Kylian Mbappe enters Champions League all-time top 5 goalscorers, closing in on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Kylian Mbappe has established himself as the premier forward of his generation, shattering records across European competitions. With his latest strike against Inter Milan, Mbappe moved closer to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi by breaking into the top five of the UEFA Champions League‘s all-time goalscoring list.

For their 2026-27 campaign opener, Real Madrid faced a challenging test against Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Italian side controlling long stretches of possession. However, capitalizing on a defensive error from Yann Bisseck during build-up play, Real Madrid recovered the ball deep in enemy territory before Brahim Diaz delivered a precise pass to Mbappe, who clinically finished on his first shot in the 14th minute.

His strike against Inter Milan brought Kylian Mbappe to 71 career Champions League goals across his tenures with AS Monaco, PSG, and Real Madrid. By doing so, he drew level with Los Blancos legend Raul Gonzalez Blanco for fifth place on the competition’s all-time scoring chart.

Prior to kickoff, Mbappe received the Golden Boot trophy honoring him as the top goalscorer of the previous Champions League campaign, where he recorded 15 goals in 11 matches. Finding the net immediately in the opener against formidable opposition like Inter Milan sets the stage for another historic campaign for the French superstar.

Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler with the Golden Boot and Revelation award. (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Mbappe still far from the top 3

Having established himself as the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history following his performances in 2026, Mbappe now targets the highest peak in European club soccer. Nevertheless, he remains well adrift of the coveted top three, a benchmark requiring multiple seasons to reach.

While Cristiano Ronaldo (140 goals) and Lionel Messi (129 goals) sit atop the Champions League leaderboard, Robert Lewandowski occupies third place with 109 goals. Currently tied with Raul, the next target in Mbappe’s sightline is former teammate Karim Benzema, who holds fourth place with 90 goals.

When could Mbappe reach Messi and Ronaldo?

Currently, Kylian Mbappe’s Champions League portfolio stands at 71 goals through 99 appearances, reflecting an elite scoring clip of 0.72 goals per match. While that efficiency ranks among the greatest in history, maintaining his current pace means Mbappe will require several seasons to surpass the top two.

With Messi standing at 129 goals—58 ahead of Mbappe’s current mark—the French forward would need approximately 81 additional matches at his current scoring rate to catch the Argentine icon. To reach Cristiano Ronaldo’s record tally of 140 goals, Mbappe would require 96 additional appearances to match the Portuguese legend’s mark.

Top 10 Champions League all-time goalscorers