Since the Champions League was rebranded in 1992, only three players have managed to score five goals in a single match.
While Cristiano Ronaldo holds the majority of scoring records in the UCL, he doesn’t have a place on this list. He came close to scoring five during Real Madrid’s 8-0 hammering of Malmo back in 2015, but he only managed four goals that evening.
Having taken a closer look at the record books, these are the three players who have scored five goals in a single Champions League match since 1992.
Lionel Messi
The first player to score five goals in a UCL match was Messi back in 2012 as Barcelona smashed Bayer Leverkusen 7-1 at Camp Nou.
The Argentine magician started in a false nine role with Pedro and Cesc Fabregas supporting him from either side. It only took him 25 minutes to open the scoring on the night and then the rest is history.
He sealed his hat-trick in the 50th minute and then his five-goal haul was completed with a smart finish in the 85th minute.
Amazingly, he only had seven shots that night and he somehow managed to score with five of them. With that sort of efficiency, it’s no wonder he scored 91 goals throughout the calendar year.
“He’s the best [ever], there is no other like him,” Pep Guardiola said after Messi had put five goals past Leverkusen.
“The numbers speak for themselves. One day he’ll score six. We’ll never see a player like him again.’
“We witnessed one of Messi’s special nights tonight, it’s a gift and I will always be able to say that I coached him.”
What was particularly impressive about Messi’s performance was that all five of his goals were from open play, unlike the other two players on this list.
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Luiz Adriano
The second player to score five goals in a single UCL match was Adriano back in 2014. During a group stage game between BATE Borisov and Shakhtar Donetsk, the Brazilian forward was a cut above the competition.
The Ukrainian side ran out as 7-0 winners on the night with Adriano taking most of the plaudits for his five-goal masterclass.
With the likes of Taison, Alex Teixeira and Douglas Costa providing the service, it’s no wonder the Shakhtar Donetsk striker was presented with so many chances on the night.
During the game, Adriano scored a hat-trick within 12 minutes which is the third-fastest in Champions League history.
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian robot joined this exclusive list last year when he fired five goals past RB Leipzig during Manchester City’s 7-0 triumph at the Etihad.
Incredibly, it only took Haaland 35 minutes from scoring his first to fifth goal of the night which is quite ridiculous when you think about it. For context, Messi took 60 minutes to score five goals and Adriano 54 minutes.
Funnily enough, Josko Gvardiol was part of the Leipzig defence that shipped seven goals that night. He’ll no doubt be grateful that he’s now playing alongside Haaland instead of trying to stop him.
Shortly after scoring his fifth goal of the night, Guardiola substituted Haaland around the 60-minute mark. Had he left him on for the entire 90 minutes, who knows how many goals he would’ve scored that night.
