When one thinks about the most impactful players in UEFA Champions League history, chances are Cristiano Ronaldo‘s name will come to mind. Just like many players left their mark in the European Cup years, the Portuguese superstar is one of the faces of the Champions League era.
As a matter of fact, the Madeira native is the all-time top scorer in Europe’s premier club competition with an impressive 140 goals, 11 clear of Lionel Messi. But that’s not Cristiano’s only feat in the tournament.
Ronaldo is one of the players that has enjoyed the most success on the continental stage, having won multiple titles during his time in Europe. Let’s dig deeper into his Champions League trophies.
Total of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League titles
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the UEFA Champions League five times. While the Portuguese’s first success came with Manchester United, his next four titles were on a Real Madrid uniform.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United bites his winners medal following his team’s victory during the UEFA Champions League Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium on May 21, 2008 in Moscow, Russia.
In which years and teams did Cristiano Ronaldo win the Champions League?
Cristiano Ronaldo won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 2008 with Manchester United, who beat Chelsea on penalties in the final. His next four titles came with Real Madrid, but he had to wait for six years to lift his second trophy.
Ronaldo celebrated his first European victory with Los Blancos in 2014, when he was already 29. But far from declining, the Portuguese proved even more successful as the years went by, adding to his collection of Champions League trophies in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
- 2008 (23 years old): Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (6-5)
- 2014 (29 years old): Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid
- 2016 (31 years old): Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid (5-3)
- 2017 (32 years old): Real Madrid 4-1 Juventus
- 2018 (33 years old): Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool
What are the key moments in Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League victories?
Cristiano Ronaldo started to write Champions League history from his very first successful campaign, playing a pivotal role in Manchester United’s road to the title in 2008. Apart from scoring a crucial goal to beat Lyon in the last 16, he got on the scoresheet to knock out Roma in the following round.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium on May 21, 2008 in Moscow, Russia.
But his biggest moment that year came in the final, when he scored against Chelsea in regular time before the Blues forced the penalties. Ronaldo briefly experienced a tough moment as he missed his spot-kick, but ended up celebrating as United emerged triumphant in the shootout.
Key moments in Ronaldo’s UCL wins with Real Madrid
Six years later, there was more chapters to be written by Cristiano. In an unforgettable campaign in 2013-14, Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win their 10th UCL title with an impressive 17 goals, the most by any player in a single Champions League season.
Some of his greatest moments that year include a brace against Bayern, but the most symbolic one was his goal against Atletico Madrid in the grand final, sealing a 4-1 win in extra time to send Merengue fans into a frenzy while dropping an iconic celebration in Lisbon. With that goal, Ronaldo became the first player to score in two Champions League finals for different winning sides.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid scores their fourth goal from penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid at Estadio da Luz on May 24, 2014 in Lisbon, Portugal.
In a campaign that eventually led to another European victory, Ronaldo became the Champions League’s all-time top scorer with a hat-trick in a group stage win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Sept. 2015. After netting another triple against Wolfsburg in the quarterfinals, Cristiano had his third moment of Champions League glory by scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout win over Atletico Madrid in the 2016 final.
Cristiano’s historic contributions for more European glory
Ronaldo had more in store for the 2016-17, scoring both in the first and second legs against Bayern in the quarterfinals, including a hat-trick in the rematch to reach 100 UCL goals and send Madrid to the semis, where he recorded yet another triple to help beat Atletico Madrid. Of course, the Portuguese also stepped up in the final with a brace to defeat Juventus, taking home his fourth Champions League medal.
But there was more to come. On April 3, 2017, Ronaldo scored a brace against Juve in the quarterfinals, including a memorable bicycle kick goal that even made the rival fans applaud CR7. He had room for yet another heroic moment in the return leg, scoring a dramatic penalty to send Madrid to the next round. Eventually, he made it five Champions League final wins in his career with Madrid’s victory over Liverpool on May 26.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid lifts The UEFA Champions League trophy following his sides victory in during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on May 26, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine.
How does Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League record compare to other players?
Needless to say, Cristiano Ronaldo’s five Champions League titles are quite remarkable. In fact, the Portuguese tops Messi’s UCL titles. That said, he’s tied with many other players when it comes to final wins.
Real Madrid’s Champions League win in 2022, with Ronaldo no longer at the club, saw the likes of Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos match Ronaldo’s five titles. However, the record holder for UCL titles is still Francisco Gento, who won six European Cups.
Players with most European Cup/Champions League titles (all time)
- 6 Francisco Gento (Real Madrid)
- 5 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
- 5 Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
- 5 Luka Modrić (Real Madrid)
- 5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, Real Madrid)
- 5 Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)
- 5 Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid)
- 5 José María Zárraga (Real Madrid)
- 4 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
