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If the UEFA Champions League is the holy grail, then Cristiano Ronaldo can claim to be its Jesus Christ. Many fans even refer to the Portuguese as 'Mr. Champions League' given the way he has performed in the tournament to date.
It's not just about the number of times Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Champions League. But it's also about the absurd amount of goals he scores and the timing of those goals as well.
To date, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 140 goals at an approximate rate of 0.77 goals per game. He is followed closely by another magnificent footballer in the form of Lionel Messi.
While many great footballers have graced the Champions League, few can command the level of domination that Cristiano Ronaldo can.
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Ranking the Top 10 goal scorers in the Champions League before Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut
There have been many great footballers who have left their mark on the Champions League. Some of their goal counts may not be as high as that of Cristiano Ronaldo and others may not have won as many times as him.
However, it does not diminish the stature of these footballers and their impact on the beautiful game.
Cristiano Ronaldo made his Champions League debut in 2003, but who were the top 10 goal scorers in the competition before this moment in history? Let's have a look:
#10 Marco Simone - 23 goals
Marco Simone was a diminutive forward who played in the 1990s. His gift of pace and guile is in stark contrast to the strengths and abilities of Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Simone had his strengths, and he left a strong mark on the Champions League tournament.
In 40 appearances in the tournament, Simone notched up 23 goals. He also won the UEFA Champions League after rechristening in 1993-94 while playing for AC Milan.
#9 Rivaldo - 24 goals
There are no true football fans who can't recognize the name of Rivaldo. The gifted Brazilian attacking midfielder is regarded by many as one of the greatest players of his generation and one of the greatest players of all time.
Rivaldo's goalscoring exploits seem even more sensational given he was an attacking midfielder, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rivaldo started his European exploits with Barcelona as the whole world was mesmerized by his footballing talent and footwork. However, he had to wait until his move to AC Milan to lift the coveted Champions League trophy. Rivaldo scored 24 goals in 55 games but continued to play after Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut as well.
#8 Andriy Shevchenko - 24 goals
Up next is Ukrainian goal machine Andriy Shevchenko, who is considered by many to be one of the most legendary forwards to have ever graced the game of football. Shevchenko was a pathological goal scorer and a serial winner during his playing days. When he was in the mood, it used to become almost an impossible task to defend against him.
Until Cristiano Ronaldo made his Champions League debut, Shevchenko had made 49 appearances in the Champions League and scored 24 goals. The former Ballon d'Or winner also lifted the cherished trophy in 2002-03 with AC Milan.
#7 Jardel - 25 goals
Like Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League, Mario Jardel left the mark very early. He is by birth a Brazilian but, like Cristiano Ronaldo, has Portuguese citizenship.
Jardel's greatest exploit in Europe came for Porto, where he made a name for himself with an outstanding goal-scoring record. However, his career was heavily plagued by injuries, and he could never really settle into any form of rhythm.
His 25 goals from 46 appearances in the Champions League is a sorry testament to the tale of what a footballer could have been. With better luck, maybe Jardel would have been team-mates with Cristiano Ronaldo as well.
#6 Thierry Henry - 26 goals
Magician, wizard, maestro - just a few adjectives used to describe Thierry Henry based on his footballing exploits. There has never been a shortage of star footballers in France, but only the special ones can command as much respect as Henry can.
It's hard to describe Henry in terms of his playing position because, on paper, he was a forward. But he was a lot more, and his guile, skill, and confidence were seen very rarely among others. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, audacious adjectives will describe what Henry used to do on the football pitch.
Before Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut in the Champions League, Arsenal legend Henry had notched up 26 goals in 52 appearances.
#5 Filipo Inzaghi - 28 goals
Another legendary Italian forward is on the list, Filipo Inzaghi had already notched up 28 goals in 41 Champions League appearances before Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut in the competition.
Not only was Inzaghi a phenomenal goal scorer, but he was also well known for his predatory instincts inside the box. Coincidentally, it is an ability that can be found in Cristiano Ronaldo as well.
Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Inzaghi also lifted the Champions League trophy more than once in his playing career.
#4 Patrick Kluivert - 29 goals
Part of Ajax's golden generation, Patrick Kluivert is considered by many football fans to be one of the greatest footballers of his generation. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kluivert used his clever footballing senses, guile, and technical abilities to beat the defenders.
Kluivert scored 29 times in the Champions League and made 68 appearances before Cristiano Ronaldo's debut in 2003.
#3 Ruud van Nistelrooy - 30 goals
Champions League greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy have a lot of similarities. Both lethal goal scorers have moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid and are considered among the best players of their respective generations.
Van Nistelrooy, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, started as an outright center forward. The two even shared a dressing room at Manchester United, and it can perhaps be said that Cristiano Ronaldo learned a few tricks from the Dutch goal-scoring machine.
Nistelrooy was well-known for his predatory instincts and goal-scoring abilities in front of the goal. The Dutchman scored 30 goals in just 35 Champions League appearances but sadly never won the Champions League.
#2 Alessandro Del Piero - 31 goals
Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero was highly different in his playing style compared to Cristiano Ronaldo but still effective. Del Piero had an extremely industrious nature on the pitch as he was more than a goal-scoring option.
He would often drop deep to create goals for his team-mates and had a natural creative side to his game simultaneously.
Unlike Van Nistelrooy, Del Piero managed to win the Champions League in his playing days. Before Cristiano Ronaldo's debut, he was the second-highest scorer with 31 Champions League goals in 61 appearances.
#1 Raul - 43 goals
At the top position sits Raul, whose baton was naturally passed to Cristiano Ronaldo himself eventually.
The Spaniard was a prolific goal-scorer who was well known for his scoring abilities and consistency. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul was a dependable figure in front of the goal, and he used to deliver the goods more often than not.
But he was also equally creative on the pitch. He had the trait of dropping deeper and building the play alongside him, which made him one of the most complete strikers.
Raul scored 43 Champions League goals in 79 matches, and just like Cristiano Ronaldo, he won the Champions League multiple times with Real Madrid.
