Lionel Messi surpassed by Argentina teammate Julian Alvarez with amazing Champions League milestone
This Tuesday, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid faced off in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Los Blancos secured a valuable 2-1 victory, but one of the key moments of the day was the goal scored by Julian Alvarez, who reached an impressive milestone in the European tournament, surpassing his Argentina teammate, Lionel Messi.
With 31 minutes gone in the first half and Atletico Madrid trailing 1-0, Alvarez got the ball just outside the opponent’s box, dribbled past Eduardo Camavinga, and fired an amazing right-footed shot that left goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois helpless.
With this goal, Julian now has 15 goals in his first 26 Champions League appearances, including his time at Manchester City and his first months with Atletico Madrid. This achievement sees him surpass the statistics of soccer legends such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during the same period.
After his first 26 Champions League appearances with Barcelona, Messi had scored 13 goals—two fewer than Alvarez. Leo needed 29 games to reach 15 goals, although it’s worth noting that the Argentina superstar was only 21 years old at the time, while Alvarez is already 25.
The comparison between Alvarez and Cristiano Ronaldo
The contrast between Julian Alvarez and Cristiano Ronaldo in their early Champions League careers is even more striking. By the time CR7 reached 26 appearances in the competition, he had yet to score a goal. His first Champions League goal for Manchester United came in his 27th game, against AS Roma in October 2007.
To match the 15 Champions League goals that Alvarez now has, Cristiano Ronaldo needed 52 games—exactly twice as many as the Atletico Madrid striker. At that time, Ronaldo was 24 years old.
Who are the top scorers in the Champions League?
Julian Alvarez’s run in the UEFA Champions League has been remarkable. After just two and a half seasons in Europe, he has already won a title with Manchester City in 2023 and now plays a key role for Atletico Madrid as they pursue the elusive Champions League trophy.
While Alvarez’s tally of 15 goals in 26 games is impressive, he still has a long way to go to challenge the all-time top scorers in the competition. Leading the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, with 140 goals, followed by Lionel Messi with 129 goals. Robert Lewandowski currently sits third with 103 goals, and of these three, the Polish striker is the only one still active in the tournament, playing for Barcelona.
Other active players in the top rankings include Thomas Muller (56), Kylian Mbappe (55), Erling Haaland (49), and Mohamed Salah (47). While Alvarez remains far from these numbers, his current trajectory suggests he could soon join this elite conversation if he continues his impressive form.
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