Top 10 Champions League All Time Goalscorers

Cristiano Ronaldo Playing for Juventus Fc

In the latest round of Champions League football, Manchester City’s superstar striker Erling Haaland fired himself into the top 20 all-time goalscorers in the tournament (including its predecessor, the European Cup). Also, England star (and new Bayern Munich talisman) Harry Kane became only the third Englishman to score 25 Champions League goals (after Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling). But which players make up the top 10 all-time goalscorers in Europe’s elite club competition?

In this article, we’ll run through the top 10 goalscorers, covering both the Champions League and the European Cup (that began in the 1955/56 season). Then we’ll delve a little deeper into the top five and find out what other goalscoring records they set on Europe’s grandest stage.

All-time Top 10 Champions League/European Cup Goalscorers

Player Goals Games Years Playing Club(s)
Cristiano Ronaldo 140 183 2003 to 2022 Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus
Lionel Messi 129 163 2003 to 2023 Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain
Robert Lewandowski 92 114 2011 to present Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona
Karim Benzema 90 152 2005 to 2023 Lyon, Real Madrid
Raúl 71 142 1995 to 2011 Real Madrid, Schalke
Ruud van Nistelrooy 56 73 1998 to 2009 PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid
Thomas Müller 53 145 2009 to present Bayern Munich
Thierry Henry 50 112 1997 to 2012 Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona
Alfredo Di Stéfano 49 58 1955 to 1964 Real Madrid
Andriy Shevchenko 48 100 1994 to 2012 Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan, Chelsea
Zlatan Ibrahimović 48 124 2001 to 2021 Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United

Note that Andriy Shevchenko and Zlatan Ibrahimović are in joint-10th position in the all-time list.

There are no real surprises to see two of football’s all-time greats at the top of the list, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi being the only two players to have netted more than 100 goals in the Champions League. They have very similar goals-to-game ratios (0.77 for Ronaldo and 0.79 for Messi), but both are behind Robert Lewandowski (0.81 at the time of writing) and the Real Madrid legend, Alfredo Di Stefano (0.84).

Only one player in the top 20 can better Di Stefano’s ratio… you’ve guessed it, Man City’s Erling Haaland. At the time of writing, the Norwegian ace has an astounding goals-to-game ratio of 1.15, and if he keeps going like that it won’t be long before he ascends into the top 10! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. There’s a long way to go for Haaland to get near the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, so let’s take a closer look at their Champions League goal-getting exploits, along with the other three players in the top five.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 140 Goals in 183 Games (0.77 Goals Per Game)

Arguably the greatest player in the history of the game (although the man directly below him in the table might have something to say about that), Cristiano Ronaldo was a goal machine in the Champions League. Banging in plenty of (often crucial) goals for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, CR7 also tops the all-time list for the number of Champions League appearances.

The Portuguese legend was the top scorer in the Champions League for six seasons in a row (from 2012/13 to 2017/18) and also the top scorer earlier on in his career (2007/08). He holds the top two positions for the most Champions League goals in a season (17 in 2013/14 and 16 in 2015/16) and is also joint third, just for good measure (with 15 goals in 2017/18). He’s the only player to score three hat-tricks in the competition in a single season (2015/16) and shares the record for the total number of Champions League hat-tricks with Messi (with eight apiece). He holds numerous other records in the competition too, but let’s leave it there or it might just go to this head!

Lionel Messi – 129 Goals in 163 Games (0.79 Goals Per Game)

Lionel Messi certainly has valid claims as being the best footballer ever, though most objective pundits would put him just behind Ronaldo. Certainly, when it comes to Champions League goalscoring exploits, the Argentine great has to play second fiddle to his rival.

Having said that, Messi does hold a good number of Champions League records. As well as the aforementioned joint record for the most hat-tricks, Messi has scored more home goals in the tournament than any other player (78) and the most for any single club (120 for Barca). He’s also scored more than anyone else in the Group Stage (80) and the Round of 16 (29), and he’s one of just three players to have scored five goals in a Champions League match (excluding preliminary rounds), although 10 players achieved that feat in the pre-Champions League-era European Cup.

Robert Lewandowski – 92 Goals in 113 Games (0.81 Goals Per Game)

Robert Lewandowski is one of only two players in the current top 10 who is still playing in Europe (along with Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller), but we can’t realistically see him challenging the top two. He does have a reasonable chance of making it to 100 Champions League goals, although he’s 35 now so he might not have many more seasons left to achieve that milestone.

Lewandowski scored the majority of his CL goals for Bayern (69 in 78 games), including the 15 he scored in the tournament in the 2019/20 season (the joint-third-best total in a single season). He holds the record for the fastest hat-trick in a CL game (from the start of the match) and he’s the only player to have scored hat-trick for three different sides in the competition.

Karim Benzema – 90 Goals in 152 Games (0.59 Goals Per Game)

Like Ronaldo, Karim Benzema has left Europe for the green grass of Saudi Arabia! Before that, though, he was a regular scorer in the Champions League, first for Lyon (for whom he scored 12 goals in 19 games) and then, more famously, Real Madrid (78 goals in 133 games). He’s the oldest player to have scored a hat-trick in the tournament, getting a triple against Chelsea in 2022 at the age of 34 years and 108 days. He is also one of just two players (along with Ronaldo) to have scored 10 goals in the knockout phase of the competition in a single season (in 2021/22), the season in which he notched a total of 15, the joint-third-highest number in a single campaign.

Raúl – 71 Goals in 142 Games (0.5 Goals Per Game)

Spanish great Raúl completes our top five, and though he’s long since retired, he made his mark on the competition early in his career and still holds the record as the youngest player to have scored a Champions League hat-trick (aged just 18 years and 114 days). He was also the first player to make it to 100 Champions League appearances, all of those having been while playing for Real Madrid (though he later appeared – and scored – for Schalke in the tournament).

Wayne Rooney’s Managerial Career So Far: Derby Country, Washington & Now Birmingham

Wayne Rooney Training

Wayne Rooney was a legend at Everton before he even turned 18. Before his 19th birthday, however, he had moved to Manchester United and was reviled by many supporters of his boyhood club. He would go on to become the leading scorer for the Red Devils and whilst with United became England’s all-time top scorer too (a record since surpassed by Harry Kane).

Despite these achievements, some still feel he didn’t fulfil the immense potential he showed as a youngster – he was named in Team of the Tournament for Euro 2004 when aged just 18 and at the same age scored a hat-trick (and recorded an assist) on his Man United debut: in the Champions League! He won the Champions League with the Red Devils, made two further finals, claimed five league titles, three EFL Cups and an FA Cup with the club and was the England Player of the Year on four occasions. So, whether he truly maxed out his potential or not, Rooney was a top, top footballer and one of England’s greatest ever.

But what about Rooney the coach? The former Everton starlet will not turn 38 until the end of October 2023 but has already tried his hand at management with two different clubs, in two different countries. Or three if you include his role as England manager at Soccer Aid in 2020! It has always been clear that the Scouser lived and breathed football. In addition, whilst his footballing brain was never doubted, he is far more intelligent in general terms than many give him credit for. As such, his early involvement in management should come as no surprise, but how has the 2004 winner of the Golden Boy Award fared in the dugout?

Derby County: Young Boss Shows Appetite for Management

derby county logoRooney’s post-Man United playing career entailed one season back at Everton, where he netted 10 league goals in 31 games, before two seasons in the MLS with DC United. He created some magical moments in America and was a hit with the fans, but moved back to English football in August 2019, signing as player-coach with Championship side Derby.

Derby had a host of issues on and off the pitch and after a particularly woeful start to the 2020/21 season, Rooney was part of a four-person interim coaching group that replaced the sacked Phillip Cocu. It was soon announced that Rooney would be the sole manager, with the Rams in last place in the second tier, having lost their last four games and sitting six points from safety.

They went on a superb run and despite a poor set of results during the run-in and a host of injury issues, Derby maintained their Championship status. The following season they entered administration and were hit with a 12-point deduction. A further nine-point penalty for financial irregularities gave them a sizeable mountain to climb to achieve survival and despite winning a very impressive 40 points at home they were relegated.

In the end they finished on 34 points, though they won 55, and this meant they fell seven points short of safety. Rooney worked tirelessly and contributed his own money to improve the club’s staff and facilities in order to try and keep them up. Operating with no budget and a host of youth players, Rooney won a lot of plaudits for keeping his side in the hunt for so long but in the end it wasn’t to be. Overall he won 24 of 85 games with the club, drawing a further 22, which could be seen as a decent performance under the circumstances.

Move Back to Washington Somewhat Underwhelming

DC United LogoHis work with County had taken its toll on Rooney and with the club still in administration as they prepared for League One he resigned, saying that the club needed fresh energy. Within three weeks he had swapped the East Midlands for Washington DC, being appointed Head Coach of former club DC United on the 12th of July 2022.

The club had been one of MLS’s big hitters in the 1990s but had struggled for some time. They have twice finished last in the league and frequently missed out on the play-offs and Rooney was unable to turn this round. He only took charge midway through the 2022 campaign but was unable to take them off the bottom of the overall regular season table; and when they failed to qualify for the play-offs in 2023 he left the club, officially by mutual consent.

The headline stats of his time in Washington do not look great. He was in charge for 53 matches, winning just 14 (26.4%), drawing 14 times and losing 25 times. That would amount to 56 points from 53 games and would, in a typical English league, probably be enough to keep a team in their division but nothing more. However, given he took over when the club was on a downward trend and had struggled for many years, it may be argued that this was not perhaps as bad as it appeared.

What Next for Rooney?

Birmingham City LogoRooney has long said that he was keen to earn his managerial stripes and make slow progress, learning from different leagues and cultures. Thus far he has enjoyed some success, some failure and some rather middling periods as a boss. However, at the time of writing, he is being linked to the vacant position at Birmingham, and a return to the Championship – a league he clearly knows better than MLS – would seem a reasonable option.

He has been strongly linked to the Everton job in the past and if he wanted he could probably secure a post in the Premier League if he waited a little while. His willingness to work hard, with severe financial restrictions, would make him attractive to a PL struggler but we feel he is most likely to seek to progress his career a little further away from the limelight. On the 10th of October Birmingham announced that a new boss “will be announced in the coming days who will be responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style”. Perhaps Rooney’s “once a Blue, always a Blue” declaration is back on again?

Update: On the 11th of October Birmingham City appointed Rooney.

Francis Lee’s Stats & Honours – Farewell to a Man City Legend

Man City Stadium

Manchester City have had plenty of fantastic players in the modern era. But in early October 2023, the club said farewell to one of their all-time greats, Francis Lee.

Unfortunately, the former Bolton Wanderers, Man City, Derby County and England forward lost his long battle with cancer at the age of 79. However, “Franny” will be remembered fondly by fans of his three clubs, England supporters and many a neutral who witnessed his goalscoring prowess and the unapologetic swagger with which he played.

Let’s take a closer look at Lee’s career that began back in 1960 when he made his debut for Bolton Wanderers at the age of 16.

Francis Lee’s Career in Numbers

Team Dates Games Goals Honours
Bolton Wanderers 1959-1967 210 106 None
Manchester City 1967-1974 330 148 First Division Title (1967/68)
FA Cup (1968/69)
League Cup (1969/70)
Charity Shield (1968, 1972)
UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1969/70)
Derby County 1974-1976 80 30 First Division Title (1974/75)
Charity Shield (1975)
England 1968-1972 27 10 None
Total 647 294

Bolton Wanderers – Learning from a Legend

bolton wanderers logoLee made his debut for Bolton aged 16 in November 1960 against a side he would come to know and love: Manchester City. He scored in the match, as did his strike partner on the day, 35-year-old Bolton and England legend Nat Lofthouse. Lee was still an amateur at the time and didn’t turn pro until May 1961, but he soon earned his paycheque as he was the club’s top scorer in four of the next five seasons.

His goalscoring exploits attracted the attention of many other clubs, with Matt Busby at Man United and Bill Shankly at Liverpool both reportedly interested in signing Lee. But it was Joe Mercer’s Manchester City who got their man for a club-record fee of £60,000 in September 1967 – roughly what Kevin De Bruyne earns in a day now!

Man City – Sustained Success at City

manchester city logoThe move to City worked brilliantly for both Lee and his new club as he slotted seamlessly into the team that contained stars including Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee and Neil Young. In his first season at the club, Lee scored 17 goals (including 16 in 31 league matches) and City won their first top-flight title since 1936/37, then only the second in the club’s history.

The silverware continued to flow the following year as City took the Charity Shield and the FA Cup, then in 1969/70 the Citizens added the League Cup and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. City couldn’t mount another effective challenge for the First Division title but Lee continued to hammer in plenty of goals and provide no shortage of assists too.

He was the top scorer for City in four of his seasons at the club, including when he bagged a very impressive total of 35 in 1971/72… with a record 15 of them coming from the penalty spot! He also set a record for the most goals in Manchester derbies (10) that stood until Wayne Rooney edged past it in 2013.

Derby County – Another Team, Another Title

derby county logoLee moved on from Man City to join Dave Mackay’s Derby County in 1974. The club had won the First Division title under former boss Brian Clough and now Mackay was hoping to emulate that success… and for Franny Lee to help him do it. Lee was brought in to bolster what was already an impressive attacking line-up that included Kevin Hector, Bruce Rioch and Roger Davies. Lee didn’t quite hit the scoring heights he’d achieved at City, but he netted 12 league goals in 34 appearances, including one or two crucial strikes, and Derby clinched the title by two points from Liverpool.

Although he will be mostly remembered for his goals, Lee was involved in an incident that will be remembered for as long as many (perhaps any) of his goals. The incident in question was essentially a full-on fistfight with Leeds United hardman Norman Hunter in 1975. Given Hunter was almost four inches taller than Lee (and also had the ominous nickname “Bites Yer Legs”), Lee certainly showed his courage when he went toe-to-toe with the Leeds brawler.

England

England Football LogoHad Lee developed his scoring skills just a little sooner, he might have been involved in England’s 1966 campaign. To be fair, though, Al Ramsay’s men did pretty well without him. As it was, Lee made his England debut a couple of years later in 1968 against Bulgaria in a friendly match. He scored his first of 10 goals for his country in his next game in a one-sided 5-0 thrashing of France. (How the modern-day England team would love a result like that!)

Although he missed out on the 1966 tournament, Lee was in the England squad in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. He played in three games but couldn’t find the back of the net. He did become the first England player to receive a yellow card at a World Cup (FIFA had only just introduced them), but he would have happily forgotten that “honour”. Unfortunately for Lee and England, the Three Lions couldn’t capitalise on their 2-0 lead against West Germany in the quarter-finals and ended up losing 3-2!

Lee scored in his next three England games after the 1970 World Cup and then – after a mini-drought by his high standards – he scored in his final match for England, a 3-1 defeat to West Germany in a Euro 1972 qualifying match.

Post-Football Business Career

After retiring from the game, Lee became a successful businessman and created a toilet roll manufacturer (that reportedly once employed the comedian Peter Kay!). After making a few quid, Lee gained enough clout to become the Man City chairman in 1994… but things didn’t go quite to plan and on the pitch, the team couldn’t live up to Lee’s ambitions.

Of course, Lee will be best remembered for his playing days and his many, brilliant goals… including this classic that he scored for Derby against his old club Man City (and that has become immortalised almost as much for Barry Davies’s commentary as the strike itself):

Have Newcastle Ever Won the Champions League? The Magpies Appearances in Full

Newcastle United Shirt and Crest

On Tuesday 19th September 2023, Newcastle United made their return to the Champions League after a long absence. They battled to a hard-fought 0-0 draw in the San Siro against AC Milan and that has to be viewed as a positive result. The Magpies are up against it in a very tough Group F, with Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund making up the quartet.

A point away was a solid start but it should be noted that Milan were beaten 5-1 by local rivals Inter in their last league game. Moreover, Newcastle were decidedly second-best here and could easily have lost the clash.

Nonetheless, many of their fans will simply be glad to be back in the Champions League, given they last played in the competition back in 2003/04. But have the Magpies ever won the Champions League or its forerunner, the European Cup? What has been their best performance in the competition and what does their overall record look like?

Have Newcastle Ever Won the Champions League?

Champions League TrophyThis is a nice easy starter for us because no, Newcastle United have not won this competition, either in its days as the European Cup or since the Champions League rebranding. In fact, prior to the birth of the CL, the North East club had only ever enjoyed four seasons of European competition, with three of those coming in the non-UEFA-sanctioned Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and one in the UEFA Cup (all between 1968/69 and 1977/78).

They have managed to make it into UEFA’s top-tier competition since 1992, however. They had to work their way up to it though, playing in the UEFA Cup (the forerunner to the Europa League) in 1994/95 and again in 1996/97.

How Many Times Have Newcastle Appeared in the UEFA Champions League?

The famous black and white striped shirts of the Geordies have graced this elite-level competition just four times in total. That includes the 2023/24 campaign. Their previous appearances came in the 1997/98 season, then in 2002/03 and again in 2003/04.

It is safe to say, then, that they are far from regulars. With a 20-year wait since their last appearance it is easy to see why the Toon Army were so keen to enjoy their trip to Milan in 2023/24. However, thanks to their Saudi backing they will hope to establish themselves as UCL regulars in the years ahead and, in time, perhaps even challenge for the title – and then go on and win it!

What is Newcastle’s Best Performance in the CL?

Well, as we have established, the Geordie boys have now been able to celebrate lifting this prestigious event and, in fact, have only made it to the start line three times previously. As such, we don’t have a great deal to choose from when it comes to their “best ever” performance.

However, in 2002/03 they managed to progress through two rounds of the competition. The format of the CL has changed numerous times over the years and so direct comparisons cannot necessarily be made but in 2002/03 Newcastle not only made it through the Third Qualifying Round but also advanced from the Group Stage. There were two group stages that season though and they were eliminated at the 2nd Group Stage phase. Nonetheless, they managed seven wins in 2002/03, by far the most they have ever achieved.

1997/98: CL Bow Ends in Group Stage Pain

Newcastle finished second in the Premier League in 1996/97 and so qualified for the Group Stage of the CL the following campaign. Drawn against Dynamo Kyiv, Barcelona and PSV they would have fancied their chances but in the end had to settle for third place. They won two, lost three and drew one, as Barca took the wooden spoon and PSV qualified behind Kyiv.

2002/03: Tough 2nd Group Does for Toon

In 2002/03, Newcastle had to overcome Bosnian minnows FK Željezničar Sarajevo in the Third Qualifying Round, having finished fourth in the preceding campaign’s PL. They won both legs without conceding to advance with an aggregate scoreline of 5-0. Next up was a first group phase, with Dynamo Kyiv once again, plus Juventus and Feyenoord. Three wins and three defeats gave them nine points, meaning they advanced second behind the Italian giants but ahead of Kyiv (seven points) and Feyenoord (five). The Magpies recorded a 3-2 win in Netherlands thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Craig Bellamy to book their spot in the next round.

The CL briefly had a double-group stage and so next up the Toon faced a tricky task to get past Barcelona, Inter and Bayer Leverkusen. It proved too much and despite beating the Germans 3-1 both home and away, Sir Bobby Robson’s Newcastle could only finish third.

2003/04: Magpies Fail in Qualifying Round

Finishing third in the English top flight in 2002/03 meant that Newcastle once again had to play in the Third Qualifying Round. There were some big teams there with them, including former competition winners Celtic, Ajax and Benfica, plus the likes of Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Dynamo Kyiv. The Magpies were pitted against Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade and did the hard work by winning away from home in the first leg, Nobby Solano giving them a 1-0 victory. However, they lost the return 1-0 and after extra time the clash went to penalties. In a poor shootout, seven were missed but the Serbians progressed 4-3.

Newcastle United Champions League Record Appearance-Makers and Goalscorers

Alan Shearer Banner at Newcastle United football club

It is no real surprise to see Alan Shearer top the pile when it comes to the club’s top goalscorers in the Champions League. Mind you, given the Geordie legend only managed seven, albeit from just 14 games, it won’t be long before his record is broken. The second name on the list is, however, rather more surpising!

Top Scorers

  • Alan Shearer – 7
  • John Beresford – 4
  • Tino Asprilla – 4
  • Shola Ameobi – 3
  • Lomana LuaLua – 2
  • Hugo Viana – 2

Most CL Appearances

With the club set to play at least six games in 2023/24 and competition format changes as of 2024/25 that will probably mean five English teams in the CL, playing at the very least eight games, these records too may not last very long.

  • Shay Given – 20
  • Aaron Hughes – 15
  • Gary Speed – 14
  • Andy O’Brien – 14
  • Nolberto Solano – 14
  • Kieran Dyer – 14

What is the World Record Football Transfer Fee?

Neymar

Everybody knows that football is a world of silly money, with some of the latest deals to Saudi seeing players earn ludicrous sums of cash for plying their trade in what remains a very second-rate league. Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, is said to be earning around £173m a year, or almost £1m every other day!

However, one area where the Arab nation is not currently competing is in terms of transfer fees. That is not to say that players have not moved to the Saudi Pro League for substantial sums. Al-Hilal recently bought Alexsandar Mitrovic from Fulham for around £45m, the same club paying PSG a massive £77m for Neymar. Much as these fees are huge amounts of money – able to pay the average British worker for 1,607 years and 2,750 years respectively – in the big league of global world record transfers they are, dare we say it, trifling sums!

In case you have doubts over that assertion, here are the current five most expensive transfers in the history of football. Note that these are correct as of 22 August 2023 and as most were paid in Euros we have used that figure as standard. (Data comes from Transfermarkt)

1) Neymar, €222m, Barcelona to PSG

Neymar, whose deal to move to Saudi is worth around £170m a year, and includes the use of a private jet and a fleet, yes a full fleet, of supercars, has been sold for a total of €400m. That astronomical sum comes from just three deals and makes him the most expensive player in history in terms of total fees.

More than half of that huge total came from his move to PSG, after four seasons with Barcelona following his earlier move from Brazil. He netted 118 goals and provided a raft of assists in just 73 games in the French capital. However, he failed to help the club land the Champions League, which was a big reason why he was signed.

2) Kylian Mbappe, €180m, Monaco to PSG

Just a year after prising Neymar from Barca, the nouveau riche Parisians added the jewel in the crown of French football as well. Mbappe was just 18 when he made the move and the brilliant French attacker has delivered 213 goals in just 261 appearances for PSG. Mbappe has won almost everything the game has to offer and not yet 25 has already played in two World Cup finals.

However, despite playing with Neymar, Lionel Messi and a host of other expensive talent for PSG, the club, as said, have been unable to land the UEFA Champions League. Mbappe’s time in the capital seems set to end badly too, with the player trying to engineer a free transfer to Real Madrid when his contract ends, but PSG are desperate not to lose such a valuable asset without a fee. The player currently looks set to win the battle which is unlikely to go down well with many in France.

3) Philippe Coutinho, €135m, Liverpool to Barcelona

Coutinho was superb for Liverpool and looked capable of becoming one of the world’s very best players. A dream move to Barca came following a stunning run of form for the Reds but things quickly went wrong in Catalonia. In the end Coutinho played just 106 times for Barca and managed a disappointing 26 goals. On loan from them to Bayern, however, he did score a brace and register an assist … against Barca! What’s more, the Germans went on to win the CL, triggering a €5m add-on from Barca to Liverpool for him doing so that was, apparently, not club-specific!

3) Ousmane Dembele, €135m, Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona

Dembele was another Barca signing for big money that went badly wrong. Dembele was scintillating and mesmeric for Dortmund, although not so much in Spain. Over six injury-affected seasons the French ace played just 127 games and managed 24 goals. In August 2023 he moved to PSG for €50m, so at least the club recouped some of their cash.

5) Joao Felix, €122m, Benfica to Atletico Madrid

Felix is still 23 so could yet prove to be the world-class player Atletico Madrid thought they were paying more than £100m for. The diminutive attacking midfielder is as good as they come in terms of technique and skill but has not yet found a way to harness that at the highest level and convert his talent into goals and assists. A loan spell at Chelsea in 2022/23 didn’t really work out and the next few years will be massive for the Portuguese ace.

Why are the Discrepancies Between Different Lists of Transfers?

You may have seen other lists of transfers that look slightly different to this one. For example, Wikipedia, which many other websites would copy, list the following as the five most expensive transfers ever:

  • 1) Neymar, €222m
  • 2) Mbappe, €180m
  • 3) Coutinho, €145m
  • 4) Felix, €126m
  • 5) Enzo Fernandez, €121m (Benfica to Chelsea)

Clearly there is a lot of agreement between that and our top five, although Wiki rank Dembele as just the joint-11th most expensive transfer ever. The further down the list we go, the more discrepancies that appear and there are several main reasons for this.

Probably the most important are that the full details of transfers are increasingly not made entirely public and also that deals are often complex in their structure. It is always frustrating for fans to read that their much-loved star striker has been sold for an “undisclosed fee”. But more and more this is what we see, with both buying and selling clubs, as well as the players and their agents, not always keen for the fee to be known.

Second, it is becoming more and more common for transfers to have various performance-related add-ons. These may include the player making a certain number of appearances, starting a set percentage of games over a defined period, scoring a given number of goals or based on what trophies they help their new club win. Additionally, payments may be staggered over a number of years. Different sites may record such transfers differently, with some assuming that all add-ons will be met, others only counting the initial fee and yet others taking the middle ground and including extras they believe are highly likely to be triggered.

There are other reasons why figures may differ, including exchange rate complications, agent fees and also deals that include loans and/or deals for other players as well as the main transfer. In short, to some degree we should take such lists with a pinch of salt, although we can be certain that any player making any sort of top five or 10 such as this has cost a lot of money!

Biggest and Smallest Football Stadiums in the Premier League

Old Trafford Stadium Drone Shot

The Premier League is undoubtedly the richest league in the world and it can certainly make strong claims to being the best. In addition, it is probably the most watched sports league in the world, with the PL’s global popularity playing a big part in its wealth. However, it also does very well in terms of live attendances too, with a number of the division’s top sides boasting large stadia that are regularly packed.

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Can Manchester City do the Quadruple in 2024?

Etihad Stadium - Manchester City

In the 2022/23 season, Manchester City completed a historic treble, lifting the three biggest prizes that were on offer to them, in the shape of the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup. With the sustained brilliance of Man City in recent years, and also Liverpool, the “Q-word” has often been mentioned but no side has yet managed to win all four major competitions in the same campaign.

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Arsenal’s Premier League Near Misses: Six Times They Finished Second

Arsenal Emirates Stadium

At the time of writing, barring something of a miracle, Arsenal are going to finish as runners-up in the race for the 2022/23 Premier League title. This will be the seventh time the Gunners have finished in second place in the Premier League era, equalling the unwanted record currently held by Manchester United. In this article, we’ll take a look back at the other six seasons in which Arsenal were runners-up and we’ll attempt to figure out what went wrong.

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Who are the Most Valuable Football Players in the World Right Now?

At the start of May 2023 it was announced that Lionel Messi would be leaving PSG, whilst at the same time a report in Forbes magazine told us what we all knew anyway – that Cristian Ronaldo was the best-paid athlete in the world. Those two players have been uber-super-megastars of the past two decades and undoubtedly rank among the greatest players of all time.

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