UCL Player Profile #2: Cristiano Ronaldo  

Full Name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro 

Birth Place: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal 

Nationality: Portuguese 

DOB: 5th February 1985 

UCL Debut: 1st October 2003 vs VfB Stuttgart 

UCL Titles: 5 (2007/08, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18)

Goals: 140 (105 (Real Madrid), 21 (Manchester United), 14 (Juventus) ) 

First UCL Goal(s): 10th April 2007 vs AS Roma 

Last UCL Goal: 2nd November 2021 vs Villareal 

Mr Champions League they call him. Ronaldo is probably the greatest to ever play in the Champions League, smashing for records for fun, winning an astounding 5 Champions League while becoming the competition's record goal scorer. From bursting onto the scene for the first time as an 18 year old for Manchester United, it took 27 games for Ronaldo to register his first goals in the competition. He then helped United win the competition in 2008 before making a move to Real Madrid, where he became the club's record goalscorer, smashing record after record, while firing Real to four Champions League titles, including a three-peat between 2016 and 2018. After a 3-year stint in Juventus and a return to Manchester United, Ronaldo left Europe for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, leaving behind a monumental legacy in the Champions League, which seems almost impossible to match. He was gone but the memories he provided us as kids and adults would never fade. 

Part 1: Manchester United (2003-2009)

When Ronaldo first arrived at Manchester, he was fresh off the boat from Sporting Lisbon, as an 18 year old ready to rock Europe and the world. Within his first few seasons for Manchester United, he made a total of 18 appearances in his first three Champions League seasons, but was yet to register a goal, yet showed signs of brilliance. Through the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, he matured rapidly, becoming one of the most dangerous strikers in the world, playing alongside the likes of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Ryan Giggs, just to name a few. 

Ronaldo's breakout season in the Champions League came in the 2006-07, where the Portuguese scored his first goals in the competition, scoring twice in a quarter final trashing against Roma and once in a nervy semi final first leg win against AC Milan. Unfortunately, Ronaldo would have to wait a bit more to play in first Champions League final, as Milan defeated United 5-3 on aggregate. Overall, Ronaldo played a pivotal role which saw him break his Champions League goalscoring drought. However, it wasn't until the following season when Ronaldo really made his mark in the Champions League. He finished that season as the competition's top scorer, with his most memorable goal coming in the final against Chelsea against Moscow, when he scored a towering header to open the scoring in the Luzhniki Stadium. Despite missing a penalty in the shootout, United triumphed, and Ronaldo lifted his first Champions League trophy, a moment which symbolized his arrival to the pinnacle of the game. 

Ronaldo continued to shine for United in the 2008-09 season, scoring key goals, including a memorable 40-yard strike in the quarter finals against Porto. His goals helped United make another Champions League final, this time against Barcelona in Rome. There, he would face Lionel Messi, a player who you could say shared the spotlight with Ronaldo in the Champions League between the mid 2000s and early 2020s. Unfortunately, Barcelona were just too strong for this Manchester United side, as Ronaldo lost out on glory and the chance to retain the title for United. Across his six season with United, Ronaldo accumulated a total of 15 Champions League goals during his Old Trafford tenure, while playing a key role in helping re-establish United as a European powerhouse. His performances helped him earn the 2008 Ballon D'or, before eventually leaving United for a record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. 

Part 2: Real Madrid (2009-2018)

Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League career proved why he's the best player on the planet, and it was nothing short of historic and eye-catching. Having just signed from Man United for a world record transfer fee, Ronaldo joined Madrid with immense expectations, and he didn't just exceeded them, he redefined them. While his debut season in the club saw Real fail to get past the Round of 16, Ronaldo scored an impressive seven goals in just six games. 

The turning point however came in the 2010-11 season, when Ronaldo fired Real Madrid to it's first semi final appearance in nearly a decade, however, he fell short to his biggest rival, Lionel Messi yet again. After another two seasons of semi final defeats to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively, Ronaldo wrote his name into Champions League folklore, helping Real Madrid win the 2013-14 edition of the competition, completing "La Décima". That season, Ronaldo broke the record for most goals scored in a single campaign, netting 17 goals, including a brace in the Allianz Arena in the semi finals against Bayern Munich, and in the final against Atletico Madrid, where he sealed the deal from the spot, in a 4-1 victory in Lisbon, ending the long wait for Real Madrid's 10th Champions League title, making his performance in the Champions League that season undeniably one of the best individual seasons in Champions League history. 

However, Ronaldo's thirst for more records and trophies wasn't quenched just yet. In the 2014-15 season, despite being unable to retain the title for Real Madrid, Ronaldo made history by becoming the competition's record goalscorer, beating the record previously set by Real Madrid legend, Raúl, in his brace in the Round of 16 against Schalke 04. Following that season, Ronaldo fired Real Madrid to three straight Champions League titles, a feat which has only been accomplished twice in the past, with Ronaldo playing the role as Real Madrid's central heartbeat. He also delivered countless moments of magic in the Champions League, like his hat-trick comeback against Wolfsburg in the 2015-16 season, and his stunning bycicle kick goal against Juventus in the 2017-18 season. Meanwhile, in the finals in 2016 and 2017, Ronaldo played a pivotal role in the finals in Milan and Cardiff, scoring the winning penalty in the shootout against Atletico Madrid in 2016 and scoring a phenomenal brace in the 2017 final against Juventus, bringing life into the Champions League and filling us with memories. Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in the Champions League for six consecutive seasons (2012/13 - 2017/18) while scoring a staggering 105 goals in only 101 appearances in the competition for Real Madrid. 

Following the 2018 Champions League final win in Kyiv against Liverpool, despite having signed a contract back in 2016 that would keep him in the club until the end of the 2020-21 season, Ronaldo made a shocking decision that he would leave Real Madrid and join Italian side, Juventus. From first joining Real Madrid in 2009 on a then world record fee with something to prove, Ronaldo blossomed into a true legend of the competition and the game, elevating the club to new hieghts while setting records that might never be broken.

Part 3: Juventus (2018-2021)

Following his shock move from Real Madrid, Ronaldo joined Juventus with a new challenge in bringing the Champions League back to Turin. By numerous Juventus fans, this move looked to be the final piece in the puzzle for the Bianconeri, who previously came so close to European glory just a few seasons back, but fell short many times, sometimes to Ronaldo and Real Madrid; however now, Ronaldo was with Juventus and was ready to bring European glory back to Turin. Despite conquering Serie A, European success was less than ideal for Juventus, but that didn't stop Ronaldo from producing even more magic in the Champions League. 

In his debut Champions League campaign for Juventus, Ronaldo's debut game was less than ideal, as he was shown a straight red card against Valencia for pulling the hair of a Valencia defender, resultng in a premature ending in his Champions League debut for Juventus. However, Ronaldo pulled up and scored more goals, including one against his former club, Manchester United. After finishing top of the group, Ronaldo and Juventus were drawn to play against Atletico Madrid, one of Ronaldo's old rivals, where he had some good memories. Despite a 2-0 first leg defeat in Madrid, Ronaldo produced one of his most iconic Champions League displays, by single handedly turning the tie around, scoring a hat-trick in Turin in the return leg, sending Juventus through while scoring his eighth Champions League and his fourth hat-trick against Atletico Madrid. Despite this, the quarter final brought dissappointment as Dutch side, Ajax stunned Juventus by beating them 3-2 on aggregate, winning the second leg in Turin, in which Ronaldo initally gave Juventus the lead. This started a pattern of dissapointing defeats over the next two seasons, as Juventus suffered Round of 16 defeats to Lyon and Porto, in matches which Ronaldo scored crucial braces, but lost out on the quarter finals due to away goals. 

Despite a lack of deep runs like his time in Real Madrid, Ronaldo produced more moments of magic, showing us he can still perform at a world-class level. He scored a total of 14 Champions League goals between 2018 and 2021, including a brace in the Non Camp in a rematch with Lionel Messi. However, due to the constant change of managers, Ronaldo's hopes of winning a sixth Champions League title seemed to fade away, as he announced his departure from Juventus for a former club reunion. 

Final Part: Manchester United Take Two (2021–22 Season)

Following his departure from a disheveled Juventus, Ronaldo was close to joining Manchester City, when a phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson changed everything. In a stunning turn of events, Ronaldo announced that he will return to Manchester United after leaving the club 12 years ago, in a quest to help bring European glory back to the Theatre of Dreams. 

Widely regarded as one of the most anticipatd comebacks in football, everyone was looking forward for a CR7 homecoming in Manchester. Now 36, many wondered if Ronaldo could still deliver in the Champions League, but Ronaldo answered the questions emphatically. He even scored the first goal of the new campaign, netting first in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Young Boys. Ronaldo went on to score another five goals in the group stage, bringing his total to 140 Champions League goals. Some of his most notable goals were late winners and equalizers against Villareal and Atalanta, and his perseverance and leadership helped Man United navigate in crucial times of constant managerial changes. 

However, the Round of 16 brought disapointment, as Manchester United faced Ronaldo's old foes, Atletico Madrid, who eliminated the Red Devils after a 1-0 defeat in Old Trafford after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Madrid. Unfortunately, this would mark the end of Ronaldo's Champions League journey, as Manchester United failed to qualify for the Champions League the following season. Even in the twillight in his career, Ronaldo can still provide for his team, even in the toughest of times, reaffirming his status as "Mr. Champions League". Following contreversy with former United manager, Erik ten Hag, Ronaldo and United parted ways, as Ronaldo said goodbye to Europe and the Champions League, leaving for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, ending an illustrous and glorious career in Europe, forever etching his name into history books, tearing up records and writing his name into them. Ronaldo will always be remembered as one of, if not, the greatest player to grace the Champions League. 

Records Held By Ronaldo: 

Most Goals in UEFA Champions League history: 140 goals

Most Assists in UEFA Champions League history: 42 assists 

Most Appearances in UEFA Champions League history: 183 appearances 

Most Goals in a single Champions League campaign: 17 goals (2013-14 season)

Only player to score 10+ goals in 7 different Champions League season

Only player to score in 11 consecutive Champions League matches 

Most goals in the knockout stages: 67 goals 

Most goals in the quarter finals: 25 goals 

Most goals in the semi finals: 13 goals 

Most goals in the final (joint): 4 goals (tied with Alfredo di Stéfano)

Most goals against a single club: 10 goals vs Juventus 

Most matchwining goals in Champions League history: 39 goals 

Fastest player to reach 100 Champions League goals: with Real Madrid 

Most consecutive seasons scoring in the Champions League: 16 seasons (2006-07 to 2021-22)

First player to score 100+ Champions League goals for a single club: 

Champions League top scorer award in most seasons: 7 seasons (2007-08, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18)