Top 10 UEFA Champions League goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo
(Courtesy : Footy Renders)
The Portuguese superstar is the highest goalscorer in the history of the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been a prolific goal-scorer and a terrific footballer ever since the commencement of his journey with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. The years have gradually seen the talisman joining various clubs throughout Europe and adding to his goalscoring tally. He now has 801 goals to his name, becoming the all-time top goalscorer in football history.
The Portuguese skipper is playing in the UEFA Champions League since 2003. In the competition, Ronaldo has scored a total of 141 goals and is the all-time top-scorer. Adding to this, he has also won five titles; four for Real Madrid and one for Manchester United. This season too, after his homecoming at Manchester United, he has bagged six goals in all the UCL fixtures he has appeared.
Let’s have a look at the top 10 goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo in the UEFA Champions League.
10. Against AS Roma (2008)
On April 2, 2008, Manchester United faced AS Roma in a quarter-final clash in the UEFA Champions League. Just six minutes before half-time, Cristiano Ronaldo thumped the ball home with a header from a cross by Paul Scholes. The winger came out of nowhere and netted the ball home before the defender could get hold of the ball.
This is certainly one of the best headed goals in history.
9. Against Wolfsburg (2016)
In the 2016 UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid were up for a tough fight against Wolfsburg, trailing 2-0 in the first leg of the quarter-final.
But the Los Blancos pulled themselves back, courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick. For the third goal in this hat-trick, the Portuguese had a blinder in store.
After Luka Modric was fouled just a few inches outside the penalty box, the referee signaled a free-kick in favour of Real Madrid. The audience saw Ronaldo lining himself up for a go. He took it in style and with precise placement. The ball went through Wolfsburg’s six-man wall and placed itself into the bottom left corner. As a result, the outstretched goalkeeper failed to avoid the ball from entering the net.
8. Against FC Schalke (2014)
Real Madrid didn’t experience much victory in Germany prior to this UEFA Champions League 2014 Round of 16 encounter. This match saw Real Madrid thrash their opponents FC Schalke 6-1, courtesy of two goals each from Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo bamboozled a FC Schalke defender with some fancy footwork and went past him. He calmly netted his powerful left-footed shot into the second post. A diving goalkeeper failed to keep the ball away from its destination.
7. Against Apoel FC (2012)
On 4th April, 2012, in a UEFA Champions League group stage fixture against Apoel FC, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a delightful goal from a free kick. He took the free kick from the left side of the pitch, just outside the18-yard-area. As a result, Ronaldo made no mistake as he curled the ball, which gradually dipped before kissing the far-post and went into the back of the nets.
This is perhaps one of the toughest free-kicks ever taken by the Portuguese skipper, keeping in mind it almost had a 45-degree angle.
6. Against Marseille (2009)
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. It was a £ 80 million move, a world-record move back then.
The free-kick highlighted a significant reason why Real Madrid had brought in the Portuguese star. Cristiano Ronaldo scored this masterpiece in a 2009 group game against Marseille.
His free-kick from far, sailed into the net past the Marseille goalkeeper. The fact that he put the ball past the goalkeeper from such a long distance made it look spectacular.
5. Against Chelsea (2008)
This is the only goal in this list from a UEFA Champions League final. It would have been injustice if this goal wasn’t included.
On 21 May, 2008 Manchester United faced Chelsea in the final in Moscow. Cristiano Ronaldo gave Manchester United the lead on the 26th minute. It was the first time in their three Champions League final appearances, that the Red Devils had managed to secure a goal in the first half.
A left-footed cross from Wes Brown down the right, outside the penalty box, was met by Ronaldo inside the box and his header went straight into the goal with Petr Cech hardly making any attempt to save it and accepting defeat in the hands of the 23-year-old.
4. Against Galatasaray (2013)
The UEFA Champions League group stage fixture in 2013 against Galatasaray was moving towards the fag end and Real Madrid were ahead by 5-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo received the ball from his colleague Karim Benzema and took on the Galatasaray defence single-handedly, before placing it past the goalkeeper with immense power. The match ended 6-1 in favour of Los Blancos.
3. Vs Arsenal (2009)
The UEFA Champions League dreams of Arsenal fans were shattered at the Emirates Stadium when Manchester United thrashed the Gunners 3-1 in the second leg of the semi-final and won on an aggregate of 4-1.
On the 11th minute of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo’s screaming free-kick from 40-yards-out blasted into the back of the nets behind a diving Manuel Almunia. Like many free-kicks of the past, Ronaldo put this one past the goalkeeper with ease.
2. Against Juventus (2018)
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane was awestruck when the event took place. It was the first leg of the quarter-final against Juventus and Cristiano Ronaldo’s acrobatic finish gave the game the blend which it needed.
The cross by Daniel Carvajal from inside the right side of the Juventus penalty box was put delicately into the back of the nets by Ronaldo. The 33-year-old’s overhead kick even earned the praise from Juventus fans.
1. Against FC Porto (2009)
It was the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League 2008/09. The ball was played to Cristiano Ronaldo in the middle of the park by Anderson. Ronaldo’s pile-driving shot from 40-yards-out went past the Porto keeper, Helton Arruda. The force and zeal with which it was hit was commendable.
This goal even helped Ronaldo win the inaugural Puskas Award, which is presented to the most beautiful goal of that calendar year, in 2009.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Latest News
- How Bayern Munich could lineup against Arsenal in the second leg of UCL quarter-finals?
- Marcus Rashford's Euro 2024 squad position in danger, says former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda
- Gokulam Kerala to launch Elite Residential Academy in Chennai
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'unhappy' with recent news leaks at Manchester United
- Mohun Bagan's Shield triumph and other talking points from ISL 2023-24 GW 22
Editor Picks
- If we play like a team, no one can go past us, says Mohun Bagan asst. coach Manuel Cascallana after ISL Shield win
- [WATCH] Mohun Bagan celebrate their ISL Shield triumph
- ISL 2023-24: Points Table, Most Goals, and Most Assists after Match 132, Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City
- ISL 2023-24: Top stats from Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City game
- Salt Lake erupts as Mohun Bagan lift their maiden ISL Shield