Highest-scoring clubs in UEFA competition history
Friday, October 13, 2017
Article summary
As Atlético, Dortmund and Feyenoord approach milestones, we discover the identity of the all-time top scorers and the team with the best goals-per-game ratio.
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Article body
Atlético, Dortmund and Feyenoord could all reach goalscoring milestones on matchday three and that got us thinking – who are the most prolific sides in UEFA club competition history? And which teams have got their goals at the quickest rate? Answers below.
Most goals in UEFA club competition
It is perhaps no surprise that Real Madrid top the list – they have participated in UEFA competition in a record 61 seasons out of a possible 63 and their haul of 21 trophies is similarly unprecedented.
Some way behind, Barcelona and Bayern are the nearest challengers followed by Juventus and Benfica. But who would have guessed that Anderlecht have scored more than AC Milan, Ajax, Manchester United and Liverpool – winners of 19 European Cups between them?
| Pos. | Club | Goals | Pld | Goals per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Madrid | 1104 | 520 | 2.12 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 926 | 468 | 1.98 |
| 3 | Bayern | 870 | 439 | 1.98 |
| 4 | Juventus | 711 | 412 | 1.73 |
| 5 | Benfica | 655 | 405 | 1.62 |
| 6 | Anderlecht | 628 | 392 | 1.60 |
| 7 | AC Milan | 619 | 375 | 1.65 |
| 8 | Ajax | 614 | 377 | 1.63 |
| 9 | Man. United | 607 | 344 | 1.76 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 590 | 347 | 1.70 |
| Selected others | ||||
| 12 | Porto | 543 | 359 | 1.51 |
| 14 | Celtic | 527 | 336 | 1.57 |
| 17 | Atlético Madrid | 497 | 297 | 1.67 |
| 19 | Sporting CP | 450 | 291 | 1.55 |
| 26 | Tottenham | 404 | 205 | 1.97 |
| 28 | Dortmund | 399 | 235 | 1.70 |
| 29 | Feyenoord | 398 | 251 | 1.59 |
| 34 | Chelsea | 378 | 213 | 1.77 |
| 37 | Paris | 360 | 210 | 1.71 |
| 177 | Qarabağ | 87 | 86 | 1.01 |
Best goals-per-game ratio*
Real Madrid and Barcelona are up there once again – but German clubs have proved the most prolific down the years, making up three of the top four.
Mönchengladbach lead the way, a legacy of the attack-minded side of the 1970s that won five Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Cups, earning the nickname 'Foals'. They once pasted Dortmund 12-0, which remains the biggest ever Bundesliga victory.
| Pos. | Club | Goals per game | Pld | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mönchengladbach | 2.16 | 165 | 357 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 2.12 | 520 | 1104 |
| 3 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 2.03 | 106 | 215 |
| 4 | Bayern | 1.98 | 439 | 870 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 1.98 | 468 | 926 |
The small print
Statistics include the following competitions: UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Intertoto Cup, European/South American Cup. Qualifying isn't included.
*Only the 119 clubs that have played 100 games or more are considered.