Lionel Messi has equalled Raúl González's record as the top scorer in UEFA Champions League history in FC Barcelona's game against AFC Ajax.
The forward scored his 71st goal in the competition proper, group stage to final, in the 76th minute (his second of the evening) to match the record of former Real Madrid CF striker Raúl. Messi's tally is comfortably the most for a single club.
While it took Raúl 142 UEFA Champions League outings to run up his 71 goals, Messi's appearance against Ajax was his 90th in the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo, who started and ended Madrid's win against Liverpool FC on 70 goals, has featured in the tournament 107 times.
Messi's strike also ensured he joined Raúl and Ronaldo as the joint-top European Cup scorer. Whereas Messi and Raúl's goals all came in the competition proper, Ronaldo found the net for Manchester United FC in the third qualifying round back in 2005. In terms of UEFA club competitions, Raúl remains out in front with 77 goals, four ahead of Ronaldo and five clear of Messi.
UEFA Champions League top scorers (group stage to final)71 Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
71 Raúl González (Real Madrid CF/FC Schalke 04)
70 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC/Real Madrid CF)
56 Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven/Manchester United FC/Real Madrid CF)
50 Thierry Henry (AS Monaco FC/Arsenal FC/FC Barcelona)
48 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan/Chelsea FC/FC Dynamo Kyiv)
46 Filippo Inzaghi (Juventus/AC Milan)
43 Didier Drogba (Olympique de Marseille/Galatasaray AŞ/Chelsea FC)
42 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)
41 Karim Benzema (Olympique Lyonnais/Real Madrid CF)
41 Zlatan Ibrahimović (AFC Ajax/Juventus/FC Internazionale Milano/FC Barcelona/AC Milan/Paris Saint-Germain)
33 Fernando Morientes (Real Madrid CF/AS Monaco FC/Liverpool FC/Valencia CF)
30 Samuel Eto'o (RCD Mallorca/FC Barcelona/FC Internazionale Milano/Chelsea FC)
30 Kaká (Real Madrid CF/AC Milan)
The forward scored his 71st goal in the competition proper, group stage to final, in the 76th minute (his second of the evening) to match the record of former Real Madrid CF striker Raúl. Messi's tally is comfortably the most for a single club.
While it took Raúl 142 UEFA Champions League outings to run up his 71 goals, Messi's appearance against Ajax was his 90th in the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo, who started and ended Madrid's win against Liverpool FC on 70 goals, has featured in the tournament 107 times.
Messi's strike also ensured he joined Raúl and Ronaldo as the joint-top European Cup scorer. Whereas Messi and Raúl's goals all came in the competition proper, Ronaldo found the net for Manchester United FC in the third qualifying round back in 2005. In terms of UEFA club competitions, Raúl remains out in front with 77 goals, four ahead of Ronaldo and five clear of Messi.
UEFA Champions League top scorers (group stage to final)71 Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
71 Raúl González (Real Madrid CF/FC Schalke 04)
70 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC/Real Madrid CF)
56 Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven/Manchester United FC/Real Madrid CF)
50 Thierry Henry (AS Monaco FC/Arsenal FC/FC Barcelona)
48 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan/Chelsea FC/FC Dynamo Kyiv)
46 Filippo Inzaghi (Juventus/AC Milan)
43 Didier Drogba (Olympique de Marseille/Galatasaray AŞ/Chelsea FC)
42 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)
41 Karim Benzema (Olympique Lyonnais/Real Madrid CF)
41 Zlatan Ibrahimović (AFC Ajax/Juventus/FC Internazionale Milano/FC Barcelona/AC Milan/Paris Saint-Germain)
33 Fernando Morientes (Real Madrid CF/AS Monaco FC/Liverpool FC/Valencia CF)
30 Samuel Eto'o (RCD Mallorca/FC Barcelona/FC Internazionale Milano/Chelsea FC)
30 Kaká (Real Madrid CF/AC Milan)
