The Champions League returns to television screens across the world this week.

Europe's top-tier competition is undoubtedly the biggest in club football, with the very best footballers battling for supremacy.

Given the quality level on show in virtually every single game, scoring and assisting goals on a regular basis are skills reserved for only those who fit into the world-class category.

Ever since the competition was rebranded for the start of 1992/93, the player who has finished with the most goal contributions in a single campaign has nearly always been a bonafide legend of the sport.

To highlight that fact, we've used Transfermarkt to work out the winner in that regard from each season and our findings can be viewed below.

Let's begin...

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1992/93 | Romario (PSV Eindhoven) - 8

Games: 9

Goals: 7

Assists: 1

1993/94 | Wynton Rufer (Werder Bremen) - 11

Games: 10

Goals: 8

Assists: 3

A recent image of Rufer

1994/95 | George Weah (Paris Saint-Germain) - 7

Games: 10

Goals: 7

Assists: 0

1995/96 | Jari Litmanen (Ajax) - 10

Games: 10

Goals: 9

Assists: 1

1996/97 | Marco Simone (AC Milan) - 9

Games: 6

Goals: 4

Assists: 5

Simone with AC Milan

1997/98 | Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) - 14

Games: 10

Goals: 10

Assists: 4

1998/99 | Dwight Yorke (Manchester United) - 16

Games: 11

Goals: 8

Assists: 9

1999/00 | Raul Gonzalez (Real Madrid) - 14

Games: 15

Goals: 10

Assists: 4

Raul with Real Madrid

2000/01 | Luis Figo (Real Madrid) - 14

Games: 14

Goals: 5

Assists: 9

2001/02 | Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United) - 10

Games: 14

Goals: 10

Assists: 0

2002/03 | Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United) - 15

Games: 9

Goals: 12

Assists: 3

Van Nistelrooy with Man Utd

2003/04 | Fernando Morientes (AS Monaco) - 12

Games: 12

Goals: 9

Assists: 3

2004/05 | Adriano (Inter Milan) - 10

Games: 7

Goals: 7

Assists: 3

2005/06 | Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) - 12

Games: 12

Goals: 9

Assists: 3

Shevchenko with AC Milan

2006/07 | Kaka (AC Milan) - 13

Games: 13

Goals: 10

Assists: 3

2007/08 | Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) - 10

Games: 12

Goals: 6

Assists: 4

2008/09 | Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 14

Games: 12

Goals: 9

Assists: 5

Messi in 2008

2009/10 | Ivica Olic (Bayern Munich) - 9

Games: 10

Goals: 7

Assists: 2

2010/11 | Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 16

Games: 13

Goals: 12

Assists: 4

2011/12 | Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 19

Games: 11

Goals: 14

Assists: 5

Messi in 2011

2012/13 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - 13

Games: 12

Goals: 12

Assists: 1

2013/14 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - 22

Games: 11

Goals: 17

Assists: 5

2014/15 | Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 16

Games: 13

Goals: 10

Assists: 6

Messi in 2014

2015/16 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - 20

Games: 12

Goals: 16

Assists: 4

2016/17 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - 18

Games: 13

Goals: 12

Assists: 6

2017/18 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - 18

Games: 13

Goals: 15

Assists: 3

Ronaldo in 2017

2018/19 | Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 15

Games: 10

Goals: 12

Assists: 3

2019/20 | Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 21

Games: 10

Goals: 15

Assists: 6

2020/21 | Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) - 12

Games: 8

Goals: 10

Assists: 2

Haaland in 2020

Someone needs to write a dissertation on Ronaldo's Champions League brilliance from the start of 2013/14 to the end of 2017/18...

During that time, the competition's record scorer contributed to the most goals in four out of five seasons, reaching the 20 mark in an individual campaign on two separate occasions.

Messi has never reached that two-figure milestone in his career, with the only other player to do in Champions League history being Lewandowski in 2019/20.

We feel Yorke deserves a special mention for his heroics in United's treble-winning season in 1998/99.

GMS Giveaway

ENTER GIVEAWAY

The Trinidadian and Tobagonian contributed to 16 goals that campaign, making him one of four players - the others being Ronaldo, Messi & Lewandowski - to produce a number higher than 15.

Well played, Dwight.