Ronaldo stays: Will Messi break Cristiano's Champions League record?
Karan Tejwani
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
- 4 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to miss out on Champions League football this season as a move away from Manchester United is looking increasingly unlikely.
Ronaldo has been angling for a move away from Old Trafford in a bid to get consistent Champions League football in the final seasons of his career and be able to challenge for trophies.
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Clubs such as Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have rejected the opportunity to sign Ronaldo, citing age, tactical fit or the high cost of the operation as their reasoning behind it.
He holds a host of Champions League records, some of which may be overtaken as he’s set to take a year out from Europe’s premier club cup competition.
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Ronaldo could lose a record or two
It’s well-known that Ronaldo holds the record for most goals in the competition with 141 – Lionel Messi is the closest, but is 16 goals behind the Portuguese.
Ronaldo also has the most assists in the competition with 42, once again ahead of Messi, who has 35, and both gaps for goals and assists could be closed down by the Argentine in the upcoming season.
The Manchester United man also has the most hat-tricks and braces in the Champions League, but he’s level with Messi on the former – both men have eight hat-tricks each, so that’s a record that could slip away.
Robert Lewandowski has five hat-tricks, and considering the start he has had at Barcelona, he could well close down that gap in the upcoming season.
In terms of braces, Ronaldo is ahead of Messi yet again, this time by four, having extended his lead at the top last season with his double against Atalanta.
Ronaldo has also scored the most goals in a single season of the Champions League, when he netted 17 goals in 2013/14 as he spurred Real Madrid to the title.
When you love the #UCL so much that you sing the anthem 😀🎶@Cristiano 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Evt2xkOj9t
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 18, 2017
Erling Haaland is one that would be keeping an eye on that – judging by his Manchester City start and impressive Champions League numbers, he’s one that could topple that.
Ronaldo has also scored against the most opponents in Europe – 38 – level with Messi and a record that will be at threat the most.
Finally, Ronaldo is level with 17 others on five Champions League wins, with many of his former Real Madrid team-mates adding their fifth title last season.
The likes of Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos could add a sixth if Real Madrid win the competition once again this season – they’ve had back-to-back successes before.
