Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has joined an elite Champions League class thanks to his hat-trick against Chelsea on Wednesday night.
The Frenchman has been arguably the best player across Europe this season, and he proved it again at a rainy Stamford Bridge.
It was his second hat-trick in two matches, having knocked out PSG in the round of 16 with a second-half treble just before the international break.
He has now joined a special group of players to have scored 80 or more goals in the competition, alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Robert Lewandowski.
⚪️ Karim Benzema becomes just the fourth player in history to score 80+ goals in the Champions League 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/2oLxdhjKil
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 6, 2022
All-time UEFA Champions League top scorers
- 🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo – 140
- 🇦🇷 Lionel Messi – 125
- 🇵🇱 Robert Lewandowski – 85
- 🇫🇷 Karim Benzema – 82
- 🇪🇸 Raul Gonzalez – 71
The treble took Benzema’s goal tally for the season to 11 goals in Europe, with a further 24 in LaLiga.
Benzema has a chance of matching or bettering Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals in a season, 16, during the 2015/16 season.
