'First UCL Player That Comes to Mind?': Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland All Name This Goal-scoring Icon - WATCH

Some of Europe’s biggest football stars, including Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, could only think of Cristiano Ronaldo when asked a Champions League question. The official Champions League account shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) where several football stars answered one of the biggest fan-asked questions. “First UCL player that comes to mind,” the post read. In the video, the Manchester City triumvirate was asked to name the player that came to their mind when they heard ‘Champions League.’ All three quickly responded with Ronaldo.

Apart from the Manchester City stars, the video also featured other stars competing in the Champions League this season. Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold also mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo’s name while answering the same question. But seeing these big football stars naming the five-time Ballon d’Or winner might not come as a surprise for many.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most accomplished footballers in the history of the Champions League. Ronaldo has won the European competition five times in his career. He first won the tournament in 2008 with Manchester United. He was even awarded the Ballon d’Or that year while also finishing the tournament as the top-scorer.

Cristiano Ronaldo had to wait for nearly five years before getting his hands on the coveted trophy again. The Portuguese legend’s Champions League drought came to an end in 2014 with Real Madrid. In the same season, Ronaldo also broke the record for the most goals scored in a single edition of the tournament as he found the back of the net 17 times.

Between 2016 to 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo added three more Champions League crowns with Real Madrid. He eventually left the Los Blancos for Serie A side Juventus. Ronaldo failed to make the tournament’s final since 2018, before leaving the European football circuit for the Saudi Pro League in 2023. Ronaldo finished his Champions League career as its all-time top scorer with 140 goals.

Speaking of the ongoing Champions League campaign, Borussia Dortmund are currently leading the overall table with six points. The European competition underwent a change this season as it shifted from the traditional 32-team format.