One name that has left his mark in the UEFA Champions League over the years is the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo. With a plethora of records to his name, from being the top goal scorer in the history of the competition to winning the most UCL titles, the Portuguese star is the most successful footballer in Europe.
Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo had to wait for 26 matches before opening his UCL goal account. He registered his first goal for Manchester United by scoring a brace in the 7-1 humiliation of AS Roma in the second leg of the quarter-final of 2006-07 season. Since then, the superstar hasn’t looked back and has gone on to score a staggering 140 UCL goals in his career.
Along the way, he has cherished some memorable milestones, such as winning the UCL for the first time in the 2007-08 campaign by defeating Chelsea in the final. In that match, Ronaldo scored in regulation time but failed to convert his penalty kick as the match went down to the wire. However, Manchester United emerged victorious in the nail-biting encounter 6-5 on penalties.
The 37-year-old endured the most fruitful UCL season in 2013-14 when he smashed 17 goals for Real Madrid, the most in a single Champions League campaign.
He also takes up the second and third spots in the list with 16 goals each in two more seasons - 2015-16 and 2017-18. On both occasions, the Spanish giants won the Champions League.
Unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo is not featuring in this season’s UEFA Champions League after Manchester United failed to finish top four in English Premier League 2021-22.
It is the first time since 2003 that the Portuguese international will not take part in UCL. Ronaldo is currently plying his trade in the UEFA Europa League for the first time in his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo UCL goals
| Team | UCL Appearances | Goals |
| Manchester United | 59 | 21 |
| Real Madrid | 101 | 105 |
| Juventus | 23 | 14 |
| 183 | 140 |
Featured photo: AFP / Paul ELLIS
