Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi may be long gone from the Champions League, but their dominance in Europe’s top competition continues to define an era. Both legends remain far ahead in the all-time scoring list — yet Erling Haaland is steadily climbing toward their numbers.
The Norwegian striker found the net in Manchester City’s 2–0 win over Villarreal, reaching 53 career goals in the Champions League. With that tally, Haaland continues to narrow the distance to Ronaldo, who leads with 140 goals, and Messi, who follows with 129.
Among active players, Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe remain ahead of Haaland. The Barcelona forward has 105 goals, while the Real Madrid star sits at 60. Still, given Haaland’s incredible scoring pace this season, both could soon be within reach.
So far in 2025–26, the 25-year-old has been in remarkable form, recording 24 goals and three assists in just 14 appearances for both Manchester City and the Norwegian national team.
Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring against Villarreal. (Getty Images)
Haaland surpasses Ronaldo and Messi in key Champions League feat
While he’s still chasing Ronaldo and Messi’s overall totals, Haaland has already overtaken both in one major record. The City striker became the fastest player in history to reach 50 Champions League goals, doing so in just 49 matches. By comparison, Messi needed 66 games with Barcelona, while Ronaldo reached the milestone after 91 appearances with Manchester United and Real Madrid.
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Haaland overtakes Ronaldo and Mbappe but stays behind Messi in Champions League record
Haaland also shattered the previous record held by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who required 62 games to hit the 50-goal mark. Other notable names on the list include Robert Lewandowski (77 games) and Kylian Mbappe (79 games).
Champions League all-time top 10 goal scorers
Haaland’s goal against Villarreal — his 53rd in the competition — placed him past Thierry Henry (50) into ninth place all-time. What sets him apart, however, is the sheer speed at which he’s achieved it: 49 games, compared to Henry’s 112.
Top 10 Champions League scorers (as of 2025):
- 1- Cristiano Ronaldo – 140 goals
- 2- Lionel Messi – 129 goals
- 3- Robert Lewandowski – 105 goals
- 4- Karim Benzema – 90 goals
- 5- Raul Gonzalez – 71 goals
- 6- Kylian Mbappe – 60 goals
- 7- Thomas Muller – 57 goals
- 8- Ruud van Nistelrooy – 56 goals
- 9- Erling Haaland – 53 goals
- 10- Thierry Henry – 50 goals
