Top 10 Champions League scorers from semi-final onwards since 2000: Messi, Ronaldo…
Former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool stars are among the 10 players with the most Champions League goals from the semi-final onward.
Scoring goals is the aim of the game, but being able to deliver the goods in the latter stages of the competition brings an entirely different level of pressure.
Since the year 2000, here are the 10 players with the most Champions League goals from the semi-final onwards.
Note: when players are tied on the same number of goals, we have ranked them by their goal-to-game ratio.
10. Riyad Mahrez – 4 goals
The Algerian winger had a knack for producing big moments in the Champions League for Manchester City.
During the 2020-21 semi-final against PSG, he scored three goals across the two legs as City won 4-1 on aggregate to make the final.
He also scored against Real Madrid in the following years’ UCL semi-final, although City lost that tie on aggregate.
9. Thomas Muller – 5 goals
The German forward scored in the 2012 Champions League final against Chelsea, but ultimately lost that game on penalties.
Arguably his best-ever performance in the competition came the following year against Barcelona in the semi-final.
Bayern ran rampant against the Spanish giants and beat them 7-0 over two legs, with Muller scoring three goals to book Bayern’s place in the final.
In total, the 35-year-old has won two Champions League trophies and he played a key role in winning both of them.
8. Sergio Ramos – 5 goals
Ramos is the only defender to feature on this list, which is a testament to how good he was.
The Spaniard always had the tendency to pop up with a clutch goal, especially in the later rounds of the Champions League.
Along with scoring three goals in semi-finals, Ramos also scored in the 2014 and 2016 finals. His goal in 2014 was particularly clutch as he equalised in the 93rd minute to send the game into extra time.
7. Arjen Robben – 5 goals
The Dutch winger scored the winning goals in the 2013 Champions League final with an 89th-minute strike against Borussia Dortmund.
He’s also produced several clutch moments in various semi-finals too.
6. Sadio Mane – 5 goals
From the semi-final onwards, Mane averaged 0.56 goals per game while playing for Liverpool, which is quite the record.
In total, he scored four goals for Liverpool in Champions League semi-finals and he also scored in the 2018 final against Real Madrid.
5. Vinicius Junior – 6 goals
Having already scored in two Champions League finals, Vinicius boasts a better record in European finals than plenty of the Real Madrid legends who have gone before him.
The Brazilian has played an instrumental role in Real Madrid’s last two UCL triumphs and for some, his efforts last season should’ve won him the Ballon d’Or.
Along with scoring two final goals, he’s also scored four goals in the semi-final round of the competition.
Still just 24 years old, he’s got plenty of time to add to his tally yet.
4. Robert Lewandowski – 7 goals
While Lewandowski has never scored in a Champions League final, he has scored seven goals in the semi-final.
His most memorable game in the competition came back in 2013 as he scored four goals for Dortmund to dump Real Madrid out of the competition.
Still going strong today at the age of 36, Lewandowski still has time to add to his tally yet.
READ: 7 insane records Robert Lewandowski has broken for Barcelona this season
3. Lionel Messi – 8 goals
The Argentine magician scored in the 2009 and 2011 finals, beating Manchester United on both occasions.
He didn’t manage to score in the 2015 final against Juventus, but he did score two goals against Bayern Munich in the semi-final that year.
In total, Messi scored 129 goals in the Champions League and eight of them came in the semi-final or final, which is quite the record.
2. Karim Benzema – 9 goals
The Frenchman shot up this list after his heroics for Real Madrid in the 2021-22 semi-final against Manchester City.
A five-time winner of the competition, Benzema undoubtedly ranks among the best strikers of his generation.
Along with scoring eight goals in the semi-finals, he also scored in the 2018 final thanks to a Loris Karius blunder.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 17 goals
When it comes to the latter stages of the Champions League, Ronaldo is in an entirely different league to everyone else.
He’s scored four goals in six UCL final appearances and has also scored 13 goals in the semi-final stage of the competition.
In total, Ronaldo averaged 0.63 goals per game from the semi-final onwards, which is an absolutely astonishing record.
We certainly can’t see anyone surpassing his tally of 17 goals anytime soon.
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