Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo said that “the Champions League is the ultimate and that the records speak for themselves” after collecting the UEFA award for the competition’s all-time top scorer on Thursday at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, where former Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was also honoured.
“The Champions League is the best. The records speak for themselves, but I don’t want to talk about the records, it was an immense pleasure to play it. When you hear the music you get fired up. It’s a very special feeling. I won many times and scored many goals. It’s great to be here. I have great memories when I come here. Our life is memories and great memories are linked to this tournament. You never know, what happens in the future, maybe I’ll come back,” said Cristiano.
The Portuguese has won the Champions League once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid and is to date the only player to have scored in three different finals (2008, 2014 and 2017).
“It’s difficult to choose one trophy. We always talk about the first one, it was very special to win it with Manchester. I missed the penalty, but it was very nice. It was very special but also with Real Madrid, of course, I won four, and the stories of Real Madrid, incredible in Lisbon in front of so many Portuguese fans. When you go into the Champions League in winning mode, you win,” he recalled.
Compliments
UEFA president Alexander Ceferin, from Slovenia, said: “If we think of the Champions League, we think of Cristiano and if we think of football, we think of Cristiano.” “He was an impressive player and career. I have a problem with Cristiano because he no longer plays in the best competition. But he is the only person who does not age, so we still hope he comes back,” he said.
The current player of Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia reached the figure of 140 goals in more than 18 years of career in the “Champions” as a player of Sporting de Portugal, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Juventus of Turin.
He is 11 goals ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi and 46 ahead of Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, who are alongside him at the top of the scoring charts.
More data
The Portuguese was the Champions League’s top scorer for seven seasons and his tally includes eight goals in 2007/08 for Manchester United and 15 as Real Madrid claimed a third consecutive title in 2017/18.
He also holds the record for most goals in a single campaign, with 17 in 2013/14, and the record for the longest scoring streak, having scored in 11 consecutive games, from June 2017 to April 2018, and has eight hat-tricks.
A five-time Ballon d’Or winner and three-time UEFA Player of the Year, Cristiano is the top scorer in all UEFA club competitions (145 goals in 197 games) and the most prolific player in the history of international men’s football (130 goals in 212 games).
Cristiano Ronaldo’s recognition at the Grimaldi Forum ceremony in Monaco was followed by former Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who was awarded the UEFA President’s Award after a career that included the highest number of international caps of all time, 176.
“He is probably the best goalkeeper in history. The fourth player in Europe with the most appearances and also a great person. A great teammate. A father, a teacher and an excellent voice for football and for UEFA. He is the best and deserves this trophy. Personally, the best goalkeeper in history,” said Ceferin.
Buffon’s words
The Italian said that the Champions League “was the main reason why he played for so long.” “Not because he won it, but because he really enjoyed playing in the Champions League. Without a doubt the most important competition in the world of football,” he said.
Buffon, who retired just over a year ago after 28 seasons in the game, is the goalkeeper with the most caps of all time, with 176; the player with the most caps in the history of the Italian national team and the fourth most capped European player.
The Italian succeeds last year’s German Miroslav Klose on the list of winners of the award, as did Arrigo Sacchi (ITA) in 2022, the Dane Simon Kjær and the medical team in Copenhagen during EURO 2020 in 2021, the Ivorian Didier Drogba in 2020, the Frenchman Eric Cantona in 2019, the Englishman David Beckham in 2018 and the Italian Francesco Totti in 2017.
The rest of the awards granted annually by UEFA will be presented at the Ballon d’Or gala, following the alliance between the organisation and the Amaury group, owner of the media companies France Football and L’Équipe, to co-organise the gala from this year onwards.
Monte Carlo / EFE
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2024-08-30 11:12:07
