Can anyone beat Raul’s Champions League record?
Raul has scored 61 goals in the Champions League – his closest rival being his teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy at 53.
Can any of the younger crop of players – Messi, Ronaldo, Benzema, Torres etc – catch up with the likes of Raul, Ruud, Sheva (47) and Henry (45) or is the age of the pure goalscoring machine gone for good?
Most goals in the Champions League
| Goals | Player | Nation | Clubs |
| 61 | Raúl | ESP | Real Madrid |
| 53 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | NED | PSV (8), Manchester United (35), Real Madrid (10) |
| 47 | Andri Shevchenko | UKR | Dynamo Kyiv (14), AC Milan (29), Chelsea (4) |
| 45 | Thierry Henry | FRA | AS Monaco (7), Arsenal (35), FC Barcelona (3) |
| 42 | Filippo Inzaghi | ITA | Juventus (17), AC Milan (25) |
| 37 | Alessandro Del Piero | ITA | Juventus |
| 33 | Fernando Morientes | ESP | Real Madrid (17), AS Monaco (9), Liverpool (1), Valencia CF (6) |
| 29 | Patrick Kluivert | NED | Ajax (9), FC Barcelona (20) |
| 29 | Roy Makaay | NED | Deportivo La Coruña (12), Bayern München (17) |
| 28 | David Trézéguet | FRA | AS Monaco (4), Juventus (24) |
Note: Players in bold will participate in this season’s Champions League.
Who’s your pick to beat Raul’s goalscoring record in the future?
Raul also has the most appearances in the Champions League, 2 ahead of Roberto Carlos and comfortably ahead of Giggs, Scholes and Neville. Considering that these 5 players have been playing in the Champions League for over a decade, it’s another record that would prove tough to beat, especially if Raul keeps going for another season or two.
Most CL appearances per player
| Apps | Player | Nation | Clubs |
| 116 | Raúl | ESP | Real Madrid |
| 114 | Roberto Carlos | BRA | Real Madrid (107), Fenerbahçe (7) |
| 109 | Paolo Maldini | ITA | AC Milan |
| 104 | Ryan Giggs | WAL | Manchester United |
| 103 | David Beckham | ENG | Manchester United (77), Real Madrid (26) |
| 103 | Oliver Kahn | GER | Bayern München |
| 102 | Paul Scholes | ENG | Manchester United |
| 101 | Clarence Seedorf | NED | Ajax (11), Real Madrid (25), AC Milan (65) |
| 100 | LuÃs Figo | POR | FC Barcelona (24), Real Madrid (58), Internazionale (18) |
| 99 | Gary Neville | ENG | Manchester United |
Note: Players in bold will participate in this season’s Champions League
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The way they’re both playing at the moment, I guess only Ruud can catch Raul in terms of goals. I thnk we’ll have to wait for another generation of players to see anyone get close – Raúl’s been playing at Real for 16 seasons and, without looking at the stats, I suspect has at most not played CL football in one of them.
September 15th, 2008 @ 23:39Its going to be difficult for anyone to beat Raul’s record, not because of the sheer volume of the task, but because no other player will get to play in a team in the CL for so many years even after putting in bad performance after bad performance for around 4 years. They would be sold to a second division club long back. Its common knowledge that Raul had and has tremendous influence in the Madrid dressing room. Who else would be promoted for so long? And where else?
September 15th, 2008 @ 23:54I think Henry still has a decent chance. Unless he decides to join Man City next year.
Hey iqnadirshah, how you going buddy? Haven’t seen you on here for a while.
September 16th, 2008 @ 03:01Torres has started too late. We need to look towards a younger generation to break it, Messi and Aguero are both in with a shout. I would tip Messi to break it
September 16th, 2008 @ 17:38Going okay man spiral, recovered only now from last season’s hangover………. he he he
September 17th, 2008 @ 03:56Yeah, that one was a doozy. Took me a few six-packs to get over that one! Well, i have fewer expectations than i did last season so it shouldn’t be too bad this time round…
September 19th, 2008 @ 11:58Dont give up dude, not yet…………..
September 19th, 2008 @ 23:25Benzema and Aguero have the best chances.They are natural born goal-scorers.Maybe Cristiano Ronaldo if they continue to play him as a forward.Messi,I don’t think so.Bojan has a better chance.
October 7th, 2008 @ 10:13I’m sure young ones can break the record of Raul & van in some few years to come and most espcially i tip Fernado Torres the success in uefa Championship scorer laid by Raul&Van
October 29th, 2008 @ 08:47definitely cristiano ronaldo! i dont care what u ppl think he is the best player in the world by far. 31 premiership goals and didnt play all 38, top scorer in champions league! 42 goals or was it 43. hes a machine a terminator! he will break that record not messi he doesnt score that more of an assister!
November 4th, 2008 @ 21:10Raul may have the most goals scored but looking at the records there is no doubt that ruud is the most prolific goalscorer both in the champs lge and in genaral of his generation.raul has 61 in 116 nistelrooy has 53 in probably less than 80 games! His record for man.u was 150 in 219 and 35 in about 45 in chmps lge!though he probably would never get that recognition because he lacked the pace,panache and skill of a henry or sheva or the continuity of a raul..for me I think C.Ronaldo has the best chance of breaking it out of the new boys.he probably has about 18 nw while the messi’s n torres’s are a bit behind.but still though,kudos to raul he rily is the greatestof all time!
January 4th, 2010 @ 13:15