Cristiano Ronaldo remains out in front of Lionel Messi as their goal race continues at their latest clubs.
It is one of the UEFA Champions League’s best sub-plots: Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the all-time scoring charts.
The pair ended season 2014/15 level on 77 goals but Ronaldo has since pulled away; after getting off the mark in his second spell for Manchester United, he leads 140–129 in terms of UEFA Champions League strikes. In all UEFA club competition action, the scoreline stands at 144–132 in the Portuguese forward’s favour – which includes Messi’s nine efforts so far for Paris.
UEFA has listed all of Messi’s and Ronaldo’s UEFA Champions League goals since they first hit the target at this level – picking out some noteworthy stats amid the numbers.
• Ronaldo was the first to reach 100 goals with a single club, achieving the mark for Real Madrid on 14 February 2018; Messi completed his century, all for Barcelona, exactly a month later.
• Messi has been on the losing side just four times when he has scored.
• 2017/18 was the seventh season running that Ronaldo scored ten goals or more in the UEFA Champions League.
• Messi has now scored in 18 successive UEFA Champions League seasons, one more than Karim Benzema with Ronaldo scoring in 16.
• Ronaldo has netted twice or more on 38 different occasions.
• Each has bagged eight hat-tricks.
• Ronaldo did not score until his 27th game in the competition for first club United, but took just 13 minutes to hit the target in his second stint.
• Ronaldo is the first player to amass 50 knockout goals, and is now past 60.
• Ronaldo is the only player to score in three UEFA Champions League finals.
• Ronaldo is the only player to score in 11 consecutive appearances in the competition proper.
• Ronaldo’s ten goals against former club Juventus are more than anyone has scored against a single opponent.
• Messi leads Ronaldo 80–73 in all-time group stage goals.
• Ronaldo took 137 games to reach 100, Messi 123.
• Messi’s 120 goals for Barcelona eclipsed Ronaldo’s single-club high of 105 at Real Madrid.
