“Cristiano Ronaldo is unbeatable with his record of goals in the Champions League.”

The countdown to the 2026 UEFA Champions League final is accelerating, and attention has now turned to the semi-finals, where Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Atlético de Madrid are vying for a place in glory. However, as the clubs battle to advance, one question looms: which player will leave their mark in this decisive moment? And, more importantly, who will come closest to the absolutely surreal record of goals scored in the competition’s semi-finals since its restructuring in 1992?

Cristiano Ronaldo remains an almost unattainable figure when it comes to goals at this crucial stage of the Champions League. With an impressive total of 13 goals in semi-finals, CR7 is not only the all-time top scorer in the competition but also the only player to surpass the 10-goal barrier at this stage. His first goal in this phase came in 2007, playing for Manchester United against AC Milan, while his last scoring display was a hat-trick for Real Madrid against Atlético de Madrid, ten years later. A record that seems destined to remain untouched for a long time.

Also decisive in key moments, Karim Benzema has been Cristiano Ronaldo’s faithful partner in finding the net. The French forward scored his first semi-final goal in 2013 against Borussia Dortmund and maintained consistency over the years, including a monumental display in the 2021-22 season, where he scored a double in both legs against Manchester City, securing Real Madrid‘s passage to the final, which they would go on to win. Benzema repeated this feat in 2018, with a brace that eliminated Bayern Munich, in a run that culminated in Real Madrid’s third consecutive title.

Another name that cannot be overlooked is Robert Lewandowski, whose semi-final debut was a true spectacle: he scored four goals in just one hour in Borussia Dortmund’s 4-1 victory over Real Madrid. The other three goals in this stage were scored during his time at Bayern Munich, showing that the Pole is a constant threat when the pressure rises.

Lionel Messi, despite his undeniable talent, had a difficult start in this phase of the Champions League, taking six matches to finally score. From that point on, he did not stop, standing out with two goals in the first leg against Real Madrid in 2011 and repeating the feat against Bayern Munich in 2015, in a campaign that ended with the title for Barcelona. His last scoring appearance in the semi-finals was in 2019, against Liverpool, in a tie that was marked by the historic comeback of the English team.

On the podium of the top scorers in semi-finals, legendary names such as Alessandro Del Piero, who shone with Juventus in the 1990s, including a memorable hat-trick against Monaco in 1998, and Jari Litmanen, who scored repeatedly for Ajax during their golden era, helping the team reach the final in 1995, also appear.

Among the players with four goals in this phase are Sadio Mané, who scored for Liverpool in several ties, Thomas Müller, a specialist in goals against Barcelona, and Arjen Robben, whose performance in the semi-finals helped Bayern win the competition in 2013. Zinedine Zidane, Andriy Shevchenko, Riyad Mahrez, and Vinicius Júnior are also part of this select group, each with decisive moments that have been etched in the history of the Champions League.

Vinicius Júnior, in particular, has impressed with goals in both finals he has contested (2022 and 2024), in addition to being decisive in the semi-finals against Manchester City and Bayern Munich. The young star of Real Madrid seems to be on his way to leaving an indelible mark on European football.

This list is not just a summary of individual achievements; it is a true gallery of the greatest moments of drama, talent, and glory in the Champions League. As clubs prepare for the next round, the question remains: will anyone be able to challenge Ronaldo’s dominance, or will we witness a new era of stars writing their names in the history of the Champions League semi-finals? The spectacle is guaranteed, and the eyes of the world will be firmly fixed on this epic battle towards the 2026 final.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.