Cristiano Ronaldo has finished top of the UEFA Champions League scorers’ table for the fifth year running after overtaking Lionel Messi tonight, his two goals in Real Madrid’s 4-1 final win against Juventus in Cardiff taking him to 12 for the season.
Messi totalled 11 before Barcelona’s quarter-final exit, allowing Ronaldo to then move to within one of the lead when he became the first player to pass 100 goals in both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA club competition overall. However, his double tonight in the Welsh capital ensured that the Portuguese has top-scored, either jointly or outright, a record six times – including for a record five consecutive campaigns – and he also leads Messi 105-94 in in UEFA Champions League goals. The last time neither player featured at the top of the scorers’ podium was 2006/07.
Among those bubbling under is Monaco’s teenage sensation Kylian Mbappé, who managed all his goals in the knockout phase. However, even in that metric he was beaten by Ronaldo, who set a new record of ten knockout goals.
In assists, last term’s joint leader Neymar finished top outright this time with eight assists, having a hand in 12 goals overall as well as scoring four himself. Ronaldo managed six assists in addition to his 12 strikes.