Anthony Gordon joined an elite group of players when he scored four times in Newcastle United’s 6–1 thrashing of Qarabağ, kicking off their Champions League knockout playoff in comprehensive fashion.
Prior to kick off in Azerbaijan, only 17 four-goal hauls—by 15 players—had been recorded in the competition since it rebranded from the European Cup in 1992. Two of those prolific players even managed to score a fifth goal in a single game.
Two of Gordon’s four goals came from the penalty spot, but all were scored in the first half alone. That isn’t as quick as you might think and doesn’t even crack the top 10 for the England winger.
The two five-goal hauls in the Champions League belong to Lionel Messi—who else?—and former Shakhtar Donestk striker Luiz Adriano. Messi scored five times in an hour against Bayer Leverkusen during the 2011–12 season, in which he managed 73 goals in total. Adriano eclipsed that by scoring his quintet of goals in only 54 minutes, against BATE Borisov in 2014–15.
The fastest four-goal haul in Champions League history was scored by Robert Lewandowski, who remarkably hit the net four times in only 14 minutes when Bayern Munich faced Red Star Belgrade during 2019–20, eventually lifting the trophy in the Covid-disrupted season.
Lewandowski is the only player other than Messi who appears twice on the list. His other was significantly slower—in 59 minutes—but came against the mighty Real Madrid in the semifinals, when the Pole was leading the line for Borussia Dortmund in 2012–13.
Cristiano Ronaldo also makes the list, albeit only once, for his four-goal haul for Real Madrid against Malmö during the 2015–16 group stage.
All-Time Champions League Four-Goal Hauls
| Player | Opponent | Season | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar Donetsk) | BATE Borisov | 2014–15 | 54 (5 goals) |
| Lionel Messi (Barcelona) | Bayer Leverkusen | 2011–12 | 60 (5 goals) |
| Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) | Red Star Belgrade | 2019–20 | 14 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) | Malmö | 2015–16 | 20 |
| Mario Gómez (Bayern Munich) | Basel | 2011–12 | 23 |
| Dado Pršo (Monaco) | Deportivo La Coruña | 2003–04 | 23 |
| Bafétimbi Gomis (Lyon) | Dinamo Zagreb | 2011–12 | 26 |
| Marco van Basten (AC Milan) | Göteborg | 1992–93 | 30 |
| Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich) | Tottenham Hotspur | 2019–20 | 35 |
| Zlatan Ibrahimović (Paris Saint-Germain) | Anderlecht | 2013–14 | 45 |
| Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) | Qarabağ | 2025–26 | 46 |
| Simone Inzaghi (Lazio) | Marseille | 1999–00 | 54 |
| Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund) | Real Madrid | 2012–13 | 59 |
| Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) | Fenerbahçe | 2004–05 | 60 |
| Lionel Messi (Barcelona) | Arsenal | 2009–10 | 67 |
| Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) | Sevilla | 2020–21 | 75 |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd) | Sparta Prague | 2004–05 | 76 |
| Josip Iličić (Atalanta) | Valencia | 2019–20 | 79 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Every Player to Score Four Goals in a Champions League Match.
