Vinicius Jr could equal Lionel Messi in Champions League record list topped by Cristiano Ronaldo if he scores v Dortmund
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have maintained a duopoly over the UEFA Champions League for over two decades. Now, Real Madrid speedster Vinicius Junior will be eyeing to equal the Argentine and some others in a unique record in the UCL final against Borussia Dortmund.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most times in the Champions League final with a record four goals. Messi follows him closely with two. With a goal already in his bag from the 2021-22 final, Vinicius will now need just one more to equal the Argentine.
After Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale has the most goals in the UCL final with three. Meanwhile, several players have scored two goals, including Samuel Eto'o, Sergio Ramos, Raul Gonzalez, Mario Mandzukic, Filippo Inzaghi, Daniele Massaro, Hernán Crespo, Diego Milito, and Karl-Heinz Riedle.
Vinicius has had a stellar season for the Los Blancos so far. In La Liga, the Brazillian forward has scored 15 goals and created six more in 26 games in a title-winning campaign. He has also fired for his club in the Champions League, scoring and assisting five times each in nine appearances.
The Brazillian will be looking to equal Messi's record and bring home Real Madrid's fifteenth UCL crown at Wembley today, June 1.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's stellar record in the Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated world football for over two decades and have owned the Champions League in the game of numbers. The Portuguese No. 7 has won a record five titles while the Argentine talisman follows him closely at four.
In 163 appearances, Messi has scored a whopping 129 goals and created 40 more. Cristiano Ronaldo even tops that number by scoring 140 goals and assisting 41 more in 183 games (via MessiVsRonaldo app).
Messi leads the statistical game in the UCL group stages with 108 G/A in 86 appearances compared to 99 G/A in 98 appearances for Ronaldo. However, Ronaldo beats the World Cup winner in the knockout stages. In 85 games, he has 82 G/A compared to Lionel Messi's 61 in 77 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo has finished a UCL season as the top scorer a record seven times in his career, while Lionel Messi has done the same on six occasions. However, the former Barcelona No. 10 boasts a better goals-per-game ratio, with 0.79 compared to Ronaldo's 0.77.
When it comes to UCL finals, both boast impeccable stats. The two have appeared in nine Champions League finals between them. In the 2009 UCL, the two faced each other in the finals as Messi's Barcelona defeated Ronaldo's Manchester United 2-0.