The third matchday of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League produced a record pace of goals, becoming the highest scoring round in the competition's history.
Across 18 matches on Tuesday and Wednesday, 71 goals were scored, surpassing last season's mark and the opening rounds of this season, per UEFA's official site.
Record breaking rounds in Champions League history
The third round tops the list with 71 goals in 18 games, making it the most prolific single round on record. The opening round sits in second place with 67 goals, tied with the fifth round of 2024-25, while the eighth round of that season posted 64.
Earlier rounds such as round one in 2000-01 with 63 goals in 16 matches and the second round of 2025-26 with 62 goals are also noted in the historical counts.
In the longer view, rounds from 2024-25 and 2022-23 feature totals between 58 and 59 goals, illustrating how this season has added a new benchmark for offense and entertainment.
How the record was reached
On this round, 18 matches produced six outcomes with five goals or more. Chelsea and Liverpool both won by five, while Ajax and Barcelona combined to score six in one game. Paris Saint-Germain shone with a seven goal haul against Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, underscoring the night’s offensive impact. Inter Milan and Manchester City also delivered strong results, and while many matches produced fireworks, three ended goalless.
Beyond the top scorers, Barca beat Olympiakos 6-1, Arsenal routed Atletico Madrid 4-0, and Leverkusen were on the wrong end of a 2-7 scoreline against PSG. Dortmund beat Copenhagen 4-2, Newcastle defeated Benfica 3-0, and Inter beat Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0; Villarreal were edged 0-2 by Manchester City.
Day 1 and Day 2 results and a quick look at past records
Day one saw Barca thrash Olympiakos 6-1, while Kairat Almaty and Paphos played to a goalless draw. Arsenal routed Atletico Madrid 4-0, and Leverkusen fell 2-7 to PSG. Copenhagen upset Dortmund 4-2, Newcastle beat Benfica 3-0, and Inter beat Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0; Villarreal were edged 0-2 by Manchester City.
On day two, Athletic Bilbao beat Qarabag 3-1, Galatasaray took down Bodø/Glimt 3-1, Monaco and Tottenham drew 0-0, Atalanta and Slavia Prague drew 2-2. Chelsea impressed with 5-1 over Ajax, Liverpool ran out 5-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich beat Club Brugge 4-0, Real Madrid edged Juventus 1-0, and Sporting CP beat Marseille 2-1.
Looking back, the 2024-25 season saw 618 goals in 189 games, an average of 3.27 goals per game, a record for total goals and scoring rate. Could this be surpassed again this season?
Various rounds across the tournament’s history have produced nights with extremely high totals, underscoring an ongoing offensive trend in European football.
Week’s context and key numbers
The record for a single group night under the current format shows 64 goals in 18 matches on January 29, 2025, when several fixtures lit up the pitch. The night featured strong scores across several games and helped push the nightly group total toward the record books.
In the broader historical arc, first rounds have hovered around the 67-goal mark, with the third round this season reaching 71. Other notable tallies include 62 goals in a second round, 58 in the 2012-13 fourth round, and 64 in the 2024-25 eighth round. The movement through rounds reveals how relentless the scoring trend has become.
The 1997 group stage night remains a landmark, when 12 matches produced 44 goals across the slate, with standout results such as Monaco’s 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen and Besiktas’s 3-1 over PSG. Real Madrid’s win over Porto and other fixtures added to a night of record-breaking numbers that still echo in current campaigns.
Overall, the season’s scoring tempo contributes to a narrative where records are increasingly within reach, and every round adds another page to Champions League history.
Punchline 1: If goals were currency, this round would have raised the interest rate and still bought a place on the scoresheet for every team involved. Punchline 2: In football, the only thing more unpredictable than a long-range strike is a defender attempting to wrap the net around the ball and calling it a day off.
