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Elusive trophy
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The Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in the world and it's the dream of any footballer to lift the famous trophy. The European Cup was first established in 1955 with Real Madrid winning the inaugural tournament. The European Cup was renamed the Champions League ahead of the 1992/93 season and Los Blancos are the most decorated club in the competition’s history with 15 titles.
Five players are tied as the most decorated across the history of both incarnations of the tournaments and they unsurprisingly all represented Real Madrid. Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Nacho Fernández, Dani Carvajal and Paco Gento all have six Champions League titles to their name. The famous silver trophy, however, has proved elusive for so numerous world-class players and we’ve analysed which stars have scored the most Champions League goals without winning it.
Which players have scored most Champions League goals without winning the competition?
Ruud van Nistelrooy had previously scored the most goals in the Champions League without ever winning the competition. The Netherlands striker has an excellent scoring record in the competition with 56 goals in 73 games but never got his hands on his famous trophy at PSV, Manchester United or Real Madrid. That then changes on Tuesday night, when Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé took on Marseille and the French striker duly scored a brace in a dramatic 2-1 win. The result and performance now puts Mbappé top of the list of goalscorers without a Champions League trophy.
The Frenchman’s record in the Champions League is impressive with 57 goals in 88 games but he’s never lifted the trophy - Mbappe famously lost in the 2020 final with PSG. Some legendary names complete the top five in Zlatan Ibrahimović, Antonie Griezmann and Sergio Agüero. Harry Kane currently sits sixth but he will almost certainly enter the top five this season with Bayern Munich expected to ease into the last 16.
