UEFA Champions League top 10 goal scorers

Published on Mar 31, 2015

The best football strikers to ever play in The Champions League

The UEFA Champions League top 10 goal scorers covers some of the most famous names to have played the game in the last couple of decades. Of course this is a list that is always changing, but as of this moment in 2015, these are the best footballers that have made the top 10.

10.) Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema made 42 goals in Champions League, he is described as an "immensely talented striker" who is "strong and powerful"

Goals: 42 goals in 71 matches
Country: France
Years active: 2004-2009

Benzema has played a total of 71 games in the Champions League and scored 42 goals. During his career he has played for both Lyon and primarily Real Madrid with whom he won the Champions League in 2014. With a goals per game ratio of 0.59 and with the style of football Real Madrid play you can only expect him to score more goals in his career.

9.) Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored 43 goals in Champions League, he also won individual awards from other organizations such as the Italian Oscar del Calcio and the Swedish Guldbollen

Goals: 43 goals in 108 matches
Country: Sweden
Years active: 1999-2012

Zlatan has had a nomadic career taking him to Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, AC Milan, and now PSG. His career has included 108 appearances in the Champions League and 43 goals, which includes five penalties. Up until this point he has never won the Champions League, but has still won a number of national competitions including 11 leagues and numerous cup competitions.

8. Didier Drogba

Drogba played 91 games and scored 44 goals in Champions League

Goals: 44 goals in 92 matches
Country: Ivory Coast
Years active: 1998-present

Drogba has played for Chelsea, Marseilles, and Galatasaray in a very successful career and he has played a total of 92 games in the Champions League and scoring 44 goals including two penalties. The most successful part of his career has been with Chelsea and indeed it was with them that he won the Champions League in 2012 where he scored the winning penalty in a shoot out against Bayern Munich. During his career he has also been voted the African footballer of the year on two occasions.

7.) Filippo Inzaghi

Inzaghi played a total of 81 games in the Champions League and score 46 goals

Goals: 46 goals in 81 matches
Country: Italy
Years active: 1991-2012

Inzaghi played a total of 81 games in the Champions League for both Juventus and AC Milan. During his career he scored a total of 46 goals with one penalty giving a ratio of 0.57. He won two Champions League titles in 2003 and 2007 with AC Milan and was also voted as the man of the match in the 2007 final.

6.) Andriy Shevchenko

Shevchenko was also an UEFA Champions League runner-up in 2005 and 2008 — Andriy Shevchenko's career has been highlighted by many awards, the most prestigious of which was the Ballon d'Or in 2004.

Goals: 48 goals in 100 matches
Country: Ukraine
Years active: 1994-2012

Andriy Shevchenko played a total of 100 matches in the Champions League for Dinamo Kiev, AC Milan and Chelsea. He contributed 48 goals including 5 penalties . He won the Champions League once in 2003 with AC Milan and also won the Ballon d'Or in 2004 as well as having three third place finishes as well. He was also the top goal scorer in the Champions League on two occasions.

5.) Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry played a total of 112 games in the Champions League and scored 50 goals.

Goals: 50 goals in 112 matches
Country: France
Years active: 1994-2012

Thierry Henry is one of the best players to ever come out of France. He played for AS Monaco, Arsenal and Barcelona during his Champions League career. He played a total of 112 games and scoring 50 goals including 3 penalties. This gives a scoring ratio of 0.45, which is still outstanding at this level. He won the league in all three countries, but it was with Barcelona where he won his one and only Champions League title in 2009. He won the Golden Boot twice and was also runner up in the vote for the best player in the world.

4.) Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy scored 56 goals during his stint in the Champions League.

Goals: 56 goals in 73 matches
Country: Netherlands
Years active: 1993-2012

Van Nistelrooy played for three clubs in the Champions League with appearances for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, and Real Madrid. During his career he played a total of 73 games and scoring a total of 56 goals, which included 10 penalties. This gives a ratio of 0.77 and it shows how prolific a goal scorer he was at this level. The surprising fact is that he never won the Champions League, which is surprising considering the teams he played for although he was the top goal scorer for three different seasons.

3.) Raul Gonzalez Blanco

Raul Gonzalez Blanco is regarded to be one of the greatest Spanish players of all time

Goals: 71 goals in 142 matches
Country: Spain
Years active: 1994-2006

Raul Gonzalez Blanco was for so long the benchmark for Champions League goal scorers. During his club career he has played for Real Madrid and FC Schalke in the Champions League, but it was with Madrid where he really made his mark. His total of 71 goals, with one penalty, in 142 games gives him a ratio of 0.5, but there is no doubt that he does deserve his place as one of the best goal scorers of all time. All of his awards were won whilst playing with Madrid with 6 league titles and 3 Champions League victories being the highlights.

2.) Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions, and considered to be one of the best footballer of all time.

Goals: 83 goals in 106 matches
Country: Argentina
Years active: 2003-present

This Argentinian magician has scored a total of 77 goals, which includes eight penalties, in the Champions League, but he has done so in only 95 games giving him a ratio of 0.78. He has done this entirely with Barcelona, with whom he is their all-time top goal scorer, and he has regularly been voted not only as the best player in the world, but one of the best to have ever played the game. He has won the world player of the year trophy on four different occasions and has won the Champions League with Barcelona a total of 3 times. He has also won the award for the top goal scorer in Europe on three different occasions.

1.) Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo often ranked as the best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time.

Goals: 93 goals in 125 matches
Country: Portugal
Years active: 2002-present

Cristiano Ronaldo has played a total of 116 games in the Champions League and scored 80 goals. This includes eight penalties and it equates to a game/goal ratio of 0.74. He has played for both Manchester United and Real Madrid in the Champions League and of course he has won the title twice during his career with Manchester United overcoming Chelsea in 2008 and then Real Madrid defeating Atletico Madrid in 2014. He has constantly been voted as one of the best football players in the world and indeed has won the World Player of the Year in 2008 and the Ballon d'Or in both 2013 and 2014.