The semi-final is by far the most competitive knockout round in the UEFA Champions League. With the four best teams battling it out for a place in the final, the stakes are astronomical; there is no room for error.
Only the very best players manage to thrive in this round, and today, we will meet the finest of the lot. Continue reading to check out the five players who have scored the most goals in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals since its facelift in the 1992-93 season.
#5 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) — 5 Goals
Legendary former center-forward, Alessandro Del Piero, is kicking off the list, having bagged five semi-final goals for Juventus in six outings. Del Piero played four UEFA Champions League finals during his time with the Bianconeri, losing thrice. Surprisingly, Del Piero could not score in the semi-finals in Juve’s triumphant 1995-96 UCL campaign.
Del Piero delivered a masterclass in a 4-1 first-leg win over AS Monaco in the 1997-98 season. The 2006 FIFA World Cup winners scored a hat-trick and provided an assist as the Old Lady picked up a 4-1 victory over the French side.
#4 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) — 6 Goals
The second-highest scorer in UEFA Champions League history (129 goals in 163 matches), Lionel Messi has only scored six goals in 15 semi-final matches. All of his goals have come for his boyhood club Barcelona. Messi, who is currently playing his trade at Inter Miami, has won the competition four times, with his last victory coming in the 2014-15 season.
Messi produced his best semi-final performance in a 3-0 first-leg victory over Bayern Munich in the 2014-15 season. He had a hand in all three goals that night, as he chipped in with a brace and an assist.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich) — 7 Goals
One of the best strikers of the 21st century, Barcelona ace Robert Lewandowski has seven UEFA Champions League semi-final goals to his name. He scored four goals in two semi-final outings for Borussia Dortmund while the remaining three goals came for Bayern Munich in seven semi-final appearances.
Lewandowski, who won his sole UEFA Champions League trophy with Bayern Munich in 2019-20, is the only player to score four goals in a semi-final match. His record-breaking performance came in the 2012-13 Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid at the Signal Iduna Park. Thanks to his blistering performance, Dortmund secured a 4-1 victory on the night.
#2 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) — 8 Goals
Scoring eight goals in 18 UEFA Champions League semi-final matches for Real Madrid, Karim Benzema has clinched the second spot in the rankings. The ex-France international, who left for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad last summer, has five European crowns to his name, all of which came during his 14-year run with Los Blancos.
Benzema, who is the fourth-leading scorer in UCL history (90 goals), delivered his finest-ever semi-final display in the first leg against Manchester City in the 2021-22 season. The former Olympique Lyon ace scored a brace as Madrid lost 4-3 to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. In the return leg, he scored once and provided an assist to fire Los Merengues to the final.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Real Madrid) — 13 Goals
Aptly called ‘Mr. Champions League,’ Cristiano Ronaldo has 13 semi-final goals to his name, which makes him the most impactful attacker in this round by a country mile. Ronaldo also holds the record for most semi-final matches played in the competition with 21.
The Portuguese superstar, who won five UEFA Champions League titles — 1 at Manchester United, 4 at Real Madrid — scored thrice in six semi-final games for the Red Devils. The remaining 10 goals came in 15 semi-final matches for Los Blancos. His best-ever Champions League semi-final performance came in the first leg against Atletico Madrid in the 2016-17 season. The Champions League record goalscorer (140 goals) scored a sensational hat-trick to help Real Madrid to a 3-0 victory over their crosstown rivals.
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