The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. If you click links to other sites on this page, we will earn commission.
Champions League top scorer odds: Latest UCL top scorer odds for 2025/26
A look at the main contenders for the Champions league golden boot as the 2025/26 campaign gets underway
The Champions League returns this week as Europe’s top clubs compete for the ultimate prize in club football.
The road to Budapest begins for the 36 teams all in action over the next three days, with the Hungarian capital hosting the showpiece event in the club football calendar on 30 May.
Liverpool and Barcelona are the joint favourites in the Champions League odds, just ahead of the current holders Paris St-Germain, but that’s not the only outright market likely to be of interest to bettors.
Betting sites have also priced up a Champions League top scorer market and there’s no shortage of talent in the mix for the individual honour.
While the European Cup marks the biggest team honour a player can win in club football, the battle to be Champions League top scorer is among the season’s most hotly contested individual awards, in part due to the bearing it has on Ballon d’Or voting.
Finishing as Champions League top scorer means little to individuals who don’t go on to win the tournament, but a place at the top of the charts can cement football’s greatest individual honour if a player also manages to win the European Cup. Just ask some of the previous winners – Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are among those to top-score in victorious campaigns before collecting the Ballon d’Or.
Last season, Barcelona forward Raphinha finished as joint Champions League top scorer alongside Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy – with the duo both scoring 13 goals each – though neither player made it to the final, with Barca cruelly denied by a last-gasp winner away at Inter Milan in the semi-final.
Neither Raphinha and Guirassy features among the top contenders on football betting sites in this year’s Champions League top scorer odds. Here’s a look at the top contenders, according to the bookmakers.
Erling Haaland
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has already finished as the Champions League top scorer twice, despite being just 25! He won the award in 2020/21 and most recently in 2022/23 when he scored 12 times.
The Norwegian is averaging just over a goal per game in the Champions League with 49 goals in 48 matches and has made a strong start to this season, with 11 goals in six appearances for club and country.
Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé has scored goals wherever he has been, including 55 in 87 Champions League appearances for Monaco, PSG and Real.
He has previous when it comes to top scoring too, sharing the award at the end of the 2023/24 season with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, when the duo both scored eight goals.
Despite all of his goals and honours, the French captain is yet to lift the trophy, although he did finish runner-up in 2020, when his PSG side was beaten 1-0 by Bayern in Lisbon.
He scored seven goals in last year’s competition, including a hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Manchester City, and he already has six goals in six appearances for club and country this season, just picking up where he finished off at the end of the last campaign.
Robert Lewandowski
He might be one of the oldest players in the competition, but Robert Lewandowski is also one of the most potent strikers there is, so it’s no surprise to see him on the shortlist for the top scorer odds on betting apps.
The 37-year-old is third on the all-time Champions League scorers list behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, with 105 goals in 133 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and more recently Barcelona.
He was the leading scorer back in 2020, when he scored 15 goals and finally ended the 12-year dominance by Ronaldo and Messi.
The Barca striker scored 11 goals in the competition last season as he finished the campaign with 33 goals for the Spanish giants and Poland, and he already has three in his last two games, including two against Valencia last time out.
Mohamed Salah
Mo Salah is yet to really start firing this season, but he still has three goals, including the winner against Burnley from the penalty spot on Sunday.
It’s going to be hard for the Liverpool star to better last season when he scored 35 goals, although only three came in the Champions League, taking his tally to 47 in 88 UCL appearances.
He currently sits 14th on the all-time leading scorer list, but he will be eying sixth-placed Thomas Müller, who is just 10 goals ahead.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane makes scoring look easy, with 109 goals in 126 games for club and country since joining Bayern Munich in August 2023.
He has 40 goals in just 57 Champions League appearances, for Tottenham and Bayern, including 11 goals last season in a campaign which started with four goals, three from the penalty spot, in a 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb.
The England skipper has scored nine goals in six appearances so far this season, making him a player to watch. With Bayern facing off against the likes of Pafos, Club Brugge, and Union St-Gilloise, as well as old rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, he is sure to be among the goals.
Please gamble responsibly
If you plan to have a bet on the football this week, make sure to gamble responsibly.
It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using the best betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.
Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.
It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bet offers or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.
You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.
You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
We aim to offer every online gambler and reader of The Independent a safe and fair platform through unbiased reviews and offers from the UK’s best online gambling companies.
Gambling can be addictive, always play responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling sites have a number of tools to assist you to stay in control, including deposit limits and time outs. If you think you have a problem, advice and support is available for you now from BeGambleAware or Gamcare.
Any offers or odds listed in this article are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Terms & Conditions apply to all offers.
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks