WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo arrives at UCL draw to massive fanfare as he's set to receive special award from UEFA
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has arrived for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League draw in Monaco on Thursday (August 29). The 39-year-old is the competition's all-time top scorer with 140 goals for three different clubs.
Widely regarded as one of the game's best ever players and most prolific goalscorers, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner holds a plethora of records in European club football's blue riband competition.
Ronaldo is the first player to score 100 goals in the competition, net as many Champions League goals for a single club (Real Madrid) and is the first to win the competition five times. He remains the only one to score for two different winning teams (Manchester United and Real Madrid) in finals.
Although he hasn't played the competition since the 2021-22 season, UEFA has invited its record goalscorer to grace its draw ceremony for the upcoming edition. Here's the video of the Al-Nassr striker arriving for the occasion, where he's set to receive a special award for being the Champions League's record scorer.
The 2024-25 Champions League will feature a new format comprising 36 teams, doing away with the previous format of eight groups of four teams each.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation" - UEFA president
Considering Cristiano Ronaldo's exceptional exploits in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has waxed lyrical of the 39-year-old legend.
Apart from the aforementioned records, Ronaldo has finished as the top scorer in seven diferent seasons of the Champions League, which is unrivalled by any other player. Quite fittingly, he also holds the record for the most prolific season in the competition by any player, when he netted 14 times in Los Blancos' victorious La Decima campaign in 2013-14.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation," Ceferin said about the Portuguese. "His extraordinary goalscoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time, posing a remarkable challenge for future generations to surpass.
"His sustained excellence at the highest level is a testament to his relentless pursuit of both team and individual honours. Over more than two decades, he has continuously evolved and refined his game while preserving a youthful passion for scoring and celebrating goals."
Ceferin concluded:
"His professionalism, work ethic, dedication and ability to shine on the grandest stage are qualities that football players everywhere should aspire to emulate."
Ronaldo remains the only player to score in three Champions League finals (one with Manchester United, twice with Real Madrid).