Players with the most Champions League goals 1955-2025

As of June 2025, Cristiano Ronaldo held the record for the most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League, with a total of 141. The Portuguese forward played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus in the competition. Meanwhile, Argentinian forward Lionel Messi ranked in second place, with 129 goals. 

What is the Champions League?

Established in 1955 as the European Cup, the Champions League is the pinnacle of European club soccer, with teams from across the continent competing for the famous trophy. As of 2025, Real Madrid was the club with the most Champions League titles, having over twice the titles of second-placed AC Milan. Meanwhile, Olympique Lyonnais was the club with the most UEFA Women's Champions League titles.

Europe’s Big Five leagues

The Champions League features a number of elite clubs, including those from the Big Five European soccer leagues. The Big Five consists of the top-tier leagues of England, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. Altogether, the market size of the Big Five European soccer leagues amounted to more than 19 billion euros in the 2022/23 season. Individually, the English Premier League generated the most revenue out of the Big Five leagues in 2022/23, at nearly seven billion euros.