Cristiano Ronaldo would have made it his conquest to get Manchester United to the Champions League knockout stages this season.
Manchester United and Erik ten Hag crash horrendously out of Europe. They finish on four points, dead last in what was a seriously mediocre Champions League group, which is their worst group stage campaign ever.
It was utterly embarrassing for the Red Devils, who just couldn’t seem to produce moments of magic to win on the biggest stage in football.
One man who would have led Manchester United to the knockout stages has to be Cristiano Ronaldo. He epitomises the Champions League and is the most successful player in the history of the competition. You can’t help but think with him up front, United would have gone through.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the Champions League all-time leading goalscorer
Cristiano Ronaldo is clear as the Champions League’s highest goalscorer. Here is a look at how he compares to his peers…
- Cristiano Ronaldo: 141
- Lionel Messi: 129
- Robert Lewandowski: 92
- Karim Benzema: 90
- Raul: 71
- Ruud van Nistelrooy: 60
- Andriy Shevchenko: 59
- Thomas Muller: 53
- Thierry Henry: 51
- Filio Inzaghi: 50
Ronaldo’s record is incredible, especially looking at how far ahead he is of great goalscorers like Raul and van Nistelrooy.
It speaks volumes of his consistency and longevity and shows what a true legend Manchester United had at their disposal.
Despite Ronaldo’s departure to the Saudi Pro League, it’s evident his record won’t be broken anytime soon. Lionel Messi, his closest competitor, is also not in Europe anymore.
Lewandowski would still need a whopping 49 goals to catch him up as he continues to play Champions League football for Barcelona.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League record broken down by club
Ronaldo’s goalscoring record in the Champions League consists of goals for three different clubs.
- 22 goals for Manchester United
- 105 goals for Real Madrid
- 14 goals for Juventus
Ronaldo’s first stint with Manchester United saw him score 15 times, with the Portuguese footballing icon adding seven to his tally during the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era.
He never got to play this season under Erik ten Hag and we reckon if he was at Old Trafford, United would be looking forward to a huge European clash in the last 16 right now.