Scoring in the UEFA Champions League is the ultimate dream for any player, but for a goalkeeper, it is a historic anomaly. Since the competition’s rebranding in 1992, only five goalkeepers have managed to find the net (excluding qualifiers).
From Hans-Jorg Butt’s penalty hat-trick against a single club to Anatoliy Trubin’s game-changing header in 2026, here is the complete list of the shot-stoppers who made history.
1. Hans-Jorg Butt (Germany) – 3 Goals
When the conversation turns to goalscoring goalkeepers, our minds instinctively drift toward South American legends. Yet, Europe boasts its own phenomenon in Hans-Jorg Butt.
Over a career spanning spells at Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, and Bayern Munich, the German shot-stopper amassed an impressive total of 37 career goals.
However, it is on the biggest stage that Butt truly cemented his legacy as the undisputed king of goalscoring goalkeepers in Europe. He holds a record that borders on the bizarre: he scored 03 goals in the Champions League, all from the penalty spot, and all against the exact same opponent – Juventus – while playing for three different clubs.
To put that into perspective, Butt has found the net in the Champions League more times than Everton legend Tim Cahill and sits level with midfield magician Santi Cazorla.
-
Match: Hamburg 4-4 Juventus
-
Date: 13 September 2000
-
Method: Penalty
-
Context: In a chaotic 4-4 draw, Butt stepped up to score his first UCL goal against Edwin van der Sar.
-
-
Match: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Juventus
-
Date: 12 March 2002
-
Method: Penalty
-
Context: A crucial goal in the second group stage that helped Leverkusen on their road to the 2002 final.
-
-
Match: Bayern Munich 4-1 Juventus
-
Date: 8 December 2009
-
Method: Penalty
-
Context: The most critical of the three. Facing elimination, Bayern went down 0-1. Butt equalized from the spot, sparking a comeback that saved Louis van Gaal’s job and propelled Bayern to the final.
-
2. Sinan Bolat (Turkey) – 1 Goal
While Hans-Jorg Butt carved out a niche as a penalty specialist, Sinan Bolat earned his place in the history books with a moment of pure, unscripted chaos. On December 9, 2009, the Turkish goalkeeper became the first shot-stopper in Champions League history to score from open play – a feat that would remain unmatched for nearly 14 years.
-
Match: Standard Liège 1-1 AZ Alkmaar
-
Date: 9 December 2009
-
Method: Header
-
Context: It was the final matchday of Group H. Both teams were fighting for third place, which offered a consolation ticket to the UEFA Europa League. Trailing 0–1 deep into stoppage time, Standard Liège was on the brink of total elimination from European competition.
With 95 minutes on the clock, Standard won a free-kick. Bolat abandoned his goal and surged forward. Unlike a typical desperate scramble, Bolat’s movement was calculated; he met the cross with a powerful, glancing header that flew into the top corner, leaving opposing goalkeeper Sergio Romero helpless.
The goal didn’t just salvage a 1–1 draw; it snatched the Europa League spot directly from AZ Alkmaar’s grasp in the final second of the campaign. It remains one of the most clutch performances by a goalkeeper in the tournament’s history.
3. Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria) – 1 Goal
Vincent Enyeama was never your typical goalkeeper. The Nigerian international possessed the composure of a veteran midfielder and a goalscoring record that would make some strikers jealous.
In the 2009/10 season alone, he netted 09 goals for Hapoel Tel-Aviv in the Israeli league, proving that his prowess from the penalty spot was a calculated weapon, not a gimmick.
- Match: Hapoel Tel-Aviv 1-3 Lyon
-
Date: 29 September 2010
-
Method: Penalty
-
Context: Facing French heavyweights Lyon, the Israeli side found themselves trailing but were awarded a lifeline in the form of a penalty. Most teams would look to their captain or star forward; Hapoel looked to their goalkeeper.
Enyeama stepped up with characteristic coolness. Staring down Hugo Lloris – one of the world’s most promising goalkeepers at the time – Enyeama waited for the Frenchman to move before burying the ball into the net.
Although Hapoel eventually lost the match 1–3, Enyeama’s goal remains iconic. It was a rare instance where a goalkeeper didn’t just score out of desperation in stoppage time, but was trusted as the team’s primary sharpshooter on the biggest stage of all.
4. Ivan Provedel (Italy) – 1 Goal
Until the 2026 season, Ivan Provedel’s header stood as the most technically impressive goal ever scored by a goalkeeper in the Champions League. While other goalkeeper goals often result from chaotic scrambles or penalties, Provedel’s equalizer against Atlético Madrid was a masterclass in movement that any world-class striker would be proud to call their own.
-
Match: Lazio 1-1 Atlético Madrid
-
Date: 19 September 2023
-
Method: Header (90+5th minute)
-
Context: It was the opening night of the 2023/24 group stage. Lazio were trailing 0–1 at the Stadio Olimpico and looked destined for a frustrating defeat. With 95 minutes on the clock, Provedel abandoned his post for a final corner kick, knowing this was the last action of the game.
What happened next went viral instantly. As the initial corner was cleared, the ball fell to Luis Alberto, who whipped in a dangerous cross. Provedel didn’t just wait in the pack; he made a sharp, diagonal run to cut across the near post – a movement known as “ghosting” in striker terminology. He met the ball perfectly, glancing a header past Jan Oblak to secure a 1-1 draw.
The goal sent the Rome crowd into raptures, but pundits were most impressed by the intent. It wasn’t a lucky deflection; it was a deliberate, perfectly executed attacking play by a man wearing the number 94 shirt.
5. Anatoliy Trubin (Ukraine) – 1 Goal
The latest entry into this hall of fame is perhaps the most dramatic of them all. On January 28, 2026, Anatoliy Trubin didn’t just score a goal; he altered the landscape of the entire Champions League season. Standing at nearly two meters tall, the Ukrainian goalkeeper proved that he could be just as decisive in the opponent’s box as he is in his own.
-
Match: Benfica 4 – 2 Real Madrid
-
Date: 28 January 2026
-
Method: Header (90+8th minute)
-
Context: It was the final matchday of the newly formatted League Phase. Benfica held a precarious 3-2 lead, but due to the complex tie-breaker rules regarding goal difference, a one-goal margin wasn’t enough to guarantee automatic qualification for the Round of 16. They needed one more. Conversely, Real Madrid was fighting tooth and nail to stay in the top eight.
Deep into the 98th minute, with Real Madrid down to nine men after a chaotic second half, Benfica won a corner. Manager Jose Mourinho – facing his former club – frantically signaled Trubin to go forward.
Trubin rose above the crowded penalty area, using his immense frame to outjump the defense. He connected with a thundering header that flew past Thibaut Courtois, sealing a 4–2 victory.
The goal was a catastrophe for Real Madrid, dumping them into the treacherous knockout playoff round, while sending the Estádio da Luz into a frenzy. It was the perfect storm of tactical gambling and individual brilliance, proving that in the Champions League, it’s not over until the goalkeeper scores.
