Who Has the Biggest Impact in the Champions League?

Kylian Mbappé is one of the Champions League’s most consistent performers. With 64 goals in 92 appearances, he ranks as the 6th highest scorer in UCL history. His impact is defined by longevity, producing elite-level output since his 2017 breakthrough with Monaco. A defining moment came in 2021 with a hat-trick at Camp Nou against Barcelona, and now at Real Madrid, he continues to climb the all-time scoring charts while remaining one of Europe’s most dangerous transition threats.

Erling Haaland operates at an unmatched scoring level in the Champions League. With 55 goals in 54 matches, he is the fastest and youngest player to reach most major UCL scoring milestones, averaging 1.02 goals per game—the highest ratio in competition history among players with 50+ appearances. His most iconic display came in 2023 with a five-goal performance against RB Leipzig, and he already owns a Champions League title from Manchester City’s treble-winning season.

Vinícius Júnior has the fewest goals of the three (29 goals in 74 apps), but he is arguably the most successful in terms of direct impact on titles. He is a "big-game specialist" who has scored in two different Champions League finals (2022 and 2024), leading Real Madrid to two trophies in three years. His performance in late 2024—a second-half hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund to spark a 5-2 comeback—cemented his reputation as the player who takes over when his team is under the most pressure.

The "best" performer depends on your criteria. If the goal is pure scoring power, Haaland is statistically the greatest weapon the Champions League has ever seen. If the goal is all-time status and volume, Mbappé is on track to potentially challenge the records of Ronaldo and Messi. However, if the goal is winning and final-game impact, Vinícius Júnior is currently ahead, having delivered the most decisive moments in the biggest matches of the decade.