SUMMARY
- Portuguese can make accurate predictions about soccer competition.
- Cristiano Ronaldo believes that only three teams can win the title in the 23/24 season.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest big-game players in soccer history. The Portuguese international has incredible composure and mentality and can remain calm under pressure. This has allowed CR7 to win important trophies with club and country. Most notably, the 38-year-old is the winner of 5 Champions League titles, a feat that is very rare in soccer.
🗣️Interviewer: “Who Will win the Champions League this year?”
Ronaldo: “It’s always the same. Bayern, Manchester City and Real Madrid” pic.twitter.com/YN77F0dNme
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) January 19, 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo therefore, has extensive knowledge of Europe’s premier club competition. The 38-year-old’s career in the UEFA Champions League spans decades, where he played against various European giants. It is, therefore, very imperative that the Portuguese can make accurate predictions about the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo predicts the winner of the UEFA Champions League 23/24
The Portuguese player was present at the 2023 Globe Soccer Awards ceremony where he won the Fans’ Favorite Player and Middle East Player Of The Year awards. While the fans applauded the 38-year-old’s achievements, they were particularly astonished by Cristiano’s comments about the Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo believes that only three teams can win the title in the 23/24 season.
An interview had asked the Al-Nassr player about who he thinks would win the UEFA Champions League winner to which the Portuguese captain gave the interesting answer. The 5-time Ballon d’Or winner said, “It’s always the same. Bayern, Manchester City and Real Madrid”
Group stage complete 🙌
What surprised you most? 🤔#UCL pic.twitter.com/OsXqhOHrDE
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 13, 2023
It seems that Cristiano Ronaldo is not among the fans who love to see a fairy tale story. He believes that only the three teams have what it takes to be called a European champion. And the Portuguese International could not be faulted here.
All three teams namely, Manchester City, FC Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid have been in stellar form in the competition. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have won the tournament 6 and 14 times. While Manchester City has been at least a semi-finalist in each of the last three editions.
Meanwhile, all three teams haven’t lost a single game in the group stage of the UCL 2023/24. Therefore, Cristiano Ronaldo’s prophecy could prove to be very true in the future.
CR7 has won 5 UCLs in his illustrious career
His magnificent achievements have earned Cristiano the title of ‘Mr. Champions League.’ Cristiano Ronaldo won his first-ever UEFA Champions League in 2008 with Manchester United in the final against Chelsea. Though he missed a penalty in the shootout, it was the Portuguese who scored United’s only goal in the normal playing time. CR7 then went on to create history with Real Madrid where he won 4 UCLs.
Cristiano Ronaldo UCL Final stats:
Most Finals won (5)
Most appearances (6)
Most goals (4)
Most goals in one game (2)
Most Finals scored in (3)
Most dribbles in one final (12)The Greatest Big Game Player of All Time🐐. pic.twitter.com/WHszOJwvy9
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) June 10, 2023
More interestingly, 3 of them came in a row when Real Madrid completed a famous three-peat, winning the final in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a ton of goals to help his team win the coveted title, thus solidifying his status as a big-game player.
CR7 is the competition’s all-time top goal scorer with a whopping 140 goals in 183 appearances. The astounding number of appearances is also a record in itself. While some of the critics have scrutinized the creative aspect of his play, the stats say otherwise. The Portuguese player is the competition’s leading assist provider with 42 assists.
Among his other notable achievements consist of the most goals in UCL knock-outs, and the most goals in a single UCL campaign, when he scored 17 goals in the 2013-14 season. Real Madrid emerged victorious in the final against arch-rivals Atletico Madrid to win ‘La Decima’, the tenth UCL in the club’s history.