Decoding Cristiano Ronaldo's numbers in the UEFA Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a last-gasp goal in injury-time for Manchester United against Villarreal on matchday two of the Champions League 2021-22 season. Ronaldo, who is the competition's leading goal scorer, helped United secure all three points against a quality Villarreal outfit. Ronaldo scored in the 95th minute to hand United a crucial 2-1 win at Old Trafford. Here we decode his UCL numbers.
Ronaldo races to 136 Champions League goals
Ronaldo raced to 136 UEFA Champions League goals after scoring against Villarreal. The Portuguese legend netted his 17th goal for United in the UCL, including two this season. He also scored a record 105 goals for Real Madrid and another 14 for Juventus. Ronaldo leads the show in the UCL and is followed by Lionel Messi, who has netted 121 goals.
Ronaldo has finished as UCL's top scorer on seven occasions
Ronaldo has ended as the top scorer on seven occasions in a single UCL campaign (group stage to final). He topped the show in 2007-08 for Man United (8 goals). For Real Madrid, he achieved the feat six times (12 in 2012-13, 17 in 2013-14, 10 in 2014-15, 16 in 2015-16, 12 in 2016-17. and 15 in 2017-18), each coming in successive seasons.
Ronaldo has the joint-most hat-tricks in the Champions League
Ronaldo holds the record for scoring the most UCL goals in a single season. He netted 17 goals in the 2017-18 season, helping Real Madrid win the trophy. Ronaldo has the joint-most hat-tricks in the Champions League (8) alongside Messi. He is the only player to score three hat-tricks in a single UCL campaign (2015-16). Ronaldo and Messi hit successive hat-tricks in 2016-17 (2).
Key stats of Ronaldo in the Champions League
As per the official site of the Champions League, Ronaldo was the first to reach 100 goals with a single club. He achieved the mark for Real Madrid on February 14, 2018. Ronaldo has scored in 16 successive Champions League seasons. Ronaldo has scored two-plus goals in a match on 36 different occasions. He is the only player to score in three UCL finals.
Other notable UCL records held by Ronaldo
Ronaldo has registered the most assists in the Champions League (42). He has won the most matches in Champions League history (112). CR7 holds the record for scoring in most consecutive appearances in the UCL (11). He has the most goals in UCL finals (4). Ronaldo has won the joint-second highest number of UCL trophies (5).
Champions League: Other unique records held by CR7
Ronaldo has netted the most goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League (67). He has the highest number of penalties scored in the UCL (19). He is the only player to score in all six group matches (single season). Notably, Ronaldo is the only player to score ten goals against a single club in the UEFA Champions League (versus Juventus).
Ronaldo sets new Champions League appearance record
Ronaldo set a new Champions League record by making the most appearances in the competition (178). He achieved the feat against Villarreal. He steered clear of former Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas (177).
