From unbeatable goalkeepers to rock-solid defenders down to intelligent midfielders and amazing attackers, the Champions League has witnessed a lot of fantastic players with diverse abilities. However, the category of superstars that often predominate our memories of the tournament is that of the goalscorers.
It is such a beautiful experience to score a goal in any football match but the feeling that comes with doing the same in Europe’s number one tournament is clearly incomparable. This is why the most prolific goalscorers in the Champions League history will be remembered for a very very long time.
Having said that, let’s dive in and quickly take a look at the top 5 all-time goalscorers of the competition:
#5 Ruud Van Nistelrooy
Dutch legend, Ruud Van Nistelrooy enjoyed immense success while representing the likes of PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid but it was actually during his time as a Manchester United player that he was able to establish himself among the most prolific goalscorers in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
While at Old Trafford, Van Nistelrooy finished on top of the goalscoring chart in the European tournament on 3 different occasions before leaving for Real Madrid in the summer of 2006. By the time he hung his boots, the striker already had a massive 56 goals to his name in 73 UCL appearances, which makes him one of the all-time goalscorers in the competition.
However, despite his incredible goalscoring exploits in the Champions League, it is quite obvious that the Dutch International never won the trophy in his career but he will be remembered for a long time for his efforts.
#4 Karim Benzema
One of the most underrated superstars in the football world right now, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema also belongs on this list, thanks to his incredible efforts in front of goal in Europe’s elite tournament during the past few years.
The ex-French International rarely gets the praise that he deserves but the numbers do not lie. Benzema will go down as one of the most potent goalscorers the Champions League has witnessed, courtesy of his amazing goalscoring exploits in the European tournament.
With his fantastic 59 goals in 110 Champions League appearances, the attacker has put himself among the greatest goalscorers in the history of the competition and considering the fact that he is still active in the tournament, Benzema still has the chance to make that tally even more impressive.
#3 Raul Gonzalez
We have witnessed plenty of amazing goalscorers in the UEFA Champions League but Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez belongs in the highest category among the elite finishers who have shone in the European tournament with his decent efforts in front of goal.
The ex-Spanish footballer enjoyed a very prolific career in the Champions League, recording an amazing 71 goals to his name in 142 appearances across spells with both Real Madrid and Schalke 04 and he spent some time as the all-time goalscorer of the competition before he was dethroned by Lionel Messi in 2014.
Despite that, Raul had a very successful stint in the competition, finishing as top scorer once and claiming the prestigious trophy 3 times with Real Madrid before announcing his retirement in 2015 following spells with Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04 and MLS side, New York Cosmos.
#2 Lionel Messi
The man who dethroned Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez from his position as the all-time goalscorer of the UEFA Champions League in 2014, Argentine playmaker, Lionel Messi is also one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of the competition.
The attacker came to the limelight of his European career during Pep Guardiola’s time at Barcelona, finishing as the top scorer of the competition in 4 straight years, between 2009 and 2012 and he already has a whopping 106 overall goals to his name in 129 appearances in the competition.
However, after defeating Raul to climb on top of the rankings, the Argentine has surrendered the lead to his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo but he still has a couple of years at the top of the game to catch up with the Portuguese superstar.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
An active legend and a phenomenal player, Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the all-time goalscorer in the history of the UEFA Champions League with an unbelievable 121 goals to his name in 158 appearances.
Although he started shining in the UEFA Champions League from his time as a Manchester United player, it was during his stint at Real Madrid that he actually inscribed his name in the history books as the most prolific goalscorer the European tournament has ever witnessed.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, the Portuguese finished as the top scorer of the tournament for the past 6 consecutive seasons in addition to claiming the trophy in the last 3 successive years to go with other incredible feats he already had to his name.
Even at 34, Ronaldo is not slowing down yet and he will be keen to add more to his tally in the tournament.
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