Olympique Lyonnais have been handed a provisional relegation from Ligue 1 and a transfer ban following the club's alarming financial situation. The decision was taken by France football's financial supervisor DNGC (National Directorate of Management Control) after the said ruling on Friday.

Lyon is currently positioned 5th in the Ligue 1 with 18 points in 11 games but if the club fails to improve their accounts by the end of the season, they will be demoted to the second division Ligue 2 regardless of their league finish this season. They will also be banned from signing any new player in the upcoming transfer window in January.

🚨⚠️ Official: Olympique Lyonnais have been handed a provisional Ligue 2 relegation.

It also includes a transfer BAN due to their financial situation. pic.twitter.com/jTEsT3nYb3

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 15, 2024

The LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnel) has also confirmed that Lyon's payroll will be under supervision. After Lyon co-owner John Textor and other club officials appeared before DNCG in the hearing held earlier this day, the LFP confirmed that Lyon will be sanctioned with "supervision of the payroll and ban on recruiting, demotion as a precautionary measure at the end of the current sports season."

The woes that continue

The 7-time French champions Olympique Lyonnais was purchased by John Textor in 2023 who is the chairman of Eagle Football Group. He also owns the English Premier League side Crystal Palace and holds the largest share of Brazilian outfit Botafogo. 

The Eagle Football Group's French wing published a financial statement last week that the John Textor-owned company is in a debt of €463.8 million. Despite their reduction in net losses, the debt is about to rise to almost €500 million.

Eagle Football Group published 1Q 2024/25 revenue, with revenue excluding player trading increasing (vs 1Q 2023/24) by €4m to €37m but player sales decreasing by €61m to €30m. pic.twitter.com/G5so1yFwWj

— Greg Cordell (@gregorypcordell) November 15, 2024

Lyon's financial state worsened due to the club's huge salary cap as Lyon has reportedly the second-largest wage bill in Ligue 1 despite their failure to finish in the top four since 2020-21. 

However, DNCG has addressed the situation with a firm stance and scrutinized the situation. The John Textor-owned Eagle Football Group has time until the end of the season to raise funds and stabilize the club's financial condition as well as deny their relegation to the second division.

The fact that Girondins Bordeaux was handed relegation to the 4th tier of French Football following similar proceedings in 2023 may worry the owners and officials of Olympique Lyonnais. 

John Textor's statement

John Textor addressed the issue in the press conference after the hearing ended. He stated:

"I am confident in our figures, and we will bring in several hundred million in cash over the coming months,"

"We earn about €90 million per year from player sales. This will continue, but do not worry, it will not be your favorite player, the best player, if we do not have someone to replace them and perform even better."

However, the American businessman expressed his dissatisfaction over the proceeding, the pressure from outside, and their 'enemies'.

❤️💙📉🇫🇷 John Textor (rétrogradé à titre conservatoire avec Lyon) a toujours la rage contre le PSG ! Pauvres supporters lyonnais 👀 pic.twitter.com/8nU64QPAPn

— Paris No Limit (@Xparisnolimit) November 15, 2024

"The local auditors only looked at the French football club and did not consider the hundreds of millions of dollars coming from various parts of our organization. We are not at all worried about our sustainability."

"I can never be confident in the way a regulatory body considers these things. I believe that the DNCG is independent of some of the pressures that you see, But we have a lot of enemies, you know, on the board of directors, in the league, a big club from Qatar."

The next steps

Olympique Lyonnais will have to offload their highly-anticipated youngsters; such as 21-year-old French midfielder Ryan Cherki and 19-year-old Malick Fofana to generate revenues and reduce the salary cap. The said players are expected to be put on the market by the Club in the upcoming winter transfer window in January 2025. 

John Texter has reportedly decided to sell the 45% share he holds in PL side Crystal Palace and sell some other shares the Group holds in different clubs. Any measure that generates revenues will be beneficial for the French side as they must raise enough funds to avoid the sanction.

Olympique Lyonnais manager Paulo Fonseca has been suspended with a nine-month ban from football after his furious argument with match referee Benoit Millot, during Lyon's 2-1 victory against Brest on Sunday, March 2nd.

INSANE head-loss from #Lyon manager Paolo #Fonseca !🤯 He is now facing a potential 7 MONTH ban!pic.twitter.com/1bCQUe9E7a

— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) March 3, 2025

Fonseca's side was winning that match with a 2-1 lead over Brest on Sunday. Despite Lyon being the winner of the match, Paulo Fonseca left fuming with the match official in the last stages of the game and was sent off for his shocking outburst on the officials.

As a result of his action, Fonseca has been slammed with a nine-month ban and will be prohibited from accessing the bench, the dressing rooms, the officials, and participating in any official event before, during, or after matches until November 30th.

The French Professional Football League (LFP) declared an official statement on Wednesday, stating, "Fonseca will be barred from accessing the bench, the officials' dressing rooms, and participating in any official functions before, during, or after matches until November 30."

This unprecedented and shocking punishment will see the club forced to play without their manager on the touchline for the rest of this season and until several months into the 2025-26 campaign as well.

The official LFP statement

The official LFP statement is as stated as the following:

24th day of Ligue 1 McDonald's: Olympique Lyonnais – Stade Brestois 29 of Sunday March 2, 2025
Behavior of Mr. Paulo FONSECA, coach of Olympique Lyonnais. 

Firm suspension before, during and after the match of access to the bench, the officials' locker rooms and all official functions, until November 30, 2025 inclusive. 

In addition, until September 15, 2025 inclusive, this suspension will be accompanied before, during and after the match, by a ban on access to the players' locker rooms, the pitch, the tunnel and all corridors leading to the aforementioned areas.

The sanction takes effect immediately.

What happened?

After coming from 1-0 down to take a 2-1 lead, it looked like Lyon would surrender a share of points when Millot awarded a penalty to Brest in the last minutes of the game due to a handball.

After a VAR check, the decision was overturned, but that did not stop Paulo Fonseca, who had furiously confronted the referee and received a red card for his troubles.

He did not stop fuming after the card and appeared to push his head into that of the Millot's and he was dragged away by some of his players.

After only 5 games in charge, Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca has been served a 9-month ban.

Was the punishment too extreme? pic.twitter.com/yNXhAw0TQ1

— Terrible Football (@TerribleFutbol) March 5, 2025

Millot found Fonseca's behaviour "intimidating", as told French sports daily L'Equipe:

I didn’t even have time to announce the final decision, which turned out to be not awarding a penalty,

"There seemed to be a slight contact of the nose, to be precise.

"It was a particularly intimidating, aggressive attitude, which one can hardly imagine from a professional coach.

Following this incident, Fonseca apologized for his actions and acknowledged that he was wrong to react in the manner which he did. Speaking to DAZN, with quotes shared via ESPN, he said:

I just want to say that I am sorry for what I did. I should not do it. Maybe we do things that are not right. I am Sorry,

Fonseca also wrote a letter to match officials to express his remorse. Lyon owner John Textor also praised Fonseca for his acknowledgment of his own mistake. He posted on his social media: 

“I stand with you today, and always. You made a mistake…Your apology was sincere…and your punishment is clearly too severe. You are the right man for OL and we shall persevere.”

However, Lyon published an official press release regarding his incident, denouncing the 'severity' of the sanction. The official statement said:

Olympique Lyonnais acknowledges the extreme severity of the unprecedented sanction, and the unusual speed, of the disciplinary committee concerning Paulo Fonseca.

The club deplores that its coach was not judged on his actions alone, an emotional reaction, without any clear intention of physically attacking the referee. 
In light of a sanction that seems to be dictated by a deleterious context affecting French refereeing, OL announces from now on that it is studying all possible solutions for appeal. More than ever, the club is united and focused on its sporting objectives.

With Lyon currently sitting sixth in Ligue 1, they have an outside chance of landing the UEFA Champions League football this season. The French will be forced to do so without their manager now.

Football in 2024 includes creating milestones, late dramas, superb goals, and glorious comebacks. It was a year to remember for football fans around the world. But the excitement doesn't stop here, as there are more to come in 2025 in terms of the biggest and most popular football matches are concerned. So, hurry up! Mark down the key dates in your calendar.

Here are the key dates of the biggest and most popular matches in 2025, including fierce derbies and the games that could change the respective league table entirely or result in promotions in the coming months are as follows:

Biggest Football Matches in January 2025: 

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United, a thrilling contest!!

Nottingham Forest are looking sharp! And they are definitely aiming to beat Liverpool fc at home on 14th January, to remain active in the title challenge race. Elsewhere, in Champions League top European Clubs will battle for the ultimate European glory. Manchester City and PSG are odds to be relegated, and Atletico Madrid could overtake Bayer Leverkusen and confirm their place in the next round.

Read Also | Liverpool vs Manchester United Highlights | An improved United take a point away from Liverpool in a record night for Salah

UEFA Europa League could also provide shocks as Rangers might surpass struggling Man United and confirm their berth for the next round if they manage to beat Red Devils, and Galatasaray could find themselves below Ajax in the table if Ajax manages to beat them.

From the Cup's point of view, Arsenal will face Manchester United in an F.A. Cup encounter and again the Gunners will go face to face with mighty New Castle United at the Carabao Cup Semi-final 1st leg on 8th January, and Tottenham will go head-to-head against Liverpool on 9th January. On 15th January, Tottenham will face Arsenal, in a high-voltage North-London Derby.

Key Dates of the Biggest Football Matches in January 2025

Biggest Football Matches in February 2025:

A Month of Fierce Rivalries!!

Top Derbies that are included in February are Marseille vs. Lyon, AC Milan vs. Inter Milan, Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid, Paris St. Germain vs. Monaco and Juventus vs. Inter Milan. Atletico has the chance to surpass Real Madrid and could find themselves at the top of the La Liga table.

In Carabao Cup, Newcastle will face Arsenal at home and Tottenham will be going Anfield to face one of their toughest matches of the season against Liverpool.

Key Dates of the Biggest Football Matches in February 2025

Biggest Football Matches in March 2025:

Teams can turn the League Table in their favour! Last UEFA Nations League for Ronaldo and Modric??

Inter could overtake Napoli, Dortmund could surpass Leipzig and move into the Champions League spot; Barcelona could overtake Atletico Madrid and move into 2nd spot; Inter has the chance to surpass Atlanta and could find themselves at the top of Serie A. Chelsea will face Arsenal on 15th March at Emirates Stadium, popularly known as " The London Derby".

Some of the biggest international matches scheduled for March are the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals between European Football Super Giants. This could be possibly the last Nations League for Ronaldo and Modric. 

Key Dates of the Biggest Football Matches in March 2025

Biggest Football Matches in April 2025:

A month of Fierce and Local Derbies!!!

Manchester City has a chance to avenge home defeat at Old Trafford against their arch-rival in Manchester Derby. Other local derbies include Merseyside Derby, Bavarian Derby, London Derby, Der Klassiker, Derby della Capitale, West London Derby, Derby Rhone-Alpine and Derby Breton.

Key Dates of the Biggest Football Matches in April 2025

Biggest Football Matches in May 2025:

Arsenal Vs. Liverpool- "League Decider"! EL Clasico!! Champions League Final!!!

The match between Liverpool Vs. Arsenal on 10th May has already been considered a " League Decider" by several pundits. "El Clasico", is also scheduled on 11th May, which is going to be played at Bernabeu, as Real Madrid are aiming to avenge their home defeat against Barcelona. The month will be ending with the UEFA Champions League Final.

Key Dates of the Biggest Football Matches in May 2025

Biggest Football Matches in June 2025:

A month dedicated to the FIFA Club World Cup!

Top Clubs from all over the world will battle for the greatest glory of World Club Football. Legendary European Club Teams like Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Porto, Benfica and Top South American Club Teams like Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense and Major Asian Club Team like Al-Hilal and many more will battle for the ultimate glory.

Key Dates of the Biggest Football Matches in June 2025

So, that concludes the key dates of the Biggest Matches in 2025. Go ahead! Mark the dates on your calendar so that you don't miss any of the thrilling games from the list mentioned above. And let me know what your favourite club or International Team is in the comment box. For more updates and accurate pieces of information, kindly follow Sportz Point!

Read Also | West Ham vs Manchester City English Premier League 2024-25 Highlights | Erling Haaland scores his eight EPL hat-trick as Man City goes top of the table following a 3-1 victory over the Hammers

We are available on all Meta Platforms, or you could follow the author's page to stay connected with Sportz Point. Our site is used to cover the Biggest Football Matches via Live Blogs, match previews and reviews.

Football clubs across the globe will be back in business in the transfer market as the January Transfer Window draws near. Players will be listed for transfers as the clubs will look for potential reinforcements to chase the coveted success in the ongoing season. 

The 2024-25 January transfer window is officially open in England, Germany, and France from today, whereas clubs from Spain and Italy will engage in the market from tomorrow. The window will also conclude by adhering to different deadlines. 

Here are the timeframes of the January transfer window for the clubs from different European countries:

Negotiating transfers during the January window has its pros and cons, yet the thrill and intensity are just as significant as those in the summer transfer period.

Although the summer transfer window concludes typically in August, clubs keep their off-screen business running to shortlist, evaluate, and monitor players to acquire their services in the January window.

There have been many exciting speculations ahead of January that could take shape and rumours that could take unexpected turns in the coming days. 

🥂 Here we go! 2025 is here, January transfer window open! ✨

Happy new year to all of you, guys… wishing you health and happiness as always!

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 31, 2024

We have shortlisted the most speculated transfers, extensions, and rumours regarding some big names as well as youngsters across the European football circuit.

January Transfer Window: Players to watch

Mohamed Salah: Contract extension with Liverpool?

Mohamed Salah confirmed on 30 December that he is "far away" from signing a new deal at Liverpool. The Egyptian maestro will be a free agent after June 2025 if Liverpool fails to pen down a contract extension with the talisman. 

The 32-year-old forward is flying high with The Reds, enjoying one of the best seasons in the Premier League. However, Liverpool has been negotiating with the player for sometimes but no solution has been facilitated. Earlier this season, Salah also said that he was "disappointed by the club's failure" to offer him a new deal.

If Liverpool fails to negotiate with Salah while meeting the personal terms and financial expectations, there might be a chance that Salah can sign pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs, which has come into force from 1 January 2025; along with captain Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold who all are running out of contract this summer.

It is not clear yet if Salah wants to leave or stay with the club, as he has refused to discuss this matter in public. He clearly refused to "put anything on media". 

Dani Olmo: The registration fiasco

After moving to FC Barcelona for a €55m transfer fee from RB Leipzig last summer, Dani Olmo has become a free agent ahead of the January window. The Catalan club's appeal to register the Spanish international has reportedly been blocked by the Spanish Football Federation on 31 December, the deadline day.

LaLiga has now said in an official statement that Barcelona has failed to adhere to the Financial Fair Play rules, quoting that Barcelona "did not present any alternative" on meeting to the regulations, which was required for the club to "register any player beginning on January 2."

Barcelona injected some financial boost after reportedly reaching a deal to sell the VIP boxes to generate €100m to register Dani Olmo, along with Pau Victor. But the LaLiga committee continues to block the appeals made by Barcelona. 

Olmo has clearly shown his intentions to continue with Barcelona, but everything depends on the series of events in the upcoming days. 

The potential availability of the Euro 2024 winner on a free transfer in January has alerted some Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold: Linked with Real Madrid 

Real Madrid have reportedly been monitoring Trent Alexander-Arnold for some time now, and the Spanish club has made their intentions clear about signing the Liverpool full-back.

As per the most recent report from Sky Sports today, Real Madrid did not make a formal offer but approached Liverpool about the player, but the current Premier League leaders have turned down the proposal. 

Trent's contract at Liverpool ends in June 2025, ahead of the summer transfer window. Back in September, the 26-year-old England international hinted at his contract extension, saying that his negotiations with Liverpool will not be 'played out' in public.

It will be interesting to see how this speculation goes down as Liverpool is well-shaped this season, leading the table both in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Viktor Gyökeres: Comeback to the Premier League?

After a stellar 2024, the Swedish striker has drawn interest from many big European outfits. However, Viktor Gyökeres is currently on a contract with Sporting CP that runs until June 2028. With a current market value of €75m and a release clause of over €100m, very few clubs will be able to afford the transfer fees Sporting will demand.

Following the departure of Ruben Amorim as head coach and also his successor Joao Pereira, Rui Borges has taken the helm at Sporting but the club has slipped in the Champions League and also domestically. Although Borges won his first game against Benfica on 30 December 2024, other clubs can take advantage of the situation in the upcoming days. 

Both Arsenal and Manchester United have been in a race to sign the 27-year-old prospect. A January move seems unlikely, but no one can really predict the aspects of the transfer window. 

Marcus Rashford: Move to Saudi imminent?

Marcus Rashford is seeking to leave Manchester United after being dropped completely in recent matches. Under the new manager Ruben Amorim, the 27-year-old forward has got a handful of minutes and he reportedly does not want to play under the Portuguese, although he has a contract until June 2028.

Rashford is now eyeing to facilitate his exit from Manchester United but the player may have to battle hardships to convince any other European outfit to sign him. Reports suggested that Barcelona can make a move for the English forward, but there has been no recent development.

However, Saudi clubs such as Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Qadsiah have reportedly shown interest in signing Rashford. 

Randal Kolo Muani: Linked with Chelsea

The French striker has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea in January, as reports suggested that Chelsea are officially preparing a bid. The Paris Saint-Germain striker is currently valued at €80m, but Chelsea are reportedly looking to splash cash to reinforce their attacking options. 

However, Kolo Muani was linked with Manchester United as well, but the Red Devils are now out of the race. The insiders from Old Trafford have confirmed that the club have a limited budget for the January window. 

Other players linked with reported possible moves

• Matheus Cunha, who currently plays for Wolves, is reportedly shortlisted by Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle after his electrifying performances in recent matches. 
• Newcastle striker Alexander Isak has been regularly linked with Arsenal.
• Galatasaray has approached PSG to discuss a loan deal for defender Milan Skriniar.
• Both Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle have been linked to Manchester City.
• Martin Zubimendi, the Real Sociedad midfielder, has attracted interest from top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester City. Real Madrid is reportedly preparing for a bid as well.
• Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku, has been linked with a January move to clubs like Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
• Manchester United are keen on signing Victor Osimhen.

Having scored a brace against Villarreal in LaLiga last week, FC Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski solidified his position in the top 3 in the list of most goalscorers in Europe's top five leagues in the 21st century. Lewandowski has now scored 360 goals in the top five leagues while playing for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and for FC Barcelona in LaLiga. 

This article will highlight 8 players who have scored the most goals in the 21st Century in Europe's top five leagues, which include the Premier League (England), LaLiga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), Bundesliga (Germany), and Ligue 1(France).

8. Luis Suarez | 245 Goals

Luis Suarez, famously known as El Pistelero is one of the greatest strikers this century has ever witnessed. The Uruguayan legend had played in two of the top 5 European leagues and left his golden mark engraved everywhere he played.

Suarez showed his attributes in LaLiga for FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, whereas he played for Liverpool FC in the Premier League. He sits in the 8th position on this particular list with 245 goals by his name.

Read Also | MSN vs BBC: Rivalry of football's greatest trio in stats 

Suarez scored 69 Premier League goals for Liverpool FC in 110 appearances. He played for three years in Liverpool before Barcelona took him in in 2014. Suarez continued to display his bossing presence on the pitch as he scored 144 goals for Barcelona in 191 Laliga appearances over six years.

A dispute with FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman in 2020 led him to join their rivals in La Liga, Atletico Madrid. Suarez played in 67 Laliga matches for Atletico and scored 32 goals before leaving Europe in 2022. 

7. Sergio Aguero | 259 Goals 

Sergio 'Kun' Aguero is one of the best strikers that Argentina has ever produced and undoubtedly the greatest striker in Manchester City's history. His league-winning goal against QPR handed Man City their third Premier League title in 2012 and his goal remains one of the most iconic moments in football history. Aguero is 7th on this list with 259 goals in total.

Though he is mostly remembered for his achievements with Manchester City, it was Atletico Madrid that brought Aguero to European top-flights in 2006. Spending 5 years in LaLiga, Aguero scored 74 goals in 175 appearances for Atletico.

Read Also | Most goals for Manchester City: 19 Players to score 100 goals for them 

Then he moved to the Premier League to join Manchester City in 2011 and the following season he scored that iconic goal in the final matchday. Before moving back to LaLiga with Barcelona in 2021, Aguero already had scored 184 Premier Goals for City in 275 appearances. 

This legendary striker had to decide to retire in December 2021 because of a rare heart condition and could only play 4 matches for FC Barcelona before his retirement and managed to score only 1 goal.

6. Edinson Cavani | 267 Goals 

Another Uruguayan striker, Edinson Cavani is on the list and holds the 6th position. Cavani spent a significant amount of time playing for Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue1. Cavani had also played for a long time for Palermo and Napoli in Serie A. He also had short stints at Premier League club Manchester United and LaLiga club Valencia.

Cavani moved to Europe to play for Palermo in Serie A in 2007. Though having scored 34 goals in 109 appearances he was loaned to Napoli in 2010. Napoli signed him permanently after the loan agreement ended in 2011.

Read Also | Football Jersies in demand: Atletico Madrid's Spiderman kit 

Cavani spent two years at Napoli scoring 78 goals in 104 Serie A appearances. His spell at Paris SG is often underappreciated though he showed his best goalscoring prowess for them, with 138 Ligue1 goals in 200 appearances by his name. 

Cavani joined Manchester United in 2020 and before leaving in 2022, he had 12 Premier League goals in 41 appearances. His last stint in Europe was in LaLiga as Valencia signed him in 2022 on a free transfer and he left Europe after just one year in Spain. 

5. Karim Benzema | 281 Goals 

Karim Benzema was a name that was always mentioned after Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale during their time together at Real Madrid. But after Cristiano's departure, Benzema managed to unveil his potential and showcased his absolute brilliance for Real Madrid. Most importantly, Benzema won Ballon D'or in 2022 for his monstrous performance in the Real Madrid shirt in the LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League.

Read Also | Ballon d'Or 2024: Most Ballon d'Or wins by Clubs 

Having spent more than a decade in Real Madrid, he scored 238 goals in 439 LaLiga appearances. Before joining Real Madrid in 2009, he spent 4 years at Olympique Lyonnais where he scored 43 goals in 112 Ligue1 appearances. Benzema left Real Madrid and Europe in 2023. He is 5th in the list with 281 goals in total. 

4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 302 Goals 

No other player in this list has had the pride of playing for six top European clubs in the top five European Leagues but we have always witnessed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a different breed. His famous arrogance also reflected on the pitch. This Swedish striker had appeared in the Premier League, LaLiga, Ligue1, and Serie A and played for AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester United, FC Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain.

Ibrahimovic's career was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. He joined Serie A side Juventus from Ajax in 2004. After two years He joined another Serie A side, Inter Milan. After spending three years at Inter, Zlatan left Italy and signed for the Spanish club FC Barcelona.

Read Also: Most Iconic Rivalries in European Football Leagues: History & Stats 

However, his time in Barcelona was not very special as he was loaned back to Italy, and the other side of Milan welcomed him this time. He spent a year on loan in AC Milan and they permanently signed him in 2011. But his expedition continued as he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in 2012. Zlatan left Paris in 2016 and went to test himself in the Premier League with Manchester United signing him. But in 2018, his sudden move to the USA to play for Los Angeles Galaxy shocked everyone.

Zlatan came back to Europe again in 2020 and spent the last three years of his illustrated career at AC Milan. During his long exploration of 18 years in the top five European leagues, he collected 302 goals in total and now stands 4th in this list. 

3. Robert Lewandowski | 360 Goals*

The Polish Goal-machine Robert Lewandowski is the only active player in this list who is playing in a European top-flight league. The current Barcelona forward spent most of his career in the Bundesliga playing for Borussia Dortmund and mostly for Bayern Munich. Lewandowski achieved many triumphs with Bayern Munich and broke many individual and league records. He also won the Sextuple with Bayern in 2020. 

Lewandowski came to the Bundesliga in 2010 to play for Borussia Dortmund and during his 4-year stint at Dortmund, he scored 74 goals in 131 Bundesliga appearances. He joined Dortmund's arch-rival Bayern in 2014 and spent eight long years for the Bavarians. He registered 238 goals in 253 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern.

Read Also | Top 10 players with the Most goals in a single season 

Lewandowski joined FC Barcelona in 2022 and currently plays for them and has already scored 48 goals for the Blaugranas in 75 LaLiga appearances. With a total of 360 goals, he stands in the 3rd position and is the only active player from this list who is playing in Europe. 

2. Cristiano Ronaldo | 495 Goals 

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest player of all-time alongside Lionel Messi and without a doubt, he is one of those few clutch players who can change a game in seconds. The 'CR7' is considered the greatest goalscorer ever because of his immense talent and most effective goalscoring prowess. The Portuguese bossed in three top European Leagues for nearly two decades while playing for Juventus, Manchester United, and mostly for the club that is almost synonymous with him, Real Madrid.

Ronaldo holds many individual and club records and is considered one of the greatest players in Real Madrid's history. Alex Ferguson brought him to Manchester United in 2003 and at a very young age. Ferguson nurtured Ronaldo and turned him into one of the most dependable players of Manchester United at that time. He scored 84 goals in 196 Premier League appearances before signing for Real Madrid in 2009.

Read Also | Statistical Overlook of Messi vs Ronaldo Debate: Who Is the G.O.A.T

His chapter in Real Madrid lasted a decade but carved a story that would impress people from all over the world. Ronaldo scored 311 goals in 292 appearances in LaLiga. 

In 2018, Ronaldo moved to Italy to play for Juventus and registered 81 goals in 98 Serie A appearances. In 2021, he came back to his younghood club Manchester United but it did not go as he wished.

Ronaldo left the club in 2022 after a contract termination but with 19 goals in 40 PL appearances in his second spell in England. Ronaldo left Europe in 2023. He scored 495 goals in total and stands 2nd on the list.

1. Lionel Messi | 496 Goals 

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all-time and a phenomenon that has impressed generations. The 'LM10' is considered the greatest because of his immaculate skills and literally everything he does on the pitch. Messi is undoubtedly the greatest player to ever grace Barcelona's crest as well. Messi played in LaLiga for FC Barcelona for almost two decades and has taken possession of many personal records and accolades. Messi also played for Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue1.

Read Also | 10 players who have won the most trophies in football history 

The greatest La Masia graduate was promoted to the senior Barcelona team in 2005. He lived every minute on the pitch and gave his blood and sweat to Barcelona for nearly two decades. During this long journey, Messi made 520 LaLiga appearances and scored 474 goals. 

Messi joined PSG in 2021 over a dispute over his contract renewal with FC Barcelona and played two years for them. Before leaving PSG and Europe in 2023, he scored 22 goals for the French team in 58 Ligue1 appearances. Lionel Messi tops the list of the highest goalscorers in the top five leagues in the 21st century.

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of UEFA Champions League 2024-25 football match. Tonight we'll be covering Monaco vs FC Barcelona match as Monaco returns to Europe's top flight football competition after five years.

Barcelona under their new coach Hansi Flick will look to forget the results of last few season and restore their Champions League glory. Meantime, the new format allows teams like Monaco to have a go at the table topper of La Liga, FC Barcelona.

The Build Up

This will be the third time both Barcelona and Monaco will face each other in their history. In the past, Barcelona were able to win both those fxitures and would love to continue that winning run against the French club. On the other hand, Monaco with a few new superstars on the horizon, will look to change the past records and beat FC Barcelona for the first time in their history.

Read Also | Manchester City vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League 2024-25 | A tactical masterclass by Inzaghi hold City for a goalless draw at Etihad 

With only top eight teams guaranteed a place in the round of 16, every match becomes important for all of the 36 teams. That is why we can expect an enthralling game in Monaco.

This is Koushik Biswas, who will be bringing you all the live updates of the Monaco vs Barcelona match from the web desk. So, sitback and enjoy the show.