Champions League goalscoring milestones: Haaland quickest to 40

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi set a series of goalscoring milestones in their decade-plus of dominance in European football, but while they remain the only players to have scored 100 UEFA Champions League goals, some of their other records in the world's elite club competition are looking vulnerable.

Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland have their sights on establishing new marks as they set out their stall to be the top strikers of the 2020s. Haaland became the latest to set a new landmark, reaching 40 goals in the competition in less games and at a younger age than any other player, during Manchester City's Matchday 5 win against Leipzig in the 2023/24 season.

• Mbappé's Matchday 1 strike for new club Real Madrid in 2024/25 made it 49 goals in 75 Champions League games, keeping alive his outside chance of matching Messi's record of 60 in his first 80 matches.
• Haaland has scored 42 goals in 41 Champions League games, becoming the fastest player to both 30 goals, surpassing the previous best of Ruud van Nistelrooy, who reached that tally in 34 games, and 40, in 35 games – ten less than the Dutchman.
• Robert Lewandowski's only record so far is that he scored his first 80 Champions League goals in 100 games (two fewer than it took Messi to reach the same mark).

Fewest appearances to reach 20 Champions League goals

14: Erling Haaland
24: Harry Kane
26: Alessandro Del Piero
27: Ruud van Nistelrooy
28: Filippo Inzaghi
32: Mario Gomez
33: Rivaldo
33: Jardel
34: Karim Benzema
35: Marco Simone

Youngest players to reach 20 Champions League goals

Erling Haaland: 20 years 231 days
Kylian Mbappé: 21 years 355 days
Lionel Messi: 22 years 266 days
Raúl González: 22 years 297 days
Rodrygo: 23 years 99 days
Alessandro Del Piero: 23 years 157 days
Karim Benzema: 23 years 282 days
Wayne Rooney: 24 years 157 days
Thomas Müller: 24 years 159 days
Andriy Shevchenko: 24 years 165 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 24 years 306 days

• Haaland's Champions League stats
• Mbappé's Champions League stats

Fewest appearances to reach 30 Champions League goals

25: Erling Haaland
34: Ruud van Nistelrooy
45: Harry Kane
46: Robert Lewandowski
48: Lionel Messi
49: Neymar
49: Edinson Cavani
49: Filippo Inzaghi
50: Karim Benzema
51: Kylian Mbappé
56: Didier Drogba
57: Raúl González

Youngest players to reach 30 Champions League goals

Erling Haaland: 22 years 236 days
Kylian Mbappé: 22 years 352 days
Lionel Messi: 23 years 131 days
Raúl González: 24 years 91 days
Karim Benzema: 25 years 105 days
Thomas Müller: 26 years 3 days
Thierry Henry: 26 years 206 days
Neymar: 26 years 240 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 26 years 270 days
Ruud van Nistelrooy: 26 years 296 days
Robert Lewandowski: 27 years 110 days

• All-time Champions League top scorers
• Ronaldo and Messi: Goal for goal

Fewest appearances to reach 40 Champions League goals

35: Erling Haaland
45: Ruud van Nistelrooy
59: Kylian Mbappé
61: Lionel Messi
61: Robert Lewandowski
65: Neymar
67: Karim Benzema
69: Filippo Inzaghi
72: Andriy Shevchenko
72: Sergio Agüero
73: Thierry Henry

Youngest players to reach 40 Champions League goals

Erling Haaland: 23 years 130 days
Kylian Mbappé: 23 years 317 days
Lionel Messi: 24 years 130 days
Raúl González: 25 years 258 days
Karim Benzema: 26 years 307 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 27 years 241 days
Thomas Müller: 28 years 35 days
Ruud van Nistelrooy: 28 years 125 days
Thierry Henry: 28 years 188 days
Robert Lewandowski: 28 years 240 days
Neymar: 28 years 308 days

• How brilliant is Lewandowski?

Fewest appearances to reach 50 Champions League goals

62: Ruud van Nistelrooy
66: Lionel Messi
77: Robert Lewandowski
88: Karim Benzema
91: Cristiano Ronaldo
97: Raúl González
103: Thierry Henry
130: Thomas Müller

Youngest players to reach 50 Champions League goals

Lionel Messi: 24 years 284 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 28 years 78 days
Raúl González: 28 years 93 days
Karim Benzema: 28 years 354 days
Robert Lewandowski: 30 years 98 days
Ruud van Nistelrooy: 31 years 79 days
Thierry Henry: 31 years 234 days
Thomas Müller: 32 years 86 days

Fewest appearances to reach 60 Champions League goals

80: Lionel Messi
85: Robert Lewandowski
98: Cristiano Ronaldo
111: Karim Benzema
115: Raúl González

Youngest players to reach 60 Champions League goals

Lionel Messi: 26 years 86 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 29 years 21 days
Raúl González: 30 years 237 days
Karim Benzema: 31 years 56 days
Robert Lewandowski: 31 years 97 days

• Messi's favourite opponents
• Ronaldo's favourite opponents

Fewest appearances to reach 70 Champions League goals

90: Lionel Messi
93: Robert Lewandowski
106: Cristiano Ronaldo
126: Karim Benzema
139: Raúl González

Youngest players to reach 70 Champions League goals

Lionel Messi: 27 years 134 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 29 years 259 days
Robert Lewandowski: 32 years 74 days
Karim Benzema: 33 years 87 days
Raúl González: 33 years 282 days

Fewest appearances to reach 80 Champions League goals

100: Robert Lewandowski
102: Lionel Messi
116: Cristiano Ronaldo
138: Karim Benzema

Youngest players to reach 80 Champions League goals

Lionel Messi: 28 years 168 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 30 years 222 days
Robert Lewandowski: 33 years 73 days
Karim Benzema: 34 years 108 days

Fewest appearances to reach 90 Champions League goals

109: Lionel Messi
110: Robert Lewandowski
123: Cristiano Ronaldo
149: Karim Benzema

Youngest players to reach 90 Champions League goals

Lionel Messi: 29 years 130 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 31 years 32 days
Robert Lewandowski: 34 years 52 days
Karim Benzema: 34 years 114 days

Fewest appearances to reach 100 Champions League goals

123: Lionel Messi
137: Cristiano Ronaldo

Youngest players to reach 100 Champions League goals

Lionel Messi: 30 years 263 days
Cristiano Ronaldo: 32 years 72 days