The 2025 Champions League final is fast approaching and in truth, it is an incredibly hard match to call.
Inter Milan, beaten finalists in 2023, take on Paris Saint-Germain, who are yet to win this competition having suffered defeat in the 2020 final.
With Champions League fever gripping the football world, the thought occurred to us to put an appropriate blog together with a distinct Belgian theme.
Of course, no players from Belgium will be partaking in this year’s final, but that won’t deter us.
So below, we have created a list of the leading Belgian goalscorers in the Champions League era, with a little bit of info on the five top dogs.
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Hans Vanaken – 10 goals
We start with a very familiar face thanks to his exploits in the Jupiler Pro League. Vanaken is a true legend at Club Brugge and he has played seven seasons of Champions League football. His 10 goals on the biggest European stage have come from 50 appearances, which is not bad at all for a playmaker. Vanaken’s most prolific campaign in this competition came in 2020-21, when he scored three goals in six group stage appearances.
Eden Hazard – 10 goals
Hazard was perhaps not as prolific in the Champions League for Chelsea and Real Madrid as he should have been. Ten goals from 61 matches is not the greatest of records for a winger of his undeniable quality. Hazard scored three goals in two separate campaigns for Chelsea (2014-15 and 2017-18), with his last goal in the competition coming in a Los Blancos jersey during the 2022-23 term.
Dries Mertens – 16 goals
Unlike Hazard, Mertens thrived in terms of goals on the Champions League stage. During his famous stint with Napoli, the versatile forward netted 16 goals in 34 appearances, which is close to a world-class return. During the 2019-20 campaign, Mertens netted six times in eight matches, a slight improvement on the five in eight from the 2016-17 season. It is perhaps no surprise that he is considered one of Belgium’s greatest ever players.
Kevin De Bruyne – 16 goals
Speaking of the finest players to come out of Belgium, it is time to focus on one who is regularly hailed as the best the nation has produced. De Bruyne dazzled on the Champions League stage in a Manchester City shirt and was a key part of the team which lifted the trophy in 2023. Hopefully we get to see him in the competition next season following his City departure!
Romelu Lukaku – 18 goals
Belgium’s record scorer on the international scene is unsurprisingly the country’s leading goal-getter in the Champions League era. Lukaku has scored goals in this competition for three different teams; Inter Milan, Manchester United and Chelsea. His tally of 18 goals has come from just 41 appearances, meaning he is averaging close to one strike every other game. Lukaku will be looking to add to his total next season in a Napoli jersey after a superb debut campaign under Antonio Conte’s rule.
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