Top 5 Quickest Players To Score 35 UEFA Champions League Goals
Erling Haaland’s record-breaking season for Manchester City in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League has continued. The Norwegian striker on Thursday set yet another record in the continental competition, this time becoming the fastest player to reach 35 goals in the competition.
Haaland achieved the feat during Manchester City’s quarterfinal match against Bayern Munich, where he scored in the 57th minute to help his team secure a 4-2 aggregate win and advance to the semifinals.
With his 35th UCL goal, Haaland surpassed the previous record held by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had reached the tally in 42 games. Haaland did it in just 27 appearances.
In addition to breaking the fastest to reach 35 UCL goals record, Haaland also became the youngest player to reach that milestone, at just 22 years and 272 days old. He broke the previous record held by Kylian Mbappe, who was 23 years and 260 days old when he scored his 35th UCL goal.
On that note, let’s find out the 5 quickest players to score 35 Champions League goals.
#5 Robert Lewandowski – 56 Matches
Robert Lewandowski enjoyed a number of record-breaking seasons when he played for Bayern Munich. The Polish player is the fifth on the list of players quickest to 35 Champions League goals.
Lewandowski took 56 games to reach 35 goals in the Champions League. His 35th goal came against PSV Eindhoven in 2016, where the striker netted two goals to secure a 2-1 win for the German club.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich forward is the third-highest scorer in UCL history, scoring 91 goals in the European competition. He is only behind Cristiano Ronaldo (140) and Lionel Messi (127). The 34-year-old has scored 5 goals for his current club Barcelona and earlier netted 69 times for Bayern Munich and another 17 for Borussia Dortmund.
#4 Lionel Messi – 55 Matches
Messi still holds the record for the fastest to reach 100 CL goals
It is impossible to not mention Lionel Messi while discussing any records, especially in the UEFA Champions League.
The Paris Saint-Germain star has enjoyed playing in the Champions League, setting record after record. Apart from being the fastest to reach the 100 goals in the European competition, the Argentinian comes fourth on the list of players quickest to 35 UCL goals.
The former Barcelona forward is also second on the list of quickest players to hit 50 goals on the grandest stage of club competition as he reached the landmark in 66 games.
#3 Kylian Mbappe – 54 Matches
The PSG star Kylian Mbappé comes third on the list of the player quickest to 35 goals in the Champions League. The 24-year-old reached the 35 goals landmark in just 54 matches, surpassing Lionel Messi by just one game.
The French striker has scored 40 goals in the European Cup in 61 appearances, taking the competition by storm since bursting onto the scene with Monaco in the 2016-17 season. Kylian Mbappe is also the youngest player to score 40 goals in the competition’s history.
#2 Ruud van Nistelrooy – 42 Matches
Legend Ruud van Nistelrooy enjoyed a stellar record in the Champions League. He has scored 56 goals in the competition, finishing as the Champions League top-scorer on three separate occasions.
The striker first made his mark in the competition with PSV Eindhoven. He later continued his glorious form in the biggest club competition in Europe with Manchester United and Real Madrid too. The Dutch player completed 35 CL goals in just 42 matches and held the record for a long time before Haaland surpassed it.
Nistelrooy’s peak UCL season came in 2002-03 when he scored 12 goals in just nine matches while playing for Manchester United. The Dutchman scored 56 goals in 73 Champions League games and is second on the list of quickest to 50 UCL goals.
#1 Erling Haaland – 27 Matches
Erling Haaland has scored 10 goals in UCL this season
There has been no stopping for Erling Haaland this season. Playing his 27th Champions League match, Haaland raced to 35 goals after scoring a goal against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the quarter-final.
Not just that, the Norwegian international also became the youngest player to reach that milestone, at just 22 years and 272 days old. He broke the previous record held by Kylian Mbappe, who was 23 years and 260 days old when he scored his 35th UCL goal.
He has scored 10 goals in the UCL this season, including two against Bayern and five against Leipzig in the previous round. In all competitions, Haaland has scored 48 goals in 41 games this season, a remarkable feat for any player.
