- By Himanshu Badola
- Fri, 30 Aug 2024 10:52 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Cristiano Ronaldo, the legendary footballer, added another feather to his cap as he was honoured with a special award by UEFA for his unmatched legacy in the elite Champions League competition.
Ronaldo received the award during the Champions League draw event for the 2024-25 season which he attended in Monaco on Thursday.
It has been a few years since Ronaldo last played in the Champions League after his move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
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However, his remarkable record of 140 goals from 183 games is still far from being broken. He is 11 goals clear of Lionel Messi (129 from 163) and Robert Lewandowski (94 from 120) in the goal-scoring charts.
“For me, it’s a pleasure to be here. Thank you for this amazing award. As you know, the Champions League is the highest in football. The records speak for themselves but the league (is at that level) because of the players that play in the competition. I have nice memories coming to this gala and football is managed by memories. So, thank you for this,” Ronaldo said after receiving the award.
"His extraordinary goalscoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time, posing a remarkable challenge for future generations to surpass..."@cristiano received an all-time top scorer award at the #UCLdraw in Monaco: ⬇️
— UEFA (@UEFA) August 29, 2024
The 39-year-old is also a five-time Champions League winner, having lifted the special trophy once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid.
He was the first player to become a five-time Champions League winner; once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid.
The five-time Ballon d'Or also holds the record for the longest goal-scoring streak in the Champions League history, having struck in 11 successive games from June 2017 to April 2018.
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He also has a staggering eight Champions League hat-tricks to his name.
“The first one was always the special one when I was in Manchester. Of course, Real Madrid was differently special, winning four times there. At that time, in Lisbon in 2018, I remember I felt like the most expensive player in the world and there was pressure about winning the Champions League.
“But I think goals and trophies are like ketchup, once it starts coming, they keep coming,” he added.
