Ranking the top 5 UEFA Champions League goalscorers of the last decade
UEFA Champions League is football's Holy Grail. Many legendary names in the sport have etched their names in Europe's premier club tournament, some by becoming prolific scorers on the highest stage.
In the last decade, these five players have been the most prolific in the UEFA Champions League:
#5 Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) - 42 goals
Not the name you were expecting in the top five, right? But the fact is, Thomas Muller was once a prolific scorer for Bayern Munich in Europe. He's only transitioned into a more creative role in the last few years.
Even then, with 42 goals in the Champions League, the Raumdeuter ranks fifth in the list of the competition's highest scorers of the last decade, narrowly edging past Neymar.
His exploits in the past have played a key role in Bayern's impressive European run, netting eight times in the 2012/13 season when they clinched their first treble, and another eight times during the 2015/16 campaign as the Bavarians went out in the semi-finals.
However, Muller's goalscoring output has significantly declined in recent years, and he has netted only six times in the past three Champions League seasons combined, although he ranks above everyone else in the squad in terms of goals created.
#4 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) - 52 goals
A name that's on the all-time list too, Karim Benzema ranks fourth with 71 goals, level with former teammate and Real Madrid legend Raul. So it's only a matter of time before he makes the position his own.
Some of these goals have come with Lyon, his first club, but in the last decade, the French striker has been at the forefront of Madrid's exploits in Europe, netting 52 times from the 2011/12 season onwards.
Playing alongside more glamorous stars might have led to him being eclipsed often, but Benzema boasts a great goalscoring record in the competition. He's scored at least four times in these past 10 seasons, with his personal best being seven in the 2011/12 season.
If you'd ask him, Benzema would say his most important goal was certainly the one he scored against Liverpool in the 2018 finals.