Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo has been named “all-time leading goalscorer” in UEFA Champions League. Ronaldo, who plays for Al Nassr, received this prestigious award on Thursday at the inaugural 2024/25 UEFA Champions League ceremony held at Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum.
39-year-old star thrilled at receiving recognition for his incredible achievements in Europe’s top club competition over the past 18 years. Reflecting on his career, Ronaldo mentioned, “The first win with Manchester United was very special. Winning four times with Real Madrid was also incredible. In 2018, in Lisbon, I felt pressure of being the most expensive player in the world and needing to win Champions League. But I think goals and trophies are like ketchup; once they start coming, they keep coming.”
Ronaldo Share His Excitement on Social Media
Ronaldo took to Instagram to share his excitement about the award. He posted a photo from the event and wrote: “Honored to receive this award from @championsleague for being all-time top scorer of the competition. Grateful for all the support along the way! Thank you!”
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Throughout his career, Ronaldo has made remarkable contributions to European football. He has scored 140 goals in 183 matches with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. Ronaldo has also won Champions League five times, with four titles coming from Real Madrid (2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018) and one from Manchester United (2008).
Ronaldo is the only player to have scored in three different finals (2008 against Chelsea, 2014 against Atletico Madrid, and 2017 against Juventus). He has been top scorer in Champions League for seven seasons and holds the record for most goals in a single season, with 17 goals during Real Madrid’s 2013/14 campaign. Additionally, Ronaldo set record for longest Champions League scoring streak with goals in 11 consecutive matches from June 2017 to April 2018. He has also scored eight Champions League hat-tricks.
Besides his Champions League success, Ronaldo is all-time leading scorer in all UEFA club competitions with 145 goals in 197 appearances and the most prolific player in men’s international football with 130 goals in 212 appearances.