Harry Kane has joined an elite group of UEFA Champions League goal scorers after netting twice for Bayern Munich against Atalanta BC, reaching 50 goals in Europe’s premier club competition.
The milestone came in just 66 appearances, equalling the record set by Lionel Messi and placing Kane joint-third on the list of fastest players to reach the landmark.
Bayern had already secured a 6–1 aggregate advantage from the first leg, but coach Vincent Kompany fielded his strongest XI to ensure a commanding victory.
Kane’s goals highlight his seamless adaptation to Bayern since leaving Tottenham Hotspur FC, with the English forward scoring 11 goals in 13 Champions League games during the 2024/25 campaign.
According Planet Football on Thursday, here are the current top 10 players who reached 50 Champions League goals in the fewest number of matches.
Erling Haaland – 49 games
The Norwegian star shattered the record, reaching 50 goals in just 49 matches with an average of a goal every 80.82 minutes. Haaland is now on course to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time UCL scoring record.
Ruud van Nistelrooy – 62 games
The Dutch striker held the record as the fastest to 50 goals from 2007 to 2025, though he never won the UCL trophy despite his prolific scoring.
3. Lionel Messi – 66 games
Messi reached the milestone in record time, scoring 10+ goals in five UCL campaigns before leaving Europe in 2023 with 129 goals in 163 appearances.
4. Harry Kane – 66 games
Kane scored his first UCL goals in 2016 with Tottenham Hotspur FC and hit 49 and 50 goals with Bayern, tallying 11 goals in 13 games this season.
5 Robert Lewandowski – 77 games
The Polish forward has consistently scored in Europe since 2011–12 and is one of only three players to have surpassed 100 Champions League goals.
6. Kylian Mbappé – 79 games
Mbappé became the second-youngest player to reach 50 goals in 2024. Despite his scoring feats, he remains one of the few in the top 10 who has never won the competition.
7. Karim Benzema – 88 games
The French striker reached the milestone while winning five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, including a standout 2021–22 campaign where he scored 15 goals in 12 games.
8. Cristiano Ronaldo – 91 games
While Ronaldo holds the all-time UCL scoring record with 140 goals, it took him 91 games to reach 50. Early in his career, he averaged a goal every 194 minutes, though that rate improved dramatically later.
9. Raúl – 97 games
The Real Madrid legend won the Champions League three times and scored 10 goals in 15 appearances in the 1999–2000 campaign, including a final goal against Valencia.
10. Mohamed Salah – 97 games
The Egyptian star became the 12th player overall, and the first African, to reach 50 goals, striking against Galatasaray.
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