Salah (51 goals) and Drogba (44 goals) are the only two African players in the top 20 Champions League scorers; Ronaldo holds the top spot with 141 goals

  • Ronaldo leads the UEFA Champions League scoring chart with 141 goals, ahead of Messi's 129.
  • Salah and Drogba are the only two African players in the top 20 scorers list.
  • Just 8 goals separate the 10th and 20th-ranked scorers, showing how tight competition is outside the top ranks.
  • Haaland and Mbappé are the only two players under 30 in the top 15.
  • Legendary players like Neymar and Ibrahimović never broke into the top 10 despite long careers at top clubs.

Cristiano Ronaldo reigns supreme in UEFA Champions League history with 141 goals, maintaining a clear lead over his long-time rival Lionel Messi, who has 129 goals. These two legends remain in a league of their own, far ahead of the rest of the field, with Robert Lewandowski trailing at 105 goals. The top scorers' list is heavily dominated by European and South American players, with only two Africans—Mohamed Salah and Didier Drogba—making it into the top 20.

There’s also a fascinating cluster of players who have scored between 47 and 51 goals, showing how razor-thin the margins are between those ranked 11th and 20th. This segment includes football icons like Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Neymar, and Antoine Griezmann, showing how even world-class players may still fall short of breaking into the elite top 10 scorers.

Source:

UEFA

Period:

June 2025
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Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan is the highest-scoring African in FIFA World Cup history with six goals
  • Asamoah Gyan leads Africa’s all-time World Cup scoring chart with six goals in eleven games, making him the most prolific African player in World Cup history.
  • Roger Milla follows closely with five goals in ten matches.
  • Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa is Africa’s highest-scoring active World Cup player with four goals in just seven matches.
  • Despite a legendary club career, Samuel Eto'o scored only three goals in eight matches.

Egypt was the first African country to play at the World Cup, but has only qualified for 3 tournaments since 1934
  • Egypt was the first African and Arab nation to play at the FIFA World Cup, debuting in 1934.
  • Despite this early start, Egypt has qualified for only three tournaments since: 1990, 2018, and 2026.
  • Egypt failed to qualify for ten consecutive World Cups from 1938 to 1986.
  • Another long drought followed, with the team missing every World Cup tournament between 1994 and 2014.
  • Each of Egypt’s three World Cup appearances to date (1934, 1990, and 2018) ended in group-stage elimination.

Ghana has only missed one World Cup (2018) since its first appearance in 2006
  • Ghana first appeared at the World Cup in 2006 after missing all 17 previous editions.
  • They advanced to the second round in 2006, a standout entry for a first-time participant.
  • In 2010, Ghana reached the quarter-finals, marking their strongest performance to date.
  • 2018 was the only missed World Cup since their debut, reflecting consistent qualification success.
  • They have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
  • Ghana has made five qualifications within 20 years, showing remarkable frequency for a team that only debuted in 2006.

South Africa has only advanced past the group stage once in its three World Cup appearances
  • South Africa did not qualify for any of the first 15 World Cups from 1930 to 1994.
  • They made their World Cup debut in 1998 and were knocked out in the group stage.
  • Their second appearance came in 2002, ending again at the group stage.
  • In 2010, South Africa became the first African country to host the tournament, but still did not progress beyond the group stage.
  • The country failed to qualify for three straight World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

Nigeria has produced 7 African Player of the Year winners in 33 years
  • Nigerian players have won the award seven times from 1992 to 2025.
  • Ivorian players follow with six wins, driven by their strong presence in the 2000s and 2010s.
  • Only four countries have produced four or more individual winners: Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Senegal.
  • Just 12 African nations account for all winners across the 33 years, showing how concentrated elite talent production has been.

Nigeria has qualified for 6 World Cups since its first appearance in 1994
  • Nigeria has qualified for six World Cups since its first appearance in 1994.
  • Three second-round finishes in 1994, 1998, and 2014 represent the country's best performances at the tournament.
  • Nigeria ended three of its World Cup appearances at the group stage (2002, 2010, and 2018).
  • Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2006, 2022, and 2026 tournaments.
  • Nigeria did not qualify for any World Cup before 1994, making its debut year a significant milestone.
  • Qualification challenges are increasing, as shown by more failures in recent cycles.

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