The UEFA Champions League is by far the most popular cup competition in Europe. Every player worth his salt wants to thrive in this competition, as it is a surefire way of becoming a household name.
Group-stage fixtures help Champions League aspirants set the tone, but their aim is always to make a mark in do-or-die knockout fixtures. Over the years, however, only a handful of stars have succeeded in their endeavor to set the knockout games alight; scored for fun in the trickiest of matches.
Continue reading to meet the 10 players who have netted the most goals in the UEFA Champions League knockout fixtures since 2010:
#10 Neymar: 13 Goals
Brazil superstar Neymar scored 13 Champions League knockout goals in 44 games before leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for Al-Hilal during the 2023-24 summer transfer window. The ex-Barcelona winger recorded 43 goals and 36 assists in 81 games in the competition between the Blaugrana and the Parisians.
Neymar became a Champions League winner in his second season at Barcelona in 2014-15. The 32-year-old scored a joint-best 10 goals in 12 games to propel the Catalans to the coveted trophy.
#9 Erling Haaland: 13 Goals
The youngest player to make the cut, Manchester City sharpshooter Erling Haaland has already scored 13 goals in just 28 Champions League knockout matches. The 23-year-old is the only player on this list who averages more than a goal per game in the Champions League. Haaland has played 36 UCL games so far, scoring an unbelievable 40 times and claiming five assists.
Haaland, of course, was the driving force behind Manchester City’s first-ever Champions League triumph in the 2022-23 season. The Norwegian scored a tournament-best 12 goals last season to guide Pep Guardiola’s team to the Old Big Ears.
#8 Arjen Robben: 15 Goals
Having scored 15 goals in 52 UEFA Champions League knockout fixtures, Bayern Munich legend Arjen Robben has claimed the eighth spot in the rankings. The Dutch winger, known for his ability to take players on and inch-perfect curlers, played a total of 110 Champions League games in his career, scoring 31 times and providing 24 assists.
The eight-time Bundesliga winner secured his sole Champions League winner’s medal in the 2012-13 season. Robben sensationally scored the winning goal against Borussia Dortmund in the 89th minute of the nail-biting final.
#7 Sadio Mane: 15 Goals
Former Liverpool and Bayern Munich winger Sadio Mane scored 15 goals in 41 UEFA Champions League knockout games before trading the competitiveness of European competitions for the comforts of Saudi Arabian soccer in the summer of 2023. Prior to his switch, the Senegalese superstar played 64 Champions League matches, netting 27 times and bagging nine assists.
Mane’s sole Champions League success came with Liverpool in the 2018-19 season. The Al-Nassr ace scored four goals and claimed three assists as the Reds marched on to their sixth European championship.
#6 Kylian Mbappe: 16 Goals
Just 25 years old, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe has claimed the sixth spot on this exclusive list, scoring a whopping 16 knockout goals in 32 matches. Overall, the French forward has played 68 Champions League games, scoring 44 times and providing 26 assists.
Mbappe has yet to win the tournament of champions, but he reached the final in the 2019-20 season. He scored five goals and claimed six assists in 10 games that season.
#5 Thomas Muller: 25 Goals
Bayern Munich icon Thomas Muller has scored 25 goals in 89 Champions League knockout fixtures so far. In total, the versatile attacker has played 150 Champions League matches in his decorated career, scoring an impressive 53 times.
Muller has won the competition a couple of times, with both of his triumphs coming with the Bavarians. He first tasted Champions League success in 2012-13 before returning to the podium seven seasons later in 2019-20.
#4 Robert Lewandowski: 30 Goals
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has secured the fourth spot in the rankings, having scored 30 times in 73 UEFA Champions League knockout fixtures. The Polish superstar was at his best in the 2019-20 campaign, with him netting a tournament-best 15 goals to fire Bayern Munich Champions League glory.
Lewandowski has so far scored 92 times in just 116 Champions League games. He is the third-highest goalscorer in the competition’s embellished history.
#3 Karim Benzema: 33 Goals
Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema scored 33 UEFA Champions League knockout goals in 91 matches before jetting off to Saudi Arabia before the start of the 2023-24 season. The French superstar won the competition a joint record five times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) with Real Madrid. The 2021-22 campaign marked the best of Benzema’s career, with him scoring a whopping 15 goals to guide Los Blancos to their 14th Champions League trophy. A whopping 10 of his 15 goals came in the knockouts, including two consecutive hat-tricks.
With 90 goals scored in 152 games, Benzema is the fourth-highest scorer in the UEFA Champions League history.
#2 Lionel Messi: 43 Goals
In the second place, we have the majestic Lionel Messi. The 36-year-old, who moved to Inter Miami last summer, scored 43 goals in 91 Champions League knockout games during his 18-year run in Europe. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner won the competition four times (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015) with his boyhood club Barcelona, finishing as the top scorer in three of those four seasons.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is the second-highest scorer in the history of the competition. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner played 163 games before leaving Europe, scoring 129 times.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo: 57 Goals
The king of the competition, Cristiano Ronaldo, scored 57 goals in 100 UEFA Champions League knockout fixtures before leaving Europe in January 2023. The Portuguese superstar won the competition a joint-record five times. Four of his triumphs came with Real Madrid (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) and one with Manchester United (2008). Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in each of the five seasons. He also scored four goals in three finals.
Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo holds the record for scoring the most number of goals in the competition, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner netting 141 times in 187 games.
