At the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League draw ceremony held in Monaco on Thursday, August 29, Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer of the competition, was presented with a special award by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. This accolade was given in recognition of Ronaldo’s exceptional achievements over more than 18 years in Europe’s most prestigious club tournament.
The ceremony, which took place on Thursday, August 29, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, celebrated Ronaldo’s prolific career in the Champions League, where he has scored 140 goals in 183 appearances. This remarkable tally puts him 11 goals ahead of Lionel Messi and 46 ahead of Robert Lewandowski, who is third on the list of top scorers.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation,” said Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President, during the ceremony. “His extraordinary goalscoring performances in the competition will forever be remembered and will be a great challenge for future generations to follow.”
Ronaldo’s remarkable record in the Champions League includes finishing as the top scorer in seven different seasons, more than any other player. His achievements span from his eight goals in Manchester United’s victorious 2007/08 campaign to his 15 goals for Real Madrid in their triumphant 2017/18 season, where they secured their third consecutive title. He also holds the record for the most goals in a single Champions League season, with 17 goals in 2013/14, including a decisive strike in the final against Atlético Madrid.
A five-time winner of the competition—once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid—Ronaldo is the only player to have scored in three different Champions League finals (2008, 2014, 2017). He also holds the record for the longest scoring streak in the tournament, netting in 11 consecutive matches from June 2017 to April 2018, and has scored eight hat-tricks in Champions League play.
Beyond the Champions League, Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in UEFA club competitions, with 145 goals in 197 matches, and he holds the record as the most prolific player in the history of men’s international football, with 130 goals in 212 matches. The multiple Ballon d’Or and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year winner remains a towering figure in football.
