Highest-scoring UEFA Champions League XI of all time
The UEFA Champions League has been graced by a plethora of prolific goalscorers over the years.
The likes of Marco Van Basten, Ronaldo Nazario, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have scored goals galore in the competition.
While players in the attacking and middle third score the bulk of a team's goals, the Champions League has also had amazing goalscoring defenders. Remarkably enough, the goalkeepers have chipped in at times as well.
On that note, here's a look at the most prolific goalscoring XI in Champions League history. A 4-3-3 formation has been considered for this hypothetical XI.
So without further ado, let's get started:
Goalkeeper: Hans-Jorg Butt - 3 goals
Hans-Jorg Butt is one of a handful of goalkeepers to score in UEFA club competitions.
The 47-year-old has scored three goals in the Champions League, the most by a goalkeeper in the competition's history. Remarkably, he has scored for three different clubs in the competition against the same opponent - Juventus.
Butt made most of his 62 Champions League appearances for Bayer Leverkusen.
He also scored 26 goals in the Bundesliga, which is 24 more than any other goalkeeper in German top-flight history.
"Taking penalties also helped me save them," Butt later said. "Good penalty takers wait for the keeper to make a move, so it is good to stand still as long as possible. A duel of keeper versus keeper is the absolute climax of penalty taking."
Left-back: Roberto Carlos - 16 goals
Roberto Carlos is one of the best goalscoring full-backs in the history of the game. With 16 goals, the Brazilian has the most goals by any defender in Champions League history.
The three-time Champions League winner made over 100 appearances in the competition, boasting 41 goal contributions, all for Real Madrid.
Carlos scored breathtaking goals aplenty during his illustrious career. He also racked up key assists. One such assist set up Zinedine Zidane's winner in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow.
Centre-back: Sergio Ramos - 15 goals
Sergio Ramos is one of the finest goalscoring centre-backs to have graced the game since the turn of the century.
The 35-year-old has racked up 15 goals and 8 assists in almost 130 Champions League games. He has scored in all but five of his 16 seasons in the competition.
Ramos is among a handful of players to score in multiple Champions League finals, doing so in the 2014 and 2016 finals for Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid.
Now at PSG, the four-time Champions League winner will look to replicate his goalscoring exploits at his new club.
Centre-back: Gerard Pique - 15 goals
Gerard Pique is a quintessential modern-day defender, excelling at both ends of the pitch. He has scored 15 goals in the Champions League so far.
The four-time Champions League winner has made almost 120 appearances in the competition, with all but four of them coming for Barcelona. He has scored in 12 of his 17 seasons in the Champions League.
Pique is one of a handful of players to win the Champions League for two different clubs in as many seasons. The 34-year-old scored twice against Inter Milan in 2009-10, but defending champions Barcelona were beaten by the eventual winners in the semi-finals.
Right-back: Dani Alves - 12 goals
Dani Alves is one of the most prolific goalscoring defenders in the history of the game.
The 38-year-old redefined the role of full-backs in the modern game, thanks to his tireless runs down the flanks. He added width to his side's attack while also possessing the speed to track back and perform his defensive duties with aplomb.
Alves is the most decorated player in football history (43), with only the FIFA World Cup missing from his glittering trophy cabinet.
In over 100 appearances in the Champions League, most of them for Barcelona, Alves chalked up 12 goals and 16 assists.
The three-time Champions League winner enjoyed his most prolific campaign in the competition in 2016-17. He scored thrice and provided four assists in Juventus' run to the final, where the Bianconeri lost to Real Madrid.