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Ronaldo, Messi ... who's the next best Champions League scorer?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are on a different planet when it comes to UEFA Champions League goals but can you name their nearest challenger among current players?

Ronaldo, Messi ... who's the next best Champions League scorer?
Ronaldo, Messi ... who's the next best Champions League scorer? ©UEFA.com

The Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi race for supremacy has dominated the elite football landscape over the past decade, not least in the UEFA Champions League.

Ronaldo became the first man to reach a century of goals in the competition last season and it seems a question of when – not if – Messi will emulate him this term. Between them they have 208 UEFA Champions League goals, almost as many as the next five players combined!

But who is their closest pursuer?

Karim Benzema celebrating last season
Karim Benzema celebrating last season©AFP/Getty Images

Step forward Karim Benzema, the only other current player to have passed 50 UEFA Champions League goals. It is nearly 12 years since the Frenchman marked his competition debut with a goal as Lyon beat Rosenborg and he has scored consistently ever since – well, at least until his present eight-match drought.

Behind him the injured Zlatan Ibrahimović, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller all have 40 or more strikes – then there is a big gap to the next group of players. The lone candidate in the top ten aged 25 or under is Neymar, with 25 goals. Paris team-mate Kylian Mbappé, 18, already has eight.

All-time top scorers among current players
 111 Cristiano Ronaldo (age: 32)
 97 Lionel Messi (30)
 51 Karim Benzema (29)
 48 Zlatan Ibrahimović (36)
 41 Robert Lewandowski (29)
 40 Thomas Müller (28)
 29 Sergio Agüero (29)
 29 Edinson Cavani (30)
 29 Arjen Robben (33)
 25 Neymar (25)
 19 Cesc Fàbregas (30)
 19 Luis Suárez (30)
 19 Gonzalo Higuaín (29)

All-time top scorers
111 Cristiano Ronaldo
 97 Lionel Messi
71 Raúl González
56 Ruud van Nistelrooy
 51 Karim Benzema
50 Thierry Henry