Top five active players with the most UEFA Champions League goals

• UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious cup tournament in Europe, and that’s why every footballer’s dream is to play in the tournament. 
• Scoring a goal in the Champions League tournament is not easy due to the intensity of the matches. 
• Active players with the most UEFA Champions League goals are among the best players in the world. 

UEFA Champions League is arguably the most prestigious cup competition in Europe. Many footballers want to make a name for themselves by scoring the most UEFA Champions League goals. 

However, being among the top scorers in the tournament is not an easy thing. A few players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have impressed over the years with their goalscoring records in the competition. 

Being a top scorer in a UEFA Champions League season boosts your chances of winning the Ballon d’Or award. 

This article will focus on the top five active players with the most UEFA Champions League goals. 

5. Thomas Muller – 52 goals

Thomas Muller is one of the complete attacking midfielders of his generation. The German international is known for his vision, passing accuracy and agility.

Thomas Muller. Photo/ Sporting News.

On top of Muller’s attributes as a playmaker, he is also a good goalscorer. The Bayern Munich star is one of the active players with the most UEFA Champions League goals. 

Thomas Muller has scored 52 UEFA Champions League goals since making his debut for Bayern Munich in the tournament. The talented midfielder has so far registered 30 assists in the UEFA Champions League. He has won the prestigious tournament twice in his career. 

4. Karim Benzema – 86 goals

Karim Benzema won last season’s UEFA Champions League Player of the Year due to his outstanding performance. The Real Madrid forward led his team to win the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League title, scoring 15 goals in the process.

Benzema ranks fourth in the list of active players with the most UEFA Champions League goals. So far, the Frenchman has scored 86 goals in 142 appearances at the tournament. Benzema’s first 12 goals came during his days at Lyon, where he emerged as a talented youngster. 

The lethal attacker has won the UEFA Cup five times with Real Madrid. 

3. Robert Lewandowski – 86 goals 

Robert Lewandowski is one of the best strikers of his generation. He is one of the few players who have come close to winning the Ballon d’Or during Ronaldo and Messi’s dominance era. 

The former Bayern Munich attacker is the third active player with the most UEFA Champions League goals. Robert Lewandowski has scored 86 goals in 106 matches. 

He scored his first 17 Champions League goals during his time at Borussia Dortmund. While at Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski scored 69 goals in 78 appearances. 

Due to his goalscoring ability, the Barcelona forward is likely to score more goals this season. 

2. Lionel Messi – 125 goals

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest players the football world has ever seen. The Argentine international is the second player with the most UEFA Champions League goals. He has scored 125 goals in 156 matches. 

Messi’s first 120 goals were during his time at FC Barcelona, where he made 149 Champions League appearances. The playmaker joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer and scored five goals in seven matches.

Lionel Messi scored five Champions League goals last season. Photo/ Goal.com.

Apart from being among the top goalscorers, Lionel Messi has also registered 41 assists since making his Champions League debut. 

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 140 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo will likely miss this season’s UEFA Champions League tournament for the first time since 2006-07. Despite Ronaldo’s efforts last season, his team failed to qualify for the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League tournament. 

Cristiano Ronaldo is the player with the most UEFA Champions League goals in history. The prolific goalscorer has scored 140 goals in 183 matches. 

He scored his first-ever Champions League goal during the 2006-07 season. Ronaldo scored eight goals in eleven matches the following season as his team Manchester United won the title. 

He became an icon in the competition during his time at Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018. He scored several crucial goals as the Los Blancos won the title four times. The former Real Madrid star scored 105 goals in 101 appearances for the La Liga giants. 

Cristiano scored six goals in seven Champions League matches for Manchester United last season. However, his goals could not help the Red Devils proceed past the round of 16. 

Cristiano Ronaldo has the most UEFA Champions League goals. Photo/ TEAMtalk.

Ronaldo has recorded 48 assists in the tournament.