Messi equals Raúl's Champions League record
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
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Lionel Messi has equalled Raúl González as the top scorer in UEFA Champions League history with his 71st goal in FC Barcelona's game against AFC Ajax.
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Lionel Messi has equalled Raúl González's record as the top scorer in UEFA Champions League history in FC Barcelona's game against AFC Ajax.
The forward scored his 71st goal in the competition proper, group stage to final, in the 76th minute (his second of the evening) to match the record of former Real Madrid CF striker Raúl. Messi's tally is comfortably the most for a single club.
While it took Raúl 142 UEFA Champions League outings to run up his 71 goals, Messi's appearance against Ajax was his 90th in the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo, who started and ended Madrid's win against Liverpool FC on 70 goals, has featured in the tournament 107 times.
Messi's strike also ensured he joined Raúl and Ronaldo as the joint-top European Cup scorer. Whereas Messi and Raúl's goals all came in the competition proper, Ronaldo found the net for Manchester United FC in the third qualifying round back in 2005. In terms of UEFA club competitions, Raúl remains out in front with 77 goals, four ahead of Ronaldo and five clear of Messi.
UEFA Champions League top scorers (group stage to final)
71 Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
71 Raúl González (Real Madrid CF/FC Schalke 04)
70 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC/Real Madrid CF)
56 Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven/Manchester United FC/Real Madrid CF)
50 Thierry Henry (AS Monaco FC/Arsenal FC/FC Barcelona)
48 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan/Chelsea FC/FC Dynamo Kyiv)
46 Filippo Inzaghi (Juventus/AC Milan)
43 Didier Drogba (Olympique de Marseille/Galatasaray AŞ/Chelsea FC)
42 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)
41Karim Benzema (Olympique Lyonnais/Real Madrid CF)
41 Zlatan Ibrahimović (AFC Ajax/Juventus/FC Internazionale Milano/FC Barcelona/AC Milan/Paris Saint-Germain)
33 Fernando Morientes (Real Madrid CF/AS Monaco FC/Liverpool FC/Valencia CF)
30 Samuel Eto'o (RCD Mallorca/FC Barcelona/FC Internazionale Milano/Chelsea FC)
30 Kaká (Real Madrid CF/AC Milan)
European Cup top scorers
71 Lionel Messi
71 Raúl González
71 Cristiano Ronaldo
60 Ruud van Nistelrooy
59 Andriy Shevchenko
51 Thierry Henry
50 Filippo Inzaghi
49 Alfredo Di Stéfano
47 Eusébio
44 Alessandro Del Piero
43 Didier Drogba
42 Zlatan Ibrahimović
41 Karim Benzema
39 Fernando Morientes
35 Ferenc Puskás
34 Gerd Müller
UEFA club competitions top scorers
77 Raúl González
73 Cristiano Ronaldo
72 Lionel Messi
69 Filippo Inzaghi
65 Andriy Shevchenko
62 Gerd Müller
62 Ruud van Nistelrooy
59 Henrik Larsson
56 Thierry Henry
55 Eusébio
54 Alessandro Del Piero
50 Alfredo Di Stéfano
47 Didier Drogba
47 Samuel Eto'o
47 Carlos Santillana