The UEFA Champions League is considered the world's most prestigious club tournament. The players can become legends with great performances in Europe's top competition. And since scoring goals is considered the most glamorous skill in football, those who find the back of the net consistently can earn legendary status in the game. Talents like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe look like they have what it takes to match the exploits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have left their indelible mark on this elite tournament. Now let's see the list of the players with the Most Champions League Goals in a Season.

Read Also: Real Madrid vs Man City: 1-1 at the Bernebeau sets up a mouth watering clash at the Eithad next week

Ronaldo & Messi's goal-scoring record

At the end of the day, it's the trophy that everyone wants to win. One of the most difficult to win, and arguably the most prestigious honour any team in world football can achieve. Several individuals have dominated this competition like no other.

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest player in the history of the tournament with five titles and 141 goals to his name. A blistering goalscoring record that has left legends of the game miles behind. Lionel Messi is in the second position in terms of scoring with 125 goals. He also has 4 titles to his name.

However, a contender is mounting a claim. The Machine of Manchester City, Erling Haaland made a lightning-fast start to life in the Champions League. Expectations are sky-high that he can challenge the all-time greats in the lists below.

Most Champions League Goals in a Season

1. Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013/14: 17 Goals

The greatest goalscoring season in UEFA Champions League history came in 2013-14 when Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo scored 17 times. He made a huge contribution to their title win. Ronaldo started the season in the best way possible. He scored a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 6-1 away win at Galatasaray on Match Day 1. He went on and struck more six goals in the group stage.

Ronaldo scored 4 goals combine against Schalke in the Round of 16. He also scored in the quarter-final and two in the Semi-Final. He finished off his campaign in style with a 120th-minute strike to seal a 4-1 victory in the final against rivals Atlético Madrid.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo in 2015/16: 16 Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo was one goal away from equalling his own record of goals scored in a Champions League season. He scored 16 times in the 2015-16 campaign on the way to winning the competition with Real Madrid once again. Ronaldo scored 11 goals in the group stage of the 2015-16 edition, which is a record by a single player in a UCL campaign.

Ronaldo yet again opened the season with a hat-trick, this time against Shakhtar Donetsk. He ended the group stage with another brilliant performance, scoring four goals against Malmö FF. The Portuguese didn't score in the final against Atlético Madrid but he did go on to score the winning penalty in the shootout, as Real Madrid picked up the trophy in Milan.

3. Robert Lewandowski in 2019/20: 15 Goals

Lewandowski came into the 2019-20 Champions League final knowing that a goal would see him replicate Ronaldo's feat of scoring in 10 different UCL games in a season. He didn't succeed but Bayern still picked up the trophy with a 1-0 win over PSG in the final. Lewandowski scored in all nine of his games prior to the final (15 goals).

Read Also: Erling Haaland stats in UEFA Champions League 2022/23

Most Champions League Goals in a Season

4. Karim Benzema in 2021/22: 15 Goals

Karim Benzema's 10 goals among the 15 goals in 2021-22 came in the knockout stages of the competition – a joint record alongside Ronaldo in 2016-17. He scored a hat-trick in the second leg of the last 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Benzema smashed another hat-trick in the first leg against Chelsea and a further goal in the quarter-final second leg. He didn't just stop there and went on to score three goals in the two semi-final games against Manchester City. He didn't score in the final versus Liverpool, but Real Madrid still won the title once again.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017/18: 15 Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo's third-highest-scoring UCL season came in 2017-18 at Real Madrid. The Portuguese scored 15 times as Real Madrid went on to win the competition in the final against Liverpool. Ronaldo didn't score in the final but did score in 10 other games that season to equal his own record tally of 10 UCL games scored in within a single season alongside 2013-14.

6. Lionel Messi in 2011/12: 14 Goals

Lionel Messi's best goalscoring season in the Champions League came back in 2011-12. This was a season where Messi broke all sorts of records, with a phenomenal 73 goals in 60 games. He scored 14 of those goals in the UCL, including five in a single match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in March 2012. This remained one of only two occasions that a player has scored five times in a Champions League match, but the only time that they have come in a knockout stage game. After 10 years, Haaland became the joint record holder in the 2022-23 season. Messi's Barcelona side were eventually knocked out in the semi-finals against the 2011-12 winners Chelsea. Messi failed to score in both legs despite attempting 12 shots overall.

Read Also: All-time top goalscorers for Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League

Most Champions League Goals in a Season

7. Robert Lewandowski in 2021/22: 13 Goals

Robert Lewandowski scored 13 goals in his final season as a Bayern Munich player. The Polish striker took 10 games to take his total UCL goal tally to 69 for the Bundesliga Champions. Only Lionel Messi (120 for Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (105 for Real Madrid), and Karim Benzema (74 for Real Madrid) have scored more for a single club in the competition.

Lewandowski looked on to possibly break the UCL season record. He scored nine goals in Bayern's first five matches but their eventual defeat in the quarter-finals against Villarreal denied his chances of scoring more.

8. Erling Haaland in 2022/23: 12 Goals

The phenomenal City striker, Haaland, has been a goal-scoring machine since his transfer from Dortmund. He is currently UEFA Champions League's top goal scorer in the 2022/23 season. He is also the top scorer in Europe. The 22-year-old Manchester City striker is running away with the UCL Golden Boot with 12 goals.

Haaland also became the third player in Champions League history to score five goals in a game as he led Manchester City to a dominating 7-0 victory against RB Leipzig in the second leg of their last-16 tie. He still has a game on his hand to score more or even he can get 2 games in total if Manchester City qualifies for the Final.

9. Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002/03: 12 Goals

Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy was the top scorer, scoring 12 goals over the two group stages and knockout stage, in addition to two goals he had scored in the qualifying phase, although his side bowed out in the quarter-finals and missed out on the chance of playing in a final at their own stadium.

10. Lionel Messi in 2018/19: 12 Goals

FC Barcelona ace Lionel Messi was once again at his best in the UEFA Champions League season 2018-19. The 32-year-old won the season's Golden Boot by scoring 12 goals in 2018-19 including a hat-trick and 3 assists. He scored a brace in the first-leg win (3-0) over Liverpool in the semi-finals. Then the Blaugrana were knocked out of the tournament after they conceded four in the return leg at Anfield.

He Started with an unstoppable free-kick in the 4-0 win over PSV. Messi completed his hat trick in Barcelona's first group game. On matchday two, Messi scored two more in the 4-2 victory over Tottenham. Against PSV again, he was on the scoresheet. A perfectly executed panenka initiated the 5-1 beating handed out to Lyon in the second leg of the Round of 16 at Camp Nou. He also scored a brace against Manchester United at home which left De Gea red-faced after the match. 

Read Also: Most Goals in Champions League 2022-23 Season

Most Champions League Goals in a Season

In the world of football, few clubs stand out like Chelsea FC. Their trophy cabinet tells a story of incredible success, proving that they have truly won it all!

With their recent UEFA Conference League 4-1 victory over Real Betis, Chelsea completed a historic sweep of all major UEFA titles, topping up with their 2nd FIFA Club World Cup title, all in 2025.

Here is trophy cabinet of Chelsea FC that defines their successful journey in the football world. Take a look.

European Royalty: Conquering the Continent

Chelsea have battled across the continent's most prestigious stages and won every major UEFA club trophy, a feat few clubs can claim.

Their crowning achivements including 2 UEFA Champions League titles, notable defeating Bayern Munich [1-1 (4-3 pens)] in 2012 and Manchester City (1-0) in 2021.

Beyond the Champions League, Chelsea also lifted the UEFA Europa League twice (2013, 2019), and the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971, famously against Real Madrid in the replay, and also in 1998.

Additionally, two UEFA Super Cup victories (1998, 2021) further highlight their continental dominance.

The collection was completed with their 2025 UEFA Conference League triumph, where Chelsea FC beat Real Betis 4-1 in the final.

The domestic dominance of Chelsea FC

Beyond their European conquests, they have also established as masters of England by securing highest domestic honors.

The Blues clinched the First Division/Premier League title and impress six times (1955, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2017) along with eight FA Cup victories (1970, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2018). This makes them the competition's most successful team.

Their domestic dominance also extends to League Cup, which they have won five times in the following years: 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2015.

Completing the Set: Global and Historic Honors

Chelsea's trophy cabinet truly lives upto the "won it all" status by having a collection of unique, historical, and global titles.

The FIFA Club World Cup win over Palmeiras (2-1) in 2021, made them only London club to win the Champions League as well as the FIFA Club World Cup. More recently, they added their 2nd CWC title after a dominating 3-0 victory over PSG in 2025.

Further adding to their phenomenal collection are four Charity/Community Shield triumphs (1955, 2000, 2005, 2009), which mark their traditional early-season dominance.

As we move down to the final count, Chelsea also holds two Full Members' Club Victories (1986, 1990).

A look at Chelsea's Trophy Cabinet:

What does it truly mean to be a world champion club? The FIFA Club World Cup provides the answer, pitting the best against one another in a quest for global dominance.

As the 21st edition of Club World Cup concluded with Chelsea lifting the title after a dominating 3-0 victory over PSG, it is time to look back at the history of this tournament.

This article will explore all the past winners, top scorers, most successful teams, all at once.

FIFA Club World Cup: Past Winners

The FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament designed to crown the world's best club team, first took place in 2000. It then paused for several years, from 2001 through 2004, before returning as an annual event.

Now, 2025 marked the beginning of an entirely new era for the Club World Cup, featuring an expanded format and a fresh vision for global club football. Chelsea FC, with an incredibly successful campaign, stood victorious in this format.

Check out the past winners list below:

FIFA Club World Cup: Top Scorers

Here comes the elite list where individual dominance shines:

FIFA Club World Cup: Most Successful Teams

Real Madrid holds the tag of most successful team in FIFA Club World Cup history with 5 titles. Check out the other clubs that follow:

• Real Madrid: 5 wins
• Barcelona: 3 wins
• Bayern Munich: 2 wins
• Corinthians: 2 wins
• Chelsea: 2 wins

Free kicks or set pieces are one of the most effective methods to score a goal. However, it is also the hardest thing in football. But be it from outside the box or 30 yards from the box, free-kicks are one of the most beautiful things to watch in football when done correctly.

In this article, today we will list the player with the most free-kick goals in football history. 

Who has scored the most free-kick goals?

This is a regular question asked in football quizzes. To give your answer, it is Juninho Pernambucano from Brazil who has scored the most free-kick goals. He has scored 77 free-kick goals in his career.

Most Free-Kick Goals: Messi or Ronaldo?

Whenever one discusses any football record, you can not leave Messi and Ronaldo out of it. At least, the fans can not leave it out. So, who has scored the most free-kick goals? Messi or Ronaldo?

Lionel Messi has overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of the most free-kick goals scored. Messi now has 69 free-kick goals, whereas Cristiano has 64 free-kick goals.

Read Also: Messi vs Ronaldo: Longest goal-scoring streak

If we break down the records of both Messi and Ronaldo, Messi has only 5 Champions League goals from the dead ball, and Ronaldo has 12. Messi has scored 58 free-kick goals in his club career, while Ronaldo has 53 against his name.

Read Also: 10 Most FA Cup Winners List: FA Cup in detail

Most Free-kick goals in the Premier League

The Premier League is said to be one of the toughest places to play football. Many greats have failed in the Premier League; however, many have flourished in the league as a legend of the game.

David Beckham has scored the most goals by a free-kick in Premier League history. He has scored as many as 18 times from the dead ball in his Premier League career.

Here is the list of players with the most free-kick goals in the Premier League-

1. David Beckham - 18 goals
2. James Ward-Prowse - 17 goals
3. Cristiano Ronaldo - 12 goals
4. Thierry Henry - 12 goals
5. Gianfranco Zola - 12 goals

Read Also: Most Free-Kick Goals In Premier League

Top 10: Most Free-kick Goals In Football History

#1 Juninho Pernambucano - 77 free-kick goals

Known as the magnificent 7, Juninho was the best when it came to scoring from a dead-ball situation. The former Olympique Lyonnais legend and midfielder scored as many as 77 goals from set-pieces. Juninho is considered the greatest free-kick taker of all time.

He was also the inventor of the knuckle-ball technique shoots as well.

#2 Pele - 70 free-kick goals

The king of football, Pele, has scored 70 goals from set pieces. Pele could bend the ball both ways with fierce power.

Moreover, his immense game knowledge to out-think the goalkeeper helped him net the ball more often than not. The Brazilian striker's 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which include friendlies, are recognised as a Guinness World Record.

#3 Lionel Messi: 69 Free-kick goals

There is hardly any top 10 attacking list or record in football where you will not find the Argentine maestro, Lionel Messi. Although before 2014, Messi was not considered prolific from the dead ball, he has just proved everyone wrong with his free-kick record since then.

Till now, the Argentinian legend has scored 69 free-kick goals. 58 of those have come for the clubs he has played and 11 for Argentina.

More than that, Messi now has scored a free-kick in every 16.1 match, which speaks volumes for his accuracy from the dead-ball position.

El mejor de todos los tiempos 🎯😮‍💨 #Messi pic.twitter.com/51pkfmbAVW

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 13, 2025

#4 Víctor Legrotaglie - 66 free-kick goals

The Argentine from the 1970s is considered to be the greatest player in Mendoza football. Along with his stunning shooting ability, Victor was known for his 12 Olympic Goals for Argentina as well. There is a stadium named after him in Argentina.

#5 Ronaldinho- 66 free-kick goals

The magician from Brazil was brilliant from any position. Ronaldinho had everything as a footballer. Hence, having the skill to net the ball from a distance was also in his armoury. The Brazilian legend scored 66 goals from set-pieces in his career.

Also Read: Top 10 highest scoring midfielders in the 21st century: Football facts

#6 David Beckham: 65 Free-kick goals

The famous phrase, "Bend it like Beckham", suggests how good Beckham was when it came to scoring from a free-kick. Beckham scored 65 goals from set-pieces in his career. His free-kick to take England to the 2002 FIFA World Cup is still cherished as one of the best moments in English football.

Read Also: Erling Haaland: Top 10 fastest to 20 UEFA Champions League goals

#7 Cristiano Ronaldo - 64 free-kick goals

With his latest free-kick goal in the Saudi Pro League 2024 against Al-Fayha FC, Ronaldo has now moved to the seventh position in the most free-kick goals list. The Portuguese legend now has 64 free-kick goals against his name. With this free-kick goal, Ronaldo now has scored a free-kick goal every season since 2003-04.

Ronaldo till now has scored 53 free-kick goals for the clubs he has featured for and 11 for his national team, Portugal. He has now scored a free-kick in every 20.0 games.

#8 Diego Maradona- 62 free-kick goals

The legend of Argentine football is one of the best in the history of the game. Maradona scored nearly 20% of his career goals with free-kicks. His free-kick against Juventus for Napoli is known as the 'Divine Free-Kick'. Diego scored 62 goals from set pieces in his career.

#9 Zico - 62 free-kick goals

Brazilian legend Zico scored 62 free-kick goals in his career. He was very accurate in his shooting skills. Zico is considered one of the world's best players of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The attacking midfielder was very accurate with his kicks. Along with his accuracy, his languid run-up was very famous in his era.

Read Also: Defenders who have won the Ballon d'Or award

#10 Ronald Koeman- 60 goals

The former Barcelona player and manager is known as one of the highest-scoring defenders of all time. The Dutch defensive midfielder also had his share of success with Ajax.

Koeman has scored nearly 25% of his goals with free-kicks. He is one of the high-scoring defenders in his era. Koeman scored 215 goals in his career and is one of the highest-scoring defenders ever.

#11 Rogerio Ceni - 59 goals

To the shock of everyone, Ceni was a goalkeeper and he has scored 59 goals from dead-ball situations in his career. Ceni is the highest-scoring goalkeeper in the history of the game. He has scored 131 goals in his career.

Except for one goal, all of them came from penalties and free-kicks. The Brazilian played for 25 years, most of that for São Paulo.

Read Also: Goals by Goalkeepers: Top 5 Highest scoring goalkeepers

12. Marcelinho - 59 goals

Marcelinho is nicknamed "Pé-de-Anjo" for his accuracy with free-kicks. The attacking midfielder from Brazil has collected more trophies with Corinthians than any other player in their history. However, Marcelinho failed to feature in any World Cup matches for Brazil. Marcelinho has 505 goals in his career.

Note: States are accurate as of 13th July, 2025.

Current UEFA Champions League winners PSG thrashed and humiliated 2024 UEFA Champions League winner Real Madrid by 4-0 to enter the final of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. PSG will now face Chelsea in the final on 13th July.

Fabian Ruiz scored a brace for the club from France, while Ousmane Dembele and Goncalo Ramos scored the other two goals for them. Real Madrid legend and six-time Champions League winner with the Los Blancos, Luka Modric, played his last game for the club. 

What happened in the match?

Luis Enrique had to name a team without Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez, who were suspended for two games for their red cards in the game against FC Bayern Munich. However, after the win against Bayern, the Parisians looked confident to face Real Madrid. 

First half

PSG had a flying start as they scored as many as three goals within the first 25 minutes of the game. The first goals came within the first ten minutes of the semi-final. 

Fabian Ruiz started the goal fest for them. After two nearly missed chances, PSG finally converted as Dembele won the ball from Raul Asencio inside the box and managed to find Ruiz, who opened the scoring in the 6th minute. 

Three minutes later, Dembele, one of the contenders for Ballon d'Or 2025, turned goal scorer as he snatched the ball away from Antonio Rudiger inside the box and found the back of the net easily. 

After the first two mistakes, Real Madrid could not bounce back. In the 24th minute, Ruiz scored his second of the game, as Dembele proved to be the main man for the Parisians. 

In the counterattack attack the Frenchmen initiated the attack, finding Hakimi with a cross, who found an unmarked Ruiz for the third goal of the match. 

Read Also | FIFA Club World Cup: Past Winners, Top Scores, Most Successful Teams

Second half

In the second half, the game slowed a bit, and Real Madrid tried to find gaps through the PSG defence, but failed.

Mbappe's shot in the 52nd minute went over the goal, while Valverde's attempt in the 72nd minute was blocked by Beraldo. Apart from those two occasions, Xabi Alonso's men could not provide any genuine chances in the second half. 

During the final minutes of the game, Goncalo Ramos put the final nail in the coffin. In the 87th minute, Ramos made a quick turn and found the net after receiving a pass from Barcola. 

A lovely tribute from Goncalo Ramos to his former international team-mate, Diogo Jota, with the imitation of his video game celebration.#PSGRMA | #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/LHDShOW1G1

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) July 9, 2025

When the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final will be played?

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final will now take place between PSG and Chelsea at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on 14th July, 12.30 am Indian Standard Time. 

Cristiano Ronaldo chose not to attend his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva's funeral on Saturday. This sparked headlines and speculations.

However, as per the Portuguese media, A Bola, Cristiano Ronaldo did not want "excessive attention" at a time when he wanted Jota's family to have more peace and discretion. 

According to them, the Portuguese National team captain had a direct conversation with Diogo Jota’s partner, Rute Cardoso, and was also in contact with Jota’s parents after the incident. 

During this tough time for Jota's family, Ronaldo wanted to show empathy and grieve in private to eliminate any media hysteria, which could have been "more harmful than beneficial."

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When Ronaldo was absent during the funeral, Rúben Neves and João Cancelo made a long trip from the USA to pay tribute and carry the coffin of their teammate Diogo Jota at Igreja Matriz de Gondomar. 

Manchester City star Bernardo Silva and Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot were also there at the funeral. Most of the Liverpool FC players and staff were at the funeral as except for goalkeeper Allison Becker, who sent a special letter to Jota and Andre on social media.

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