Ajax Amsterdam’s Sebastien Haller is the hottest goal scorer in the UEFA Champions League, scoring in every game his club has played and topping the goal charts. But what was once a sizable lead has dwindled with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo heating up.
Haller exploded for four goals in Ajax’s opening match and he also scored in the next two to reach six goals for the tournament. It’s an impressive haul when you consider that last season’s top scorer, Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, had the best goal-scoring total with 10.
But Liverpool’s in-form forward Mohamed Salah is now just one behind Haller after the Egyptian international scored twice more against Atletico Madrid in Matchday 3. Robert Lewandowski also got another goal to join Salah on five goals. Lurking behind those top three are Ronaldo and Messi: Both are up to three goals after scoring on Matchday 3.
In the chart below, the players are ranked by their goal totals. Assists is used as the first tiebreaker and the second is fewest minutes played in line with the tiebreakers that European governing body UEFA implemented for the European Championships.
Champions League Top Scorers (2021-2022)
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals (PKs) | Assists | Matches | Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sebastien Haller | Ajax | 6 | 1 | 3 | 263 |
| 2. | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 5 (1) | 0 | 3 | 239 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 5 (1) | 0 | 3 | 259 | |
| 4. | Christopher Nkunku | RB Leipzig | 4 | 0 | 3 | 261 |
| 5. | Leroy Sane | Bayern Munich | 3 | 3 | 3 | 251 |
| Hans Vanaken | Club Brugge | 3 | 1 | 3 | 270 | |
| Antoine Griezmann | Atletico Madrid | 3 | 0 | 3 | 115 | |
| Karim Adeyemi | RB Salzburg | 3 (2) | 0 | 3 | 240 | |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Man United | 3 | 0 | 3 | 252 | |
| Riyad Mahrez | Man City | 3 (2) | 0 | 3 | 270 | |
| Lionel Messi | PSG | 3 (1) | 0 | 3 | 270 | |
| 12. | Steven Berghuis | Ajax | 2 | 1 | 3 | 217 |
| Paulinho | Sporting CP | 2 | 1 | 3 | 257 | |
| Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid | 2 | 1 | 3 | 269 | |
| Sebastien Thill | Sheriff Tiraspol | 2 | 1 | 3 | 270 | |
| Roberto Firmino | Liverpool | 2 | 0 | 2 | 114 | |
| Ivan Rakitic | Sevilla | 2 (2) | 0 | 3 | 119 | |
| Rodrygo | Real Madrid | 2 | 0 | 3 | 127 | |
| Noah Okafor | RB Salzburg | 2 | 0 | 3 | 159 | |
| Sebastian Coates | Sporting CP | 2 | 0 | 2 | 180 | |
| Darwin Nunez | Benfica | 2 (1) | 0 | 3 | 198 | |
| Jorginho | Chelsea | 2 (2) | 0 | 3 | 242 | |
| Joao Cancelo | Man City | 2 | 0 | 3 | 270 | |
| Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 2 (1) | 0 | 3 | 270 |
Champions League Top Scorers (since 1992-93)
Here are the top scorers for each UEFA Champions League tournament since the new format was adopted in 1992-93.
No surprise as to who the players are who have topped the list on most occasions: Cristiano Ronaldo has led the charts seven times, and Messi six. Their dominant run has happened in the past 14 editions of the Champions League, though neither has claimed the honor in the past two campaigns.
| Year | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | Erling Haaland | B. Dortmund | 10 |
| 2019-20 | Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 15 |
| 2018-19 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 12 |
| 2017-18 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 15 |
| 2016-17 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 12 |
| 2015-16 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 16 |
| 2014-15 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 10 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 10 | |
| Neymar | Barcelona | 10 | |
| 2013-14 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 17 |
| 2012-13 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 12 |
| 2011-12 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 14 |
| 2010-11 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 12 |
| 2009-10 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 8 |
| 2008-09 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 9 |
| 2007-08 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Man United | 8 |
| 2006-07 | Kaka | AC Milan | 10 |
| 2005-06 | Andriy Shevchenko | AC Milan | 9 |
| 2004-05 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Man United | 8 |
| 2003-04 | Fernando Morientes | AS Monaco | 9 |
| 2002-03 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Man United | 12 |
| 2001-02 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Man United | 10 |
| 2000-01 | Raul Gonzalez | Real Madrid | 7 |
| 1999-00 | Mario Jardel | Porto | 10 |
| Rivaldo | Barcelona | 10 | |
| Raul Gonzalez | Real Madrid | 10 | |
| 1998-99 | Andriy Shevchenko | Dynamo Kyiv | 8 |
| Dwight Yorke | Man United | 8 | |
| 1997-98 | Alessandro Del Piero | Juventus | 10 |
| 1996-97 | Milinko Pantic | Atletico Madrid | 5 |
| 1995-96 | Jari Litmanen | Ajax | 9 |
| 1994-95 | George Weah | PSG | 7 |
| 1993-94 | Hristo Stoichkov | Barcelona | 5 |
| 1992-93 | Franck Sauzee | Marseille | 5 |
The Washington Magazine 