Goalscoring Record

Despite being eliminated by Bayern Munich, Kylian Mbappe eclipsed Lionel Messi’s personal best but fell short of matching Cristiano Ronaldo's record for goals in a single UEFA Champions League season. Kylian Mbappe‘s 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign came to a crashing halt Wednesday following Real Madrid’s 6-4 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal second leg. While the Frenchman managed to surpass Lionel Messi’s personal best, he ultimately fell short of matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s gold standard for goals in a single UCL season. Despite being sidelined for three matches, Mbappe enjoyed a prolific run in European play, netting a staggering 13 goals in just seven games during the league phase. Those historic numbers immediately put the Frenchman on a trajectory to shatter every existing record had Real Madrid managed a deeper run toward the final. His availability in the knockout stages was limited, featuring only in the first leg of the playoff round against Benfica and the second leg of the Round of 16 against Manchester City after missing time with a knee sprain. After going scoreless in those earlier rounds, Mbappe regained his form in the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich, scoring once in each leg of the series. His 42nd-minute strike at the Allianz Arena, assisted by Vinicius Junior, brought his tournament total to 15 goals. Although he shattered his previous personal bests of eight goals in the 2020-21 and 2023-24 campaigns, the premature exit effectively clipped Mbappe’s wings in his pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ultimate milestone. Messi left in the rearview When it comes to pure finishing, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remain the competition’s historical benchmarks. However, Mbappe’s 2025-26 output has already eclipsed the greatest single-season effort produced by the Argentine and Barcelona legend. By finding the net 15 times in 11 appearances, Mbappe surpassed Messi’s career-high for a single Champions League campaign. Messi’s most productive season came in 2011-12, when he scored 14 goals before Barcelona was eliminated by Chelsea in the semifinal stage. Remarkably, Mbappe now joins an elite club alongside Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski, who both reached the 15-goal mark in a single season. Benzema achieved the feat in 12 matches during the 2021-22 campaign, while Lewandowski hit the number in just 10 games in 2019-20; notably, Mbappe is the first to do so under the competition’s revamped format. Cristiano Ronaldo’s record remains safe While Mbappe was on a torrid pace, the quarterfinal exit preserves both of the high-water marks set by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese icon still holds the record for the most goals in a single Champions League edition, having scored 17 times in 11 games during the 2013-14 season. Furthermore, Ronaldo also maintains the second-best mark in history, a 16-goal barrage across 12 games in 2015-16. Mbappe’s mid-season fitness issues, which saw him sidelined for three matches, proved to be missed opportunities to catch Ronaldo, whose records will remain untouched for at least one more year.

Ronaldo is chasing a historic goalscoring milestone, and anticipation continues to grow ahead of kickoff. Cristiano Ronaldo once again steps into the spotlight as Al-Nassr prepares for a crucial Saudi Pro League clash against Al-Okhdood. With the season entering its decisive stretch, the league leader carries both momentum and pressure into a fixture that could shape the title race. There is also a deeper narrative unfolding around the Portuguese forward, one that adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already significant match. Ronaldo is chasing a historic goalscoring milestone, and anticipation continues to grow ahead of kickoff. The matchup presents a clear contrast between two sides with very different objectives. Al-Okhdood enters the game fighting for survival near the bottom of the table, while Al-Nassr leads the standings and aims to tighten its grip on the title. The home side has shown signs of life, recently securing a narrow win that has kept hope alive. Still, its overall record, just four wins in 27 matches, highlights the scale of the challenge ahead. MW28 is here ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/6B39jU7lxL — Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) April 8, 2026 What is the historic target? Beyond the team battle, attention inevitably shifts back to Ronaldo and what he stands on the verge of achieving. The forward has already amassed 97 goals in 100 Saudi Pro League games, placing him within touching distance of another remarkable milestone. In this context, the stakes become even clearer. As per YSScores, Ronaldo needs a hat-trick against Al-Okhdood to match the record for the fastest player to reach 100 league goals, a benchmark currently held by Abderrazak Hamdallah. Al-Nassr’s second all-time top foreign goalscorer accomplished this milestone in 101 matches. This pursuit adds a personal narrative to the broader title race, turning a routine league fixture into a potentially historic occasion. ❗ Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Pro League stats: — Games 100. — Goals 97. — Assists 18. pic.twitter.com/wR6h6rnWB8 — The CR7 Timeline. (@TimelineCR7) April 3, 2026 Al-Okhdood searches for resistance amid Al-Nassr’s relentless momentum Al-Okhdood’s campaign has been defined by inconsistency and defensive struggles. It has conceded heavily throughout the season, averaging more than two goals against per game, a number that reflects their vulnerability at the back. Despite that, recent performances suggest a willingness to fight until the end. Every remaining match now carries enormous importance, and facing the league leader could either spark belief or deepen their difficulties. In contrast, Al-Nassr arrives in dominant form, riding a wave of victories that has set it apart from the rest. Their latest result, a commanding 5-2 win against Al-Najma, once again showcased the Knight of Najd’s attacking firepower and ability to respond under pressure. The Riyadh club has now won 13 consecutive league matches, scoring freely and maintaining defensive discipline. Jorge Jesus’ player’s consistency, especially away from home, has been a defining feature of their title push.

Dharmesh Sheth is joined by Jonathan Liew, Martin Samuel and Dan Kilpatrick to reflect on the weekend’s sporting action. We begin with Forest’s sacking of Ange Postecoglou. Jonathan refers to his tenure as a disaster from start to finish, but does Ange have a future in the Premier League? Next, we look to Liverpool v Manchester United. Jonathan believes a direct approach, using longballs, is the best method to expose Liverpool’s defensive frailties and Dan suggests we’re seeing a transition in Slot’s side that was expected last season. We then turn to the title race and Arsenal’s away win at Craven Cottage; Jonathan is confident that Arsenal win the title this season, calling the set-piece winning goal “brutally efficient” and Martin compares this Arsenal to George Graham’s league-winning side. We also look at Erling Haaland’s incredible goalscoring record, with two goals in five minutes against Everton, and ask the question whether Manchester City are a little too reliant on the outstanding Norwegian this season? Finally, we look at talk of a “Beckham Bid” for Manchester United. Approached by UAE billionaires, David Beckham may be the face of a £5billion takeover bid. And whilst comparing both Man United and Liverpool’s models, we ask which is the bigger club? Running Order: 3mins – Ange Sacked 24mins – Liverpool v Man Utd 39mins – Title Race Chat 46mins – Haaland’s Goals 52mins – Man United Beckham Bid Sunday Supplement is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/sunday-supplement You can listen to Sunday Supplement on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Sunday Supplement". For all the latest football news, head to skysports.com/football For advertising opportunities or to get in touch email: [email protected]

Adam Hurrey is joined by Charlie Eccleshare, David Walker and Nick Miller to pick a lineup of players destined to be subject to the gravitational pull of the Premier League to give it (at least) one more crack in the next few years. The selection process involves some written-off goalkeepers, defenders who will come crawling back from Saudi Arabia, veteran midfielders doing one more season at their hometown club after winning the World Cup for England, Harry Kane’s carefully-planned final assault on Alan Shearer’s goalscoring record, and getting one step ahead of the Darwin Nunez redemption story. Meanwhile, the Adjudication Panel enjoys some fifth-division Sunday League pyro, Premier League club names in theme park YouTubers, a novel TV approach to denoting home and away fixtures and yet more accidentally musical commentary from Conor McNamara. Adam's book, Extra Time Beckons, Penalties Loom: How to Use (and Abuse) The Language of Football, is OUT NOW: https://geni.us/ExtraTimeBeckons Visit nordvpn.com/cliches to get four extra months on a two-year plan with NordVPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should Tarkowski have seen red for his challenge on Mac Allister? Were the officials right to allow Diogo Jota’s winner? Could Aston Villa’s ‘high risk’ January signings fire them to the Champions League again? Gary and Micah also dig into Alan’s goalscoring record at Newcastle to unearth a rather surprising statistic. Sign up to The Rest Is Football newsletter at therestisfootball.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jenny Chiu, Lisa Carlin, and Darian Jenkins are live in-studio to discuss all things women's soccer from around the globe. The show kicks off with a look at the WSL results from the weekend including the Manchester Derby that saw City thwart United 3-1 as Bunny Shaw becomes the team's all-time goalscorer during their run in WSL (2:19). Next, a chat about Sonia Bompastor who is reportedly set to take over for Emma Hayes at Chelsea when she departs at season's end (9:47). Then, a discussion about the USWNT announcement that they will play Mexico in a tribute friendly to the 1999 US World Cup winning side this summer. Is this a good idea just before the Olympics (12:14)? Next, a look at all the results from the NWSL weekend which saw Gotham FC hand Portland Thorns their first ever home opener loss (19:12). Then, Sandra Herrera is welcomed in to debate her NWSL power rankings which see San Diego Wave still sitting number one despite their loss this past weekend (31:59). And finally, a preview of the upcoming UWCL Leg 2 Quarterfinal matches (39:32). Watch USWNT, NWSL and WSL games on P+" with a link to https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ Attacking Third is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts. Follow the Attacking Third team on Twitter: @AttackingThird, @SandHerrera_, @LisaCarlin32, @Jordangeli , @JennyaChiu and @Darian_Jenks. Visit the Attacking Third YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/attackingthird You can listen to Attacking Third on your smart speakers! Simply say "Alexa, play the latest episode of the Attacking Third podcast" or "Hey Google, play the latest episode of the Attacking Third podcast." For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On The Overlap this week, we have an exclusive interview with England and Manchester United star Marcus Rashford, brought to you by Sky Bet. We caught up with Rashford during a pre-season training camp in Portugal as he gears up for his ninth season as a first-team player and his second under Erik ten Hag. Following his 30-goal haul last campaign – his most prolific yet – Rashford reveals how much his personal psychologist and strength & conditioning coaches have helped him recover from setbacks and injuries since bursting onto the scene in 2016. Marcus talks about the importance of having a close family network and overturning government policy, highlighting an all too real issue when he bumped into a childhood friend who had become homeless. Lastly, he reveals his ambitions for Manchester United, and what it would mean if he could break Wayne Rooney’s goalscoring record and his intention to win the biggest trophies at Old Trafford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has made history scoring his 50th goal of the season on Sunday - the most goals by a top-flight player for 92 years. How has manager Pep Guardiola got the best out of him? How can City look to ensure he stays for as long as possible? Where does this season rank him in terms of the greatest of Premier League strikers? Joining Ian Irving to discuss the goalscoring heroics of Erling Haaland we have The Athletic’s Man City writer Sam Lee as well as Jack Pitt-Brooke… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ste is here for the latest episode of Redmen Weekly as he introduces clips from the most popular shows on Redmen Plus this week! We start of with the Final Word show as the guys chat about the legend Mohamed Salah and the amazing goalscoring record he set in the 7-0 drubbing of Man United. Next up it's the Biased Football Show where the guys chat about the top 4 race heating up, the teams that we're fighting with and how we can get Champions League next season. After that it's Journo Insight and Neil gives us some insight on Diogo Jota and how he's settled at the club so far with rumours that he might be sold. Then to round us off, Ste chats to Ahmed Shooble, Bournemouth journalist for The Athletic to chat through the game tomorrow and we we should expect from The Cherries! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest AFTN Soccer Show is out and it's another packed episode. Our feature interview this week is with a rising young Vancouver Whitecaps talent, Canadian winger Ryan Raposo. We chat with Ryan about his impressive start to his time in MLS, how being away in Germany and college helps in lockdown times like these, getting into the Canadian Olympic mix, and more. We also look at the latest leaked plans from MLS about their proposed Orlando tournament and ponder whether it's all even worthwhile, plus we whip around Europe to chat about the latest news from the leagues trying to restart in the coming weeks, and update you on our beloved FK Slutsk and Vikingur Gota. Talking of MLS, there was a managerial appointment this week as Dutch legend Jaap Stam was named FC Cincinnati head coach. We talk about the appointment and bring you some of the most interesting highlights from his introductory press conference that we were on. And there's still time to bring you some audio with Christine Sinclair about breaking that golascoring record at just the right time, have a discussion on Alphonso Davies and the recent Province article breaking down some of the ins and outs of his transfer to Bayern Munich, and there's our usual musical delights of Wavelength and Three of a Kinf. Here's the rundown for the main segments from the episode:03.31: More details on MLS' Orlando plans emerge27.02: Ryan Raposo interview and discussion50.20: Jaap Stam names FC Cincinnati head coach - discussion and conference call highlights81.35: Wavelength - Neil Grant - Queen of the South anthem86.56: Around The World with Joe Corona - the latest from the European leagues, Slutsk and Vikingur updates, and Korean sex dolls106.25: Alphonso Davies discussion126.32: Christine Sinclair talks about the relief at breaking scoring record before football shut down