Cristiano Ronaldo underlined his status as the Champions League’s greatest goal-scorer with his decisive double in Real Madrid’s win over Juventus on Saturday night.
The Portuguese ace struck in each half to take his tally to 105 career Champions League goals as Real clinched their 12th European crown with a 4-1 win.
To put that goal haul into perspective, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has scored 94 times in the competition and the legendary Raul is way back on 71 in third. No other player has more than 56.
Most Champions League goals
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 105 |
| Lionel Messi | 94 |
| Raul | 71 |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | 56 |
| Karim Benzema | 51 |
It’s worth noting Ronaldo had to wait 26 matches before scoring his first Champions League goal – he’s scored 90 in 88 appearances since leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid.
Ronaldo’s opener against Juventus also meant he became the first player in history to net in three different Champions League finals, adding to his strikes for United in 2008 and Real in 2014.
Ronaldo’s second of the game then took him clear of Messi at the top of the scoring standings for this competition. His 12 goals in the 2016/17 Champions League mean he has finished top scorer in Europe’s elite club contest five years running.
Champions League top scorer 2016/17
| Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 12 |
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 11 |
| Edinson Cavani | PSG | 8 |
| Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | 8 |
| Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund | 7 |
It seems like every goal Ronaldo scores brings up another landmark and his second against Juventus was also his 600th for club and country. So what next for the great forward?
How about Alfredo Di Stefano remarkable record of scoring in five different European Cup finals? He’s the only player to have scored in more European Cup/Champions League finals than Ronaldo – and his achievement will surely be in the 32-year-old’s sights…
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