assume these forwards will be gunning to finish as top scorer for this season’s competition, but they have some way to go to match the tallies of the leading marksmen in Champions League history.
Mbappe added another two goals against Maccabi Haifa, while Haaland failed to find the back of the net in one half of play against former club Borussia Dortmund. Salah, with seven, has a one-goal lead in the Golden Boot race.
The Sporting News brings you a look at the all-time top scorers in Champions League and European Cup history.
MORE: Champions League top goal scorers 2022/23: Updated golden boot rankings
Who has the most Champions League goals ever?
Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way, having scored 140 goals in the competition during his illustrious career, which has seen him bag goals for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus in Champions League play. Of course, he will not be adding to that tally for now, with the Red Devils playing Europa League football during the 2022/23 season.
Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is second with 129 goals for Barcelona and PSG, while Robert Lewandowski is third having found the net on 91 occasions. The Polish international became the first player to score a hat-trick for three different teams in the competition (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona) after netting three times for Barcelona against Viktoria Plzen.
Karim Benzema is next, having risen up the list thanks to his incredible 2021/22 season.
| Rank | Name | Goals | Appearances | Years | Club (s) |
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 140 | 183 | 2003-present | Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus |
| 2. | Lionel Messi | 129 | 160 | 2005-present | Barcelona, PSG |
| 3. | Robert Lewandowski | 91 | 111 | 2011-present | Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona |
| 4. | Karim Benzema | 86 | 145 | 2005-present | Real Madrid, Lyon |
| 5. | Raul | 71 | 142 | 1995-2011 | Real Madrid, Schalke |
| 6. | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 56 | 73 | 1998-2009 | PSV, Manchester United, Real Madrid |
|
7. |
Thomas Muller | 53 | 138 | 2009-present | Bayern Munich |
| 8. | Thierry Henry | 50 | 112 | 1997-2012 | Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona |
| 9. | Alfredo Di Stefano | 49 | 58 | 1955-1964 | Real Madrid |
| 10. | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 48 | 124 | 2001-present | Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG |
| Andriy Shevchenko | 48 | 100 | 1994-2012 | Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea |
Where do Mbappe and Haaland rank in all-time Champions League goal scorers?
Aged 23 and 22 respectively, Kylian Mbappe and Haaland have already impressed in the Champions League and are expected to continue to do so for some time to come.
Mbappe is already in 19th place on the all-time Champions League scoring charts, with the striker having 39 goals in 58 games in the competition.
Kylian Mbappe Champions League goals
| 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 | 6 | 5 |
| Total | 39 | 58 |
The majority of those have come for Paris Saint-Germain, but Mbappe also scored six Champions League goals for Monaco. His six goals to start the 2022/23 campaign suggests it will not take Mbappe long to break into the top 10.
Haaland, meanwhile, is tied for 33rd place, level with Ryan Giggs and Jean-Pierre Papin, but the Norway star has plundered 28 goals in just 23 appearances in the competition (Giggs did it in 145 total games and Papin needed 37 matches).
Erling Haaland Champions League goals
| Season | Goals | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2018/19 | 8 | 6 |
| 2019/20 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020/21 | 10 | 8 |
| 2021/22 | 3 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | 5 | 3 |
| Total | 28 | 23 |
Lewandowski and Benzema, both at 34 years of age, have been prolific in the Champions League, but it is nearly impossible task for them to match Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goals scored in the competition, needing upwards of 50 tallies to catch him. Likewise, Thomas Muller (33 years old) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (40 years old) don’t have time on their side.
Neymar and Mohamed Salah are on 43 goals each, but Mbappe and Haaland certainly seem the best bets in terms of getting close to surpassing Ronaldo’s achievement.
It is worth taking into consideration, though, that, despite being 37 years old, Ronaldo could still potentially add to his all-time record tally, which would make him even more difficult to catch — provided, of course, that he returns to play in the competition in 2023 and beyond.
