Karim Adeyemi surpasses Michael Ballack with stunning Barcelona goal

Karim Adeyemi moved ahead of Michael Ballack in the list of Germany’s leading scorers in UEFA Champions League history after producing a spectacular strike for FC Barcelona against Feyenoord on Wednesday.

The forward scored Barcelona’s second goal in the 22nd minute at Spotify Camp Nou, doubling the Catalan side’s advantage after Raphinha had opened the scoring early in the match.

Adeyemi’s effort, struck from outside the penalty area, was his 17th goal in the competition. That took him beyond former Germany international Ballack, who finished his Champions League career with 16 goals.

The 23-year-old is now level with Timo Werner in sixth place among the highest-scoring German players in the history of the tournament, according to UEFA figures.

Adeyemi joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund this summer and was making his Champions League debut for his new club. He had previously played 37 matches in the competition for Dortmund, scoring 12 goals.

During his time in Germany, Adeyemi was part of the Dortmund side that reached the Champions League final in the 2023-24 season. Dortmund were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid in that final.

Before moving to Dortmund, Adeyemi represented Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League and scored four goals for the Austrian club. His goal against Feyenoord therefore extended his overall tally in the competition to 17.

The latest strike leaves Adeyemi one goal behind Serge Gnabry, who has scored 18 times in the Champions League. Thomas Muller remains the leading German scorer in the competition, with 57 goals.

Mario Gomez is second on 26 goals, followed by Marco Reus on 24 and Leroy Sane on 23. Adeyemi’s goal also moved him level with Werner, continuing his rise through the ranking of German players who have made the biggest impact in Europe’s leading club competition.

The goal was widely praised for its quality, with the official Champions League social media account posting:

Karim Adeyemi 😮‍💨@FCBarcelona’s lead is doubled courtesy of a stunning strike from outside the box!#FCBpic.twitter.com/OgAJuGK6P

Adeyemi’s early contribution gave Barcelona a strong start to their opening match of the league phase, while also providing a landmark moment in his individual Champions League career.

His move to Barcelona has given him a new platform in the competition, and the goal against Feyenoord immediately placed him alongside some of Germany’s most recognised Champions League scorers. He now has Ballack behind him and is within reach of Gnabry, with the leading place in the all-time German standings still held by Muller.

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