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A riveting subplot has developed in the UEFA Champions League. The two greatest forwards of the age have both surpassed Raúl González’s total for goals in the competition and after the 2014/15 season Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were level on 77. Ronaldo opened up a five-goal lead with a fast start to 2015/16 but two goals on Messi’s injury comeback against Roma closed the gap.

UEFA.com has listed all Messi and Ronaldo’s UEFA Champions League strikes since they first found the net at this level and picked out some noteworthy stats from all the numbers. 

 

  • Messi has only been on the losing side twice when he has scored
  • Ronaldo has netted twice or more on 22 different occasions
  • Messi has registered five hat-tricks
  • Ronaldo did not score until his 30th game in the competition; he has since hit 81 goals
  • Both players have scored two goals across two finals
 

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal by goal record

UEFA Champions League (group stage to final)

  Messi 

(all goals scored for Barcelona)

Ronaldo 

(goals 1-15 for Man Utd; 16 onwards for Real Madrid)

Goal Opponent Date Round Opponent Date Round
1 Panathinaikos (h), 5-0 02/11/05 Group stage Roma (h), 7-1 10/04/07  Quarter-final second leg
2 Werder Bremen (a), 1-1 27/09/06  Group stage  Roma (h), 7-1 10/04/07 Quarter-final second leg
Lyon (h), 3-0 19/09/07  Group stage  Milan (h), 3-2 24/04/07  Semi-final first leg
Stuttgart (a), 2-0  02/10/07  Group stage  Sporting CP (a), 1-0  19/09/07  Group stage 
Rangers (h), 2-0 07/11/07 Group stage  Dynamo Kyiv (a), 4-2  23/10/07  Group stage 
Lyon (a), 2-2  27/11/07  Group stage  Dynamo Kyiv (a), 4-2  23/10/07  Group stage 
Celtic (a), 3-2 20/02/08  Round of 16 first leg Dynamo Kyiv (h), 4-0  07/11/07  Group stage 
Celtic (a), 3-2 20/02/08  Round of 16 first leg  Sporting CP (h), 2-1   27/11/07  Group stage 
Shakhtar (a), 2-1 01/10/08  Group stage  Lyon (h), 1-0  04/03/08  Round of 16 second leg
10  Shakhtar (a), 2-1 01/10/08 Group stage Roma (a), 2-0  01/04/08  Quarter-final first leg
11  Basel (a), 5-0 22/10/08  Group stage  Chelsea (n), 1-1  21/05/08  Final
12  Basel (h), 1-1  04/11/08  Group stage  Internazionale (h), 2-0  11/03/09  Round of 16 second leg
13 Sporting CP (a), 5-2  26/11/08  Group stage  Porto (a), 1-0 15/04/09  Quarter-final second leg
14  Lyon (h), 5-2  11/03/09  Round of 16 second leg  Arsenal (a), 3-1  05/05/09  Semi-final second leg 
15  Bayern (h), 4-0 08/04/09 Quarter-final first leg Arsenal (a), 3-1  05/05/09  Semi-final second leg 
16  Bayern (h), 4-0  08/04/09 Quarter-final first leg  Zürich (a), 5-2  15/09/09  Group stage 
17  Man United (n), 2-0  27/05/09  Final  Zürich (a), 5-2 15/09/09 Group stage 
18  Dynamo Kyiv (h), 2-0   29/09/09 Group stage  Marseille (h), 3-0  30/09/09  Group stage 
19 Dynamo Kyiv (a), 2-1  09/12/09 Group stage  Marseille (h), 3-0  30/09/09  Group stage 
20  Stuttgart (h), 4-0  17/03/10 Round of 16 second leg Marseille (a), 3-1  08/12/09  Group stage 
21  Stuttgart (h), 4-0  17/03/10  Round of 16 second leg  Marseille (a), 3-1  08/12/09 Group stage 
22  Arsenal (h), 4-1 06/04/10  Quarter-final second leg Lyon (h), 1-1  10/03/10  Round of 16 second leg
23  Arsenal (h), 4-1 06/04/10  Quarter-final second leg Milan (h), 2-0  19/10/10  Group stage 
24  Arsenal (h), 4-1 06/04/10  Quarter-final second leg Ajax (a), 4-0  23/11/10 Group stage 
25  Arsenal (h), 4-1 06/04/10  Quarter-final second leg Ajax (a), 4-0  23/11/10  Group stage 
26  Panathinaikos (h), 5-1 14/09/10  Group stage  Auxerre (h), 4-0  08/12/10  Group stage 
27  Panathinaikos (h), 5-1 14/09/10  Group stage  Tottenham (h), 4-0  05/04/11 Quarter-final first leg
28  København (h), 2-0 20/10/10  Group stage  Tottenham (a), 1-0  13/04/11 Quarter-final second leg
29  København (h), 2-0  20/10/10  Group stage  Ajax (h), 3-0  27/09/11  Group stage 
30  København (a), 1-1  02/11/10  Group stage  Lyon (a), 2-0 02/11/11  Group stage 
31  Panathinaikos (a), 3-0 24/11/10  Group stage  Lyon (a), 2-0  02/11/11  Group stage 
32  Arsenal (h), 3-1  08/03/11  Round of 16 second leg CSKA Moskva (a), 1-1 21/02/12  Round of 16 first leg 
33  Arsenal (h), 3-1  08/03/11  Round of 16 second leg CSKA Moskva (h), 4-1  14/03/12 Round of 16 second leg
34  Shakhtar (a), 1-0 12/04/11 Quarter-final second leg CSKA Moskva (h), 4-1 14/03/12 Round of 16 second leg
35  Real Madrid (a), 2-0  27/04/11  Semi-final first leg  APOEL (h), 5-2  04/04/12  Quarter-final second leg
36 Real Madrid (a), 2-0 27/04/11 Semi-final first leg APOEL (h), 5-2 04/04/12 Quarter-final second leg
37  Man United (n), 3-1  28/05/11  Final  Bayern (h), 2-1  25/04/12 Semi-final second leg 
38  BATE (a), 5-0 28/09/11 Group stage  Bayern (h), 2-1  25/04/12 Semi-final second leg 
39  BATE (a), 5-0  28/09/11  Group stage  Man City (h), 3-2  18/09/12 Group stage 
40  Viktoria Plzeň (a), 4-0 01/11/11  Group stage  Ajax (a), 4-1  03/10/12  Group stage 
41  Viktoria Plzeň (a), 4-0  01/11/11  Group stage  Ajax (a), 4-1  03/10/12  Group stage 
42  Viktoria Plzeň (a), 4-0  01/11/11  Group stage  Ajax (a), 4-1 03/10/12  Group stage 
43  Milan (a), 3-2 23/11/11 Group stage Dortmund (a), 1-2 24/10/12 Group stage
44  Leverkusen (a), 3-1  14/02/12  Round of 16 first leg Ajax (h), 4-1 04/12/12 Group stage
45 Leverkusen (h), 7-1 07/03/12 Round of 16 second leg Man United (h), 1-1 13/02/13 Round of 16 first leg
46 Leverkusen (h), 7-1 07/03/12 Round of 16 second leg Man United (a), 2-1 05/03/13 Round of 16 second leg
47 Leverkusen (h), 7-1 07/03/12 Round of 16 second leg Galatasaray (h), 3-0 03/04/13 Quarter-final first leg
48 Leverkusen (h), 7-1 07/03/12 Round of 16 second leg Galatasaray (a), 3-2 09/04/13 Quarter-final second leg
49 Leverkusen (h), 7-1 07/03/12 Round of 16 second leg Galatasaray (a), 3-2 09/04/13 Quarter-final second leg
50 Milan (h), 3-1 03/04/12 Quarter-final second leg Dortmund (a), 1-4 24/04/13 Semi-final first leg
51 Milan (h), 3-1 03/04/12 Quarter-final second leg Galatasaray (a), 6-1  17/09/13 Group stage
52 Spartak Moskva (h), 3-2 19/09/12 Group stage Galatasaray (a), 6-1 17/09/13 Group stage
53  Spartak Moskva (h), 3-2 19/09/12  Group stage  Galatasaray (a), 6-1 17/09/13  Group stage 
54  Celtic (a), 1-2  07/11/12  Group stage  København (h), 4-0 02/10/13  Group stage
55  Spartak Moskva (a), 3-0  20/11/12  Group stage  København (h), 4-0 02/10/13  Group stage 
56  Spartak Moskva (a), 3-0  20/11/12  Group stage  Juventus (h), 2-1  23/10/13  Group stage 
57  Milan (h), 4-0 12/03/13  Round of 16 second leg  Juventus (h), 2-1  23/10/13  Group stage 
58  Milan (h), 4-0  12/03/13  Round of 16 second leg  Juventus (a), 2-2 05/11/13  Group stage 
59  Paris (a), 2-2 02/04/13  Quarter-final first leg  København (a), 2-0 10/12/13  Group stage 
60  Ajax (h), 4-0  18/09/13  Group stage  Schalke (a), 6-1  26/02/14  Round of 16 first leg 
61  Ajax (h), 4-0  18/09/13  Group stage  Schalke (a), 6-1  26/02/14  Round of 16 first leg  
62  Ajax (h), 4-0  18/09/13  Group stage  Schalke (h), 3-1  18/03/14  Round of 16 second leg
63  Milan (a), 1-1  22/10/13  Group stage  Schalke (h), 3-1 18/03/14 Round of 16 second leg
64  Milan (h), 3-1  06/11/13  Group stage  Dortmund (h), 3-0 02/04/14 Quarter-final first leg
65  Milan (h), 3-1  06/11/13  Group stage  Bayern (a), 4-0  29/04/14  Semi-final second leg
66  Man City (a), 2-0  18/02/14  Round of 16 first leg  Bayern (a), 4-0  29/04/14 Semi-final second leg
67  Man City (h), 2-1  12/03/14  Round of 16 second leg  Atlético (n), 4-1 25/05/14  Final 
68  Paris (a), 2-3  30/09/14  Group stage  Basel (h), 5-1 16/09/14  Group stage
69  Ajax (h), 3-1  21/10/14  Group stage  Ludogorets (a), 2-1  01/10/14 Group stage
70  Ajax (a), 2-0  05/11/14  Group stage  Liverpool (a), 3-0 22/10/14  Group stage 
71  Ajax (a), 2-0  05/11/14  Group stage  Basel (a), 1-0  26/11/14 Group stage 
72  APOEL (a), 4-0  25/11/14  Group stage  Ludogorets (h), 4-0  09/12/14 Group stage 
73  APOEL (a), 4-0  25/11/14  Group stage  Schalke (a), 2-0  18/02/15  Round of 16 first leg 
74  APOEL (a), 4-0  25/11/14  Group stage  Schalke (h), 3-4  10/03/15 Round of 16 second leg 
75 Paris (h), 3-1  10/12/14 Group stage  Schalke (h), 3-4 10/03/15  Round of 16 second leg
76 Bayern (h), 3-0 06/05/15 Semi-final first leg Juventus (a), 1-2 05/05/15 Semi-final first leg
77 Bayern (h), 3-0 06/05/15 Semi-final first leg Juventus (h), 1-1 13/05/15 Semi-final second leg
78 Roma (h), 6-1 24/11/15 Group stage Shakhtar (h), 4-0 15/09/15 Group stage
79 Roma (h), 6-1 24/11/15 Group stage Shakhtar (h), 4-0 15/09/15 Group stage
80       Shakhtar (h), 4-0 15/09/15 Group stage
81       Malmö (a), 2-0 30/09/15 Group stage
82       Malmö (a), 2-0 30/09/15 Group stage

 

All stats are group stage to final only.

Please note that the player’s club is always mentioned first in the scorelines, even if they are away from home.

Other UEFA club competition goals:

Messi: FC Porto 2-0 (n), 26/08/2011, UEFA Super Cup; v Sevilla 5-4aet x 2 (n), 11/08/2015, UEFA Super Cup

Ronaldo: Debreceni VSC 3-0 (h) 09/08/05, UEFA Champions League third qualifying round; Sevilla 2-0 x 2 (n), 12/08/2014, UEFA Super Cup

www.uefa.com