Cristiano Ronaldo will receive an award from UEFA for scoring the most goals in Champions League history, the European football governing body said on Tuesday.
Ronaldo has 140 goals in 183 games in the competition, appearing for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
The forward will be honoured at the 36-team league phase draw ceremony in Monaco on Thursday.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation,” UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
“His extraordinary goal-scoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time, posing a remarkable challenge for future generations to surpass.”
Ronaldo made his Champions League debut in a qualifying round with Sporting in 2002. His first group stage game came under Sir Alex Ferguson at United in October 2003.
However, he would have to wait four years for his first goal in the competition, coming in April 2007 in a quarterfinal second-leg victory over Roma.
He went on to to lift the Champions League trophy on five occasions: First with United in 2008, and then four times at Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
He also has the most final goals (4) in the Champions League era (since 1992). Fellow Madrid legends Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás both scored seven goals in European Cup finals.
