Real Madrid created all kinds of history as they defeated Juventus 4-1 on Saturday in Cardiff, Wales.
Of course, Zinedine Zidane notably led his side to become the first of the Champions League era to claim the trophy in successive seasons. It was also the 12th time in all that they have won the historic cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who was their shining light once again, scored twice, while Casemiro and Sergio Asensio were also on target as their opponents fell apart.
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The Portuguese’s first goal brought up a historic mark for the Bernabeu side as they became the first team in the competition’s history to score 500 times.
Also read: Champions League Final: List of records and milestones as Real Madrid seal 12th title
Their opponents, meanwhile, do not even register in the top five. Mario Mandzukic’s admittedly stunning consolation was the 264th of their time in the world’s premier club competition.
Here are the five teams with the most Champions League goals since the competition was switched to the modern format in 1992-93.
#5 Arsenal (281 goals)
Arsenal’s two-decade run of reaching the Champions League will come to an end next season due to their failure to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season. Arsene Wenger, however, has achieved great things with the North Londoners in the last 20 years, making them arguably the most consistent performers in the whole of Europe over that timeframe.
Unfortunately for Gunners, that has all too often meant exits at the quarter-final or even last-16 stage. The closest they came to lifting the competition was back in 2006, when they took the lead over Barcelona in the final in Paris, only to be undone by the Catalans late on as Juliano Belletti got the winner after Samuel Eto’o had levelled in the 76th minute.
Thierry Henry has been the top contributor to their tally, having scored 42 times.
#4 Manchester United (350 goals)
Manchester United may not have been involved in the Champions League this season, instead completing their set of European trophies by winning the Europa League, yet they are still England’s top-scoring side in the competition.
That will come as little surprise, as they have been the dominant force in the Premier League for much of the past 25 years, during which time they thrived particularly under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Old Trafford side have also been England’s outstanding performers on the continental stage, reaching the final on three occasions and winning it twice.
Ruud van Nistelrooy is their leading marksman in the competition since the inception of the Champions League, having scored 35 times – four more than Wayne Rooney and eight more than Ryan Giggs.
#3 Bayern Munich (415 goals)
Germany’s powerhouse side have been outstanding performers in the Champions League over the years. Only twice in the last 11 years have Bayern Munich failed to reach the quarter-finals of the blue riband event, while they have reached the final on three occasions over that timespan, memorably defeating Dortmund in the 2012-13 edition to become European champions.
That was the second time they claimed the trophy since 1992-93, having lifted the crown in 2000-01, when they defeated Valencia on penalties.
Their leading marksman during this period has been Thomas Muller, who has 39 to his credit.
#2 Barcelona (459 goals)
Behind Clasico rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona are the most successful side in the Champions League era, winning the title on four occasions.
Remarkably, they have failed to make even the semi-finals in three of the last four season, but their ability to consistently make it to the final stages of the competition means that they are the second top scorers in the tournament’s history.
There are no prizes for guessing who their top scorer in the competition is: Lionel Messi has scored 94 times. The Argentine bagged two hat-tricks in the group stages this term, notching those against Manchester City and Celtic, but his personal tally lags behind that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
#1 Real Madrid (503 goals)
Real Madrid became the first team to touch the 500-goal barrier in the competition on Saturday when Cristiano Ronaldo swept them into the lead in the first half. Although Juve hit back, the attacking power of Zinedine Zidane’s men proved too much in the second period, with Casemiro, Ronaldo and Sergio Asensio all hitting the net.
It was a formidable display from Europe’s greatest side, who have now won the trophy in three of the last four seasons. In fact, given their dominance in the competition and that they have now won it six times in the last 21 years, it is a little surprising that their lead in this ranking is not higher.
Not only are Madrid the most prolific team, they also boast the most prolific player, with Cristiano Ronaldo having notched over 100 European goals in his career. 90 of these have come in the Champions League with Real Madrid, easily surpassing the great Raul, who is next on the list with 66.
