Mohamed Salah became the first African player to score 50 UEFA Champions League goals on Wednesday night, as he made massive contributions to Liverpool’s progression to the quarterfinals.
After the Reds had erased Galatasaray’s slender aggregate lead, Salah was denied his landmark goal from the penalty spot in the first half. But the Egyptian icon went on to set up Hugo Ekitiké for the decisive goal in the tie, before eventually scoring Liverpool’s fourth of the night at Anfield.
Salah had already outscored African legends like Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba in the Champions League, but has now reached his half-century in his competition. Overall, he’s joint 10th among the all-time top scorers, tied with Harry Kane and Thierry Henry.
The vast majority of the 50 goals have been scored since Salah joined Liverpool in 2017, but two came for Swiss club Basel—the forward’s first team in Europe—and another for Roma. He only made two Champions League appearances during a disappointing spell at Chelsea and scored in neither.
Salah’s most prolific Champions League season was 2017–18 when he scored 10 times. Liverpool reached the final but lost to Real Madrid in Kyiv, with Salah forced off due to a shoulder injury after a controversial early clash with Sergio Ramos.
Africa’s Top 10 European Cup/Champions League Goalscorers
| Player | Club(s) | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah (Egypt) | Basel, Roma, Liverpool | 50 |
| Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) | Marseille, Chelsea Galatasaray | 44 |
| Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon) | Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter, Chelsea | 30 |
| Sadio Mané (Senegal) | Liverpool, Bayern Munich | 27 |
| Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) | Leicester, Man City | 20 |
| Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon) | Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Marseille | 20 |
| Serhou Guirassy (Guinea) | Rennes, Borussia Dortmund | 19 |
| Victor Osimhen (Nigeria) | Lille, Napoli, Galatasaray | 16 |
| Seydou Doumbia (Ivory Coast) | CSKA Moscow, Basel, Sporting CP | 15 |
| Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon) | Porto, Beşiktaş | 14 |
| Rabah Majder (Algeria) | Porto | 12 |
Excludes qualifying rounds, accurate as of March 19, 2026
Arne Slot Praises Salah’s ‘Mental Strength’
After a superhuman season in 2024–25, Salah has appeared much more ordinary in recent months.
His limited output during Liverpool’s wretched run of form in October and November led to him being dropped, but it felt like the Salah of old was back on Wednesday night.
Even after an early setback in the game, seeing a spot kick saved, he didn’t shrink.
Ekitiké was grateful for the assist, calling his veteran teammate a “legend,” while Arne Slot alluded to his consistency at the highest level over many years.
Salah has only failed to start one of 14 Liverpool fixtures since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in January, before which it seemed entirely plausible he’d played his last game for the club. That sole absence over the last two months was the weekend’s 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, a deliberate move to rest him only three days before Galatasaray’s crunch visit.
“It says a lot about him after you miss the penalty just before half time. That can sometimes be hard for an individual or for a team,” Slot commented afterwards.
“So, he assisted the first to Hugo, great assist, and then scored a trademark goal, I think, which he scored many of, in this stadium for this club, coming inside, finding the top corner. So, that tells you a lot about his mental strength.”
“Injury-wise, he was asking for a substitution, not because he thought he had scored enough, but that he felt something, so let’s see where he is for the weekend.”
How Many Champions League Goals Can Mohamed Salah Score?
The Champions League 50 Club. pic.twitter.com/kRBwD08XYc
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) March 18, 2026
What number Salah finally ends on in the Champions League will depend on how the final chapter of his career unfolds. He has a contract with Liverpool until the end of next season, although it’s not out of the question that, approaching his 34th birthday and no longer the face of the club in the long term, he could leave at the end of the current campaign.
If he does leave Liverpool, Salah could join another club competing in the Champions League to continue adding to his goal tally in the competition. But Saudi Arabia is a very plausible destination, while Major League Soccer is also an intriguing option, especially now that Lionel Messi has breathed new life into the league as a place for veteran superstars leaving Europe.
With Liverpool playing at least twice more in the Champions League this season—against Paris Saint-Germain—Salah has every chance of surpassing Henry. The next inactive players on the all-time list are Ruud van Nistelrooy (56) and Thomas Müller (57), both within reach if Salah has another season in Europe with either Liverpool or another club.
After that, there is a big jump up to Raúl on 71, which is almost certainly too far. Salah is also likely to finish his career fewer Champions League goals than the other active players around him: Kane (50), Erling Haaland (57) and Kylian Mbappé (68) in the all-time standings.
Salah’s Place Among All-Time Leading Champions League Goalscorers
| Player | Club(s) | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Man Utd, Real Madrid, Juventus | 140 |
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain | 129 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona | 109 |
| Karim Benzema | Lyon, Real Madrid | 90 |
| Raúl | Real Madrid, Schalke | 71 |
| Kylian Mbappé | Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid | 68 |
| Thomas Müller | Bayern Munich | 57 |
| Erling Haaland | Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, Man City | 57 |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | PSV Eindhoven, Man Utd, Real Madrid | 56 |
| Thierry Henry | Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona | 50 |
| Harry Kane | Tottenham, Bayern Munich | 50 |
| Mohamed Salah | Basel, Roma, Liverpool | 50 |
Excludes qualifying rounds, accurate as of March 19, 2026
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mohamed Salah Makes Continental History with Latest Champions League Feat.
