As the UEFA Champions League 2018-19 Group Stage draw comes to a close, the return of the tournament is just around the corner where top European clubs will battle it out to be the best team in Europe.
The tournament is in its 29th season since re-branding from the old European Cup. It has witnessed some of the finest goalscorers to have ever played the sport.
Here's a list of the top 10 goal scorers in Champions League history (excluding qualifications).
#10 Robert Lewandowski - 45 goals
The Polish international is one of the most prolific strikers in the world currently. He is yet to win the Champions League, but that didn't stop him from banging in goals season after season.
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Lewandowski scored ten goals en route to the 2013 final against Bayern Munich where his former club Dortmund lost 2-1. Apart from that, he scored seven more goals for Dortmund and then went on to score 28 more with his present club Bayern Munich.
#9 Filippo Inzaghi - 46 goals
In his first 26 appearances, Inzaghi scored 17 goals with Juventus which includes a hat-trick against Dynamo Kiev in the quarterfinals in 1998. His two goals in the final against Liverpool in 2007 was one the classic matches of his illustrious career.
The Italian forward appeared in the Champions League with two different clubs - Juventus and AC Milan.
#8 Andriy Shevchenko - 48 goals
Andriy Shevchenko won the league back in 2003, but his memorable seasons were 1998/99 and 2005/06 where he reached the semi-finals both the times scoring eight and nine goals for Dynamo Kyiv and AC Milan respectively.
The Ukrainian's tally of 48 goals came as a result of his appearances in the tournament with three different clubs - Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan and Chelsea.
#7 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 48 goals
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is known for his wonder strikes. Back in 2002, he scored a brace in his Champions League debut. After that, he has gone on to score another 46 times over the next 14 years.
He appeared in the tournament representing seven different clubs more than anyone else in this list. His first appearance was with Ajax and then he went on to appear for Juventus, Internazionale Milano, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.
#6 Thierry Henry - 50 goals
Thierry Henry scored seven times in his first season in the Champions League in 1997/98, the stats which surprisingly he could not replicate again. However, during his entire career, he was always relied upon to find the back of the net.
He appeared in the tournament with three different clubs, Monaco, Arsenal and Barcelona. He finally went on to win the Champions League in the year 2009 with Barcelona.
#5 Ruud van Nistelrooy - 56 goals
Nistelrooy was the Champions League top scorer in the years 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05 for Manchester United. He scored 12 goals in the 2002-03 campaign for the Red Devils. Three consecutive years in the top scorer spot is more than enough to establish his qualities as a goalscorer.
Before Manchester United, he also appeared in the league with PSV Eindhoven, and after United, he went on to appear for Real Madrid. Finally finishing his career with an impressive tally of 56 goals.
#4 Karim Benzema - 56 goals
Benzema never gets the credit for his contribution to Real Madrid, but the striker has been instrumental in the club's success in the Champions League in recent times.
He is the fourth highest scorer in the tournament and has never scored less than four goals in a single season. In his initial days, he also appeared in the league as a player for Lyon.
#3 Raul - 71 goals
With a tally of 71 goals, Raul was the Champions League all-time top scorer for many years. He scored a hat-trick in his debut, and is also a three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid.
He later also went on to appear in the tournament as a player for Schalke 04.
#2 Lionel Messi - 100 goals
Lionel Messi has scored exactly 100 goals in the Champions League since his debut in the 2004-05 season. He hasn't looked back yet and won the trophy four times in his career. He is the only player in the list to appear in the tournament with just one club - Barcelona.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 120 goals
Ronaldo has been the top scorer in five of the last six season in the Champions League. In 2013-14 season, he made a record of 17 goal tally which makes him the most prolific marksman in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
His quality is evident from his consistency. He is a five time champion, his first one with Manchester United in 2008 and the next four with Real Madrid starting in 2014 and then three consecutive years in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Conclusion
This year four of the players from this list will appear in the league once again giving them a chance to build upon their tally. Cristiano Ronaldo will appear for Juventus where he will face his former club Manchester United in the group stage. Messi, Benzema and Lewandowski will also appear for Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.
