‘My place in football history is assured’

MADRID: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is confident he will go down in history as one of the sport’s best players helped by his status as the Champions League’s all-time top scorer.

The three-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner has netted 93 goals in Europe’s elite club competition, including five hat-tricks.

His closest rival is Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who is 10 goals behind him in the Champions League scoring charts.

“I don’t doubt that I will go down in footballing history. Whether people like it or not, the numbers speak for themselves. I will be up there with the rest,” Ronaldo, 31, told the UEFA website (www.uefa.com) in an interview.

“Some like it more, some like it less, but I have no doubt that I’m already in the history of football.

“I always felt that I was a special player. I’ve always worked hard, believed in my potential and I’ve developed more and more as a player, as a person, as a human being.”

Ronaldo has 16 Champions League goals this season, the most by any player in a single campaign.

“It’s a privilege to know that I’m the leading goalscorer of all time in the Champions League. Obviously, I feel very happy at having achieved that,” the 31-year-old said.

“It’s a special competition and a competition that Real Madrid love. I’ve been lucky enough to win it twice and obviously I want to win it more — hopefully again this year,” he added.