Kylian Mbappé strengthened his place among the UEFA Champions League’s elite goalscorers after finishing the 2025/26 campaign as the competition’s leading scorer with 15 goals.
The Real Madrid forward joined an illustrious group of players who have topped the Champions League scoring charts since the 2000/01 season, with UEFA highlighting the year-by-year list ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Mbappé scored his 15 goals in just 11 appearances last season, including a remarkable 13 during the league phase.
UEFA said the tally set a new record for goals scored by a player at that stage of the competition.
His latest scoring feat also adds another chapter to an era largely dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The two superstars accounted for the top-scorer award in 12 of the 13 seasons between 2007/08 and 2019/20, with Robert Lewandowski breaking their run in 2019/20.
The Punch reported that the draw for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. The ceremony is expected to begin at 6pm CET, which is 5pm Nigerian time.
Below is the complete list of Champions League top scorers from 2000/01 to 2025/26, as highlighted by UEFA:
2025/26 — Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid ) 15 goals
Mbappé finished ahead of Harry Kane with 15 goals in 11 appearances. Thirteen of his goals came during the league phase, while he added two in the knockout rounds.
2024/25 — Raphinha (Barcelona) — 13 goals
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund) — 13 goals
The two forwards shared the scoring crown after ending the campaign with 13 goals each.
2023/24 — Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) — 8 goals
Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain) — 8 goals
Kane and Mbappé finished level at the top with eight goals apiece.
2022/23 — Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — 12 goals
Haaland led the scoring as Manchester City claimed their first Champions League trophy.
2021/22 — Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) — 15 goals
Benzema produced a memorable scoring campaign as Real Madrid went on to win the competition.
2020/21 — Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) — 10 goals
Haaland finished as the competition’s leading scorer and further established himself as one of Europe’s most prolific young forwards.
2019/20 — Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) — 15 goals
Lewandowski ended the long Ronaldo-Messi dominance and helped Bayern Munich secure the Champions League title.
2018/19 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) — 12 goals
Messi topped the scoring charts after registering 12 goals for Barcelona.
2017/18 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) — 15 goals
Ronaldo finished as the leading scorer as Real Madrid won the Champions League for a third successive season.
2016/17 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) — 12 goals
Ronaldo claimed the scoring crown again as Madrid became the first club to successfully defend the Champions League in the modern era.
2015/16 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) — 16 goals
Ronaldo recorded 16 goals during another remarkable Champions League campaign.
2014/15 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) — 10 goals
Neymar (Barcelona) — 10 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) — 10 goals
The season ended with a rare three-way tie for the top-scoring honour.
2013/14 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) — 17 goals
Ronaldo set a then-record Champions League tally of 17 goals in a single campaign.
2012/13 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) — 12 goals
The Portuguese star retained the scoring crown with 12 goals.
2011/12 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) — 14 goals
Messi scored 14 times, including five goals in Barcelona’s 7-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
2010/11 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) — 12 goals
Messi finished top scorer as Barcelona lifted the Champions League trophy.
2009/10 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) — 8 goals
The Argentine claimed his second Champions League scoring title.
2008/09 — Lionel Messi (Barcelona) — 9 goals
Messi led the scoring as Barcelona completed a historic treble.
2007/08 — Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) — 8 goals
Ronaldo’s eight goals helped Manchester United win the Champions League, including a goal in the final against Chelsea.
2006/07 — Kaká (AC Milan) — 10 goals
The Brazilian midfielder finished as the competition’s top scorer as AC Milan reached the final.
2005/06 — Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) — 9 goals
Shevchenko topped the scoring charts with nine goals.
2004/05 — Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United) — 8 goals
The Dutch striker claimed the scoring crown with eight goals.
2003/04 — Fernando Morientes (Monaco) — 9 goals
Morientes enjoyed an outstanding campaign, scoring nine goals as Monaco reached the final.
2002/03 — Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United) — 12 goals
Van Nistelrooy returned to the top of the scoring charts with 12 goals.
Ruud van Nistelrooy 2001/02 (Manchester United) — 10 goals
The Manchester United striker scored 10 goals to finish as the competition’s leading scorer.
Raúl 2000/01(Real Madrid) — 7 goals
Raúl began the new millennium by finishing the 2000/01 Champions League season as the competition’s leading scorer with seven goals.
Ronaldo and Messi’s Era of Dominance
The historical list highlights the extraordinary scoring dominance of Ronaldo and Messi during the late 2000s and much of the 2010s.
Ronaldo finished as the Champions League’s leading scorer seven times between 2007/08 and 2017/18, while Messi claimed the award six times during his Barcelona career.
The pair were also joint top scorers in 2014/15 alongside Neymar.
Ronaldo’s 17 goals in 2013/14 remain one of the most remarkable scoring achievements in Champions League history, while his 16-goal haul in 2015/16 ranks among the highest totals recorded during the period.
Mbappé is now beginning to establish himself alongside those legendary names.
The Frenchman has finished as Champions League top scorer twice—jointly in 2023/24 and outright in 2025/26.
His latest campaign was particularly impressive, with 13 goals during the league phase alone—a record for that stage—before finishing with 15 overall.
With another Champions League campaign about to begin, Mbappé, along with Europe’s leading forwards, will have another opportunity to add to the competition’s rich scoring history.
