Sports Mole rounds up the all-time top scorers list in the Champions League, a collection of legends led by two of the greatest of all time in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Robert Lewandowski moved to the brink of reaching 100 Champions League goals with his brace in Barcelona‘s five-star hammering of Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday night.
The legendary Polish striker scored either side of half time as Hansi Flick‘s side put their hosts to the sword in Serbia, winning 5-2 to climb up to sixth in the Champions League table.
While there was no movement in the list of all-time Champions League top scorers this week, Lewandowski’s double took him to 99 goals in the competition overall, just one short of the mythical 100 mark.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the only other players to have chalked up a Champions League century, and incredibly Lewandowski now boasts a better goals-per-game ratio in the competition than either of the two icons above him in the rankings.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich man will not be able to beat Messi’s record for the fastest player to 100 Champions League goals, though, having reached 99 in 124 outings – Messi scored his 100th in his 123rd Champions League appearance, whereas Ronaldo took 144 games to reach triple figures.
Lewandowski will have the chance to reach the significant landmark on November 26 when Barca host tournament debutants Brest, who have been a surprise package in this year’s competition and currently sit one point above Barcelona in fourth.
Here, Sports Mole runs through every player to have scored 40 or more goals in the Champions League.
Who has scored the most goals in Champions League history?
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus)
© Reuters
Goals: 140
Appearances: 183
Ratio: 0.77
© Reuters
Goals: 129
Appearances: 163
Ratio: 0.79
3. Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona)
© Imago
Goals: 99
Appearances: 124
Ratio: 0.80
© Reuters
Goals: 90
Appearances: 152
Ratio: 0.59
5. Raul (Real Madrid, Schalke 04)
© Reuters
Goals: 71
Appearances: 142
Ratio: 0.50
6. Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid)
© Reuters
Goals: 56
Appearances: 73
Ratio: 0.77
© Reuters
Goals: 54
Appearances: 154
Ratio: 0.35
8. Thierry Henry (Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona)
© Reuters
Goals: 50
Appearances: 112
Ratio: 0.45
Goals: 49
Appearances: 58
Ratio: 0.84
10. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid)
© Imago
Goals: 49
Appearances: 77
Ratio: 0.64
© Reuters
Goals: 48
Appearances: 100
Ratio: 0.48
12. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain)
© Reuters
Goals: 48
Appearances: 124
Ratio: 0.39
© Reuters
Goals: 46
Appearances: 65
Ratio: 0.71
© Reuters
Goals: 46
Appearances: 81
Ratio: 0.57
15. Mohamed Salah (Basel, Roma, Liverpool)
© Imago
Goals: 45
Appearances: 83
Ratio: 0.54
© Imago
Goals: 44
Appearances: 43
Ratio: 1.02
17. Didier Drogba (Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray)
© Reuters
Goals: 44
Appearances: 92
Ratio: 0.48
18. Neymar (Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain)
© Reuters
Goals: 43
Appearances: 81
Ratio: 0.53
© Reuters
Goals: 42
Appearances: 89
Ratio: 0.47
20. Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, Manchester City)
© Reuters
Goals: 41
Appearances: 79
Ratio: 0.52