“I felt the pressure there”: Cristiano Ronaldo revisits his Champions League journey after receiving UEFA award

Cristiano Ronaldo was honoured with a special accolade for being the outright top goalscorer in Champions League history at the 2024/25 Champions League draw. The Portuguese maestro’s 140 goals in 183 appearances were recognised by the governing body of football in Europe at the onset of a new era in the competition’s long history. The UEFA Champions League will undergo a format change this season onwards, thereby increasing the number of games played.

The Al Nassr man was also involved in the procedure for the first-ever draw of the revamped format. His Champions League accomplishments are a never-ending story. Along with the most goal contributions, Cristiano Ronaldo also holds the record for being one of the only two players to have scored in all group-stage outings. His scoring streak of 11 matches remains undefeated. “I think goals and trophies are like ketchup, once it start coming, they keep coming”, Ronaldo joked at the ceremony in Monaco.

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The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. and Erling Haaland are the frontrunners to overtake Cristiano Ronaldo‘s goalscoring feat. Nonetheless, the task will be a daunting one for even the brightest stars of this generation. The 39-year-old’s playing days in Europe might be over but his legacy continues to influence and inspire millions across the continent.

Cristiano Ronaldo ranks his Champions League glories

The Portuguese skipper has not left any ground to cover in the collective arena. Ronaldo lifted the coveted trophy five-times in his career. The icon was asked to name his favourite of the five which did put him in a dilemma. “The first one is always the special one, when I was in Manchester. Real Madrid was differently special, winning four times there. I felt the pressure there about winning the Champions League”, Ronaldo replied.

2008 was the first time Cristiano Ronaldo put his hands on the ‘trophy with big ears’ with Manchester United. After an enduring four-year wait in Madrid, Ronaldo was finally able to deliver European glory to the Los Blancos during the 2013/14 season. In that same campaign, he scored 17 goals, which is still the record for most goals by a player in a single season. Real Madrid and its beloved forward went on to achieve a further three European victories in the following four years.