Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning striking record makes him greatest goalscorer across Europe

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are widely regarded as two of the finest footballers of their generation and the pair have won a combined 11 Ballons d'Or, nine Champions Leagues and scored more than 1,000 career goals. Cristiano Ronaldo has proven himself to be one of the greatest and his performances in top leagues across countries are a testament to that claim. The Juve ace has also been in striking form for his national team. 

Earlier in March, sports analytics firm Opta had confirmed that Lionel Messi has surpassed Ronaldo with his 438th strike. Cut to November and Ronaldo is back setting a record that is likely to make him the greatest goalscorer across Europe. The latest set of stats have revealed Ronaldo has notched 18 strikes compared to Messi's nine over the last seven months, which makes him the leading scorer in the history of Europe's top five leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo has notched up 455 goals while Lionel Messi sits second at 447. 

Also read | Cristiano Ronaldo Refused To Swap Kits After Juventus Win, Claims Ferencvaros Star Heister

Ronaldo matches Messi's Champions League record

Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net against Ferencvaros this week, which brought up his 70th home goal in the Champions League; a record number he now shares with Lionel Messi. The Juve superstar has enjoyed a strong start to the season in front of goal and has eight goals from just five Serie A appearances this campaign. 

Messi and Ronaldo will, after a long time, go head-to-head on December 8 when Barcelona host Juventus at the Camp Nou in the final match of the group. The last time the two sides met, Barcelona beat Juventus 2-0 in Turin on October 28, a game Ronaldo missed after testing positive for coronavirus. 

Also Read | Mourinho Spends £500 On Leg Of Ham To Gift Reguilon For Keeping Mahrez Quiet In PL Win

Greatest goalscorers of all time

In total Ronaldo has 102 goals on the international stage and 646 goals in his club career across Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. 

10. Tulio Maravilha (1988-2019) - 575 goals

9. Uwe Seller (1953-1978) - 575+ goals

8. Ferenc Deak (1940-1957) - 576+ goals

7. Lionel Messi (2003-present) - 711 goals

6. Gerd Muller (1962-1981) - 736 goals

5. Ferenc Puskas (1943-1966) - 746 goals

4. Cristiano Ronaldo (2001-present) - 748 goals

3. Pele (1957-1977) - 767 goals

2. Romario (1985-2007) - 772 goals

1. Josef Bican (1931-1956) - 805 goals

Also Read | Luka Modric Wants To Finish Career At Real Madrid But Faces Uncertainty Over A New Deal

Also Read | INT Vs RM Dream11 Prediction, Team, Top Picks, UEFA Champions League Live

Image credits: CR7 Instagram