Gordon Joins Elite Group: 4 Goals in Champions League Knockout
Newcastle's Anthony Gordon scores 4 goals vs Qarabag, joining Messi and other legends in Champions League history.
Anthony Gordon's performance was insane. He scored four goals in the first half...
Anthony Gordon has joined an elite group of players who've scored four or more goals in a single Champions League knockout match. He's one of only six players to achieve this feat in the modern era, and his four-goal haul helped Newcastle United secure a 6-1 win over Qarabag.
Newcastle's incredible journey to Azerbaijan paid off in style, with the team traveling a record 4,087 km to the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium and returning home with a convincing victory. This win has all but secured their spot in the last 16, where they'll face either Barcelona or Chelsea.
Anthony Gordon's performance was insane. He scored four goals in the first half, joining an elite group of players. Only six players have scored at least four goals in Champions League knockout rounds since 1992/93.
These players are part of a very exclusive club. Gordon's achievement puts him in rare company, considering only seven matches in the tournament's 34 editions have seen players score four+ goals in the knockout stages.
Newcastle's trip to Baku has been a long haul, but they're on track for a potential record. After their 6-1 win in the first leg, they're eyeing a historic aggregate score in the knockout round of the Champions League.
If they deliver another strong performance, they could match or break the record for the most lopsided aggregate score in Europe's top competition. The Magpies are already making waves, and a win in the second leg could cement their place in history.
Bayern Munich holds the record for the most lopsided aggregate score in a knockout round, winning 11-0 against Sporting Lisbon in 2008/09. That Bayern team, led by Jurgen Klinsmann, boasted future German national team stars like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose, and Thomas Muller.
TEN goals for Anthony Gordon in the Champions League 😤#UCL pic.twitter.com/sqHMreIsxZ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 20, 2026
Fun fact: some of these players were part of Germany's 2014 World Cup squad that beat Brazil 7-1 in the semis.
Four goals in knockout matches
Besides Gordon, this 'four-goal club' also includes Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gomez, Josip Ilicic and Lionel Messi.
The Polish striker achieved the feat for Borussia Dortmund in a 4-1 win over Real Madrid in the 2012/13 semi-finals. The Argentine genius scored four against Arsenal in the 2009/10 quarter-finals - Barca also won 4-1 that day.
Players Who've Scored 4 Goals in Champions League Knockout Matches
- Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United) vs Qarabag
- Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund) vs Real Madrid (2012/13)
- Mario Gomez
- Josip Ilicic
- Lionel Messi (Barcelona) vs Arsenal (2009/10)
'Super Mario' pulled it off for Bayern when his team thrashed Basel 7-0 in the 2011/12 round of 16. While Slovenian Ilicic scored all four for Atalanta against Valencia in the 2019/20 round of 16.
Exclusive Club: Messi and Haaland's 5-Goal Feats in Champions League Knockout Matches
Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are the only players to have scored five goals in a single Champions League knockout-round match. Messi achieved this feat in 2011/12 against Bayer Leverkusen, while Haaland did it in 2022/23 against RB Leipzig.
Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Luiz Adriano are the only players to score 5 goals in a single Champions League match.
- Messi (vs Bayer Leverkusen, 2011/12)
- Haaland (vs RB Leipzig, 2022/23)
- Luiz Adriano (vs BATE Borisov, 2014/15, group stage)
Lewandowski's Impressive Goal-Scoring Feat
Robert Lewandowski is the only player to score 4 goals in a single Champions League group stage match twice, excluding Messi's 5-goal haul. He achieved this feat with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, with one of those games being a 6-0 win over Crvena zvezda in 2019/20.
Since 1993, 13 players have joined the elite group, including Marco van Basten (Milan) and Sebastien Haller (Ajax), who achieved it on their Champions League debuts. Other notable names include Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), and Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid).
Puskas' Unbeatable Record: 4 Goals in a European Cup Final
Ferenc Puskas (Real Madrid) scored 4 goals in the 1959/60 European Cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt, a record that still stands. Madrid won 7-3 in a thrilling match.
Ferenc Puskas isn't alone in this elite group; Alfredo Di Stefano, Sandor Kocsis, Messi, and Lewandowski have also scored four goals in matches from the quarter-finals onwards. These legends set the bar high, alongside Puskas' record.
Now, the focus is on Anthony Gordon, who's on a roll. He's already improved his Champions League scoring rate from 0.7 to 1.1 goals per game. Can he keep this up?
Four goals in the modern Champions League knockout rounds
• Anthony Gordon (Newcastle): 6-1 vs Qarabag, 2025/26 play-off
• Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 4-1 vs Real Madrid, 2012/13 semi-final
• Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 4-1 vs Arsenal, 2009/10 quarter-final
• Josip Ilicic (Atalanta): 4-3 vs Valencia, 2019/20 round of 16
• Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich) – 7-0 vs Basel, 2011/12 round of 16
Five goals in the modern Champions League knockout rounds
• Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 7-1 vs Leverkusen, 2011/12 round of 16
• Erling Haaland (City): 7-0 vs RB Leipzig, 2022/23 round of 16
Four goals in the modern Champions League group stages
• Andriy Shevchenko (Milan): 4-0 vs Fenerbahce, 2005/06
• Bafetimbi Gomis (Lyon): 7-1 vs Dinamo Zagreb, 2011/12
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 8-0 vs Malmo, 2015/16
• Dado Prso (Monaco): 8-3 vs Deportivo La Coruna, 2003/04
• Harry Kane (Bayern Munich): 9-2 vs Dinamo Zagreb, 2024/25
• Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid): 4-3 vs Olympiacos, 2025/26
• Marco van Basten (Milan): 4-0 vs IFK Goteborg, 1992/93
• Olivier Giroud (Chelsea): 4-0 vs Sevilla, 2020/21
• Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 6-0 vs Red Star, 2019/20
• Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United): 4-1 vs Sparta Prague, 2004/05
• Sebastien Haller (Ajax): 5-1 vs Sporting, 2021/22
• Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich): 7-2 vs Tottenham Hotspur, 2019/20
• Simone Inzaghi (Lazio): 5-1 vs Olympique Marseille, 1999/2000
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG): 5-0 vs Anderlecht, 2013/14
Five goals in the modern Champions League group stages
• Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar Donetsk): 7-0 vs BATE Borisov, 2014/15
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