10 players with the most braces in UEFA Champions League history
The UEFA Champions League has been graced by a plethora of world-class players, especially goalscorers, over the years.
Throughout the three decades of the competition, many fine players have scored goals galore, some doing so for multiple clubs. The trend has continued in the 2021-22 edition of the blue-riband event of European club football as well.
Across the first four matchdays of the 2021-22 Champions League, there have been quite a few braces (scoring two goals in a game) already. On that note, here's a look at the ten players with the most braces in the history of the competition.
Note: All stats are as per transfermarkt unless mentioned otherwise.
#10 Sergio Aguero (Barcelona) - 9
Sergio Aguero is one of the most prolific active goalscorers in the game at the moment and has scored 41 goals in the Champions League. He has netted at least once in each of his 12 previous campaigns in the competition, ten of them with Manchester City.
Now at Barcelona, the Argentine scored a brace for Atletico Madrid on his Champions League debut against PSV Eindhoven in 2008. His ninth and latest brace in the competition came almost two years ago, though, when he netted in City's 5-1 win over Atalanta.
Aguero's only hat-trick in the Champions League came against Bayern Munich in 2014.
1⃣ 2014: When Sergio Agüero became only the second player to score a Champions League hat-trick against Bayern ⚽️⚽️⚽️
@aguerosergiokun | @ManCity | #UCL https://t.co/RXmkfI6v7u
Last season, he played his first final in the competition, but drew a blank as the Cityzens lost to Chelsea by a solitary goal.
#9 Neymar (PSG) - 9
Neymar is one of the most skilful players to have graced the game. The 2015 Champions League winner recently made history by becoming the first player to score 20 goals in the competition for two different clubs.
Neymar has scored at least three times in each of his last eight Champions League campaigns. He has a rich haul of 41 goals and 31 assists in the competition.
20/20 - Neymar is the first player in the history of the European Cup/Champions League to score 20 goals for two different teams (Barcelona and PSG). Vision. https://t.co/dV75pUE6jC
After going scoreless in his first five Champions League games, Neymar opened his account with a hat-trick against Celtic in 2013. He scored his second hat-trick in the competition for PSG five years later, and added a third last year.
Only two of his nine Champions League braces have come with the Ligue 1 giants. Neymar has not scored in his last six games in the competition, though.
#8 Thierry Henry (Retired) - 10
Thierry Henry is one of the most prolific goalscorers to have graced the game since the turn of the century.
Arsenal's record goalscorer has scored 50 times in the Champions League for three different clubs, with most of his strikes coming for the Gunners. Henry was part of Barcelona's 2008-09 Champions League-winning campaign, netting five times that season.
@ThierryHenry @FCBarcelona Thierry Henry in the #UCL:
Games 112
Goals 50
2008/09 🏆
Favourite @ThierryHenry moment? ⚽️ https://t.co/7dPRQzQXXO
The Frenchman scored two braces in his first four games in the Champions League. Henry netted his last brace in the competition in 2009.
#7 Ruud van Nistelrooy (Retired) - 11
Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of the best goalscorers in Champions League history to have never won the competition.
The Dutchman was a three-time top-scorer in the competition, all with Manchester United, but never reached the final. During his five-season stint at United, Van Nistelrooy scored 35 Champions League goals.
🇳🇱 Ruud van Nistelrooy = great goalscorer 🔝
⚽️5⃣6⃣ 👕7⃣3⃣
#UCL | #TBT | @RvN1776 https://t.co/eELAqIiNGm
Seven of Van Nistelrooy's 11 braces in the competition came with the Red Devils, for whom he also scored a quadruple. He scored two Champions League braces with Real Madrid, with whom he also scored his 50th goal in the competition.