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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England tops the women's rugby ranking globally with 98 points, while South Africa and Kenya feature in the top 20 list
  • England tops the world women’s rugby ranking with 97.76 points, maintaining a clear lead over other nations.
  • Canada and New Zealand follow as the second and third-strongest women’s rugby teams globally.
  • South Africa ranks 12th and Kenya 20th, making them the only African nations in the global top 20.
  • Traditional rugby nations like France, Ireland, and Australia feature prominently in the top 10.
  • Asian teams such as Japan and Hong Kong highlight the growing spread of women’s rugby beyond traditional regions.

South Africa leads in the world rugby ranking for men with a commanding 92.78 points as of August 2025
  • South Africa leads the world rugby rankings with 92.78 points, ahead of New Zealand’s 92.06.
  • The gap between the first and second position is just 0.72 points, showing a close contest at the top.
  • Ireland remains the highest-ranked European team with 89.83 points.
  • France and England, with 87.82 and 87.64 points respectively, are in close competition for the fourth and fifth spots.

Global rugby participation grew by 11% to 8.46 million players in 2023
  • Global rugby participation grew by 11% in 2023, reaching 8.46 million players.
  • Female participation increased by 37%, showing the fastest growth in the sport.
  • Male participation also rose by 26%.
  • The substantial rise in female players signals rugby’s growing inclusivity.
  • The global rise suggests rugby is gaining ground beyond traditional rugby nations.

Nigeria tops Africa’s women’s football with 1,630.83 points and ranks 36th globally
  • Nigeria leads Africa with 1,630.83 points, ranked 36th globally, maintaining their long-standing supremacy in Africa's women’s football.
  • South Africa remains second, 165 points behind Nigeria, consolidating their position after consistent WAFCON performances.
  • North Africa's breakthrough is evident with Morocco at 3rd, driven by recent World Cup appearances and continental success.
  • There is tight competition in mid-table, with Zambia, Cameroon, and Ghana separated by less than 12 points.

Nigeria holds the top spot in Africa's women's basketball rankings with 640.1 points, and is ranked 8th globally
  • Nigeria’s D’Tigress leads Africa with 640.1 points, holding 8th place in the world rankings.
  • Mali sits in second with 343.7 points, more than 290 points behind Nigeria.
  • Senegal, Mozambique, and Cameroon complete Africa’s top five, all ranked within the global top 40.
  • South Sudan enters the continental top 10 at 10th, while ranking 55th globally.

USA leads FIBA Women’s Basketball global rankings; Nigeria breaks into top 10 with 640.1 points as the only African country
  • The USA dominates the rankings with 880.9 points, holding a significant lead over second-placed Australia (719.6).
  • France and China follow closely in 3rd and 4th, separated by just 6.5 points.
  • Nigeria’s D’Tigress ranks 8th globally with 640.1 points, the highest for any African nation.
  • Brazil and Serbia round out the top 10, both under 640 points.

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