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Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a special award by UEFA, which he posed with after the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League draw. The legendary forward was a guest of honour in Monaco, where the event took place, with dignitaries and European club representatives in attendance.
The revamped draw was the biggest conversation of the night, with teams no longer drawn into groups of four. Instead, a new league format has replaced the group format, with clubs set to play eight games instead of six.
Cristiano Ronaldo also made headlines, as the legendary striker was honoured with a special award for being the all-time highest goalscorer in the Champions League. The forward no longer plays in Europe, as he turns out for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
However, his remarkable tally of 140 goals across 183 appearances in Europe's premier competition looks seemingly impossible to beat. Ronaldo was handed the special award, and the UEFA account on X shared a video of him exclaiming "Siu!" as can be seen below:
Cristiano Ronaldo played in the Champions League for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. He won the trophy five times, once with the Red Devils and four times with Los Blancos.
Cristiano Ronaldo discusses Champions League memories and hints at potential Europe return
When he was presented the special award at the Champions League draw in Monaco, Cristiano Ronaldo got to share his memories in the competition. He also spoke about his future in Saudi Arabia, while smiling about playing in the Asian Champions League, rather than Europe's.
Speaking with UEFA president Aleksander Cerefin, he began by saying (via TalkSPORT):
“I play Asian (Champions) League. Don’t forget that. ... For me, it is a pleasure to be here. Thank you for this amazing award. It means a lot to me. As you know, Champions League, it’s the highest in football.
"I had an opportunity, not only you know the record speaks for itself, but I don’t mean that, I mean the pleasure to play that competition … it’s our motivation."
The legendary goalscorer also responded about potentally retiring at Al-Nassr. When asked about a potential return to Europe, Cristiano Ronaldo said:
“Football … you never know what’s going to happen. Let’s see what the future brings.”
Time will tell where Ronaldo concludes his career. In the meantime, though, the forward will focus on his immediate future in Saudi Arabia, where he's Al-Nassr's captain and most potent goalscorer.
