ATLANTA, GEORGIA—Manchester United’s star striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal in his team’s 2-0 win over Villarreal at La Ceramica on Tuesday.
The win carried Machester United to the Champions League knockout round.
Ronaldo is on a roll as of late for his team as he scored in each of United’s five Champions League matches so far — and netted either a late winner or equalizer in the last four in Group F.
This match is extra-special since it is United’s first away win in the Champions League since they beat Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in October 2020.
Last September 29, Ronaldo broke the all-time Champions League appearance record with his last-minute goal that helped Manchester United beat Villarreal 2-1.
Ronaldo’s appearance in the game gave him 182 which broke the previous record of retired goalkeeper Iker Casillas 181 appearances.
Holding a record is not new for Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer superstar also holds several other records in the men’s tournament, including the most titles with five.
He is also the top goalscorer with 137 goals, as well as clocking up the most assists with 42.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi trails Ronaldo in both categories, with 121 goals and 36 assists.
Ronaldo has also scored the most penalties with 19, while Messi is second again with 16.
He has also overtaken Messi as the highest-paid soccer player for 2021.
Based on the top-earning soccer player list released by Forbes, Ronaldo is number one with $125 million earnings before taxes in the 2021-22 season, with $70 million coming from salary and bonuses at United.
The rest will come from endorsements and partnerships with brands including Nike, Herbalife, Clear, and his CR7 brand.
Messi, last year’s top-earning soccer player is second with d a salary of $75 million with an additional $35 million from endorsements for total expected earnings of $110 million.
The Argentine’s strike partner at PSG Neymar, who in May signed a new contract until 2025, is third on the list with total earnings of $95 million.
