Rodrygo has now scored 25 Champions League goals following his strike against Atletico Madrid, but how long did it take the Brazilian to reach that tally compared to Cristiano Ronaldo?
For many, Ronaldo is the greatest player in Champions League history. Along with holding the record for the most goals in the competition, he also has the most assists too.
Rodrygo is now looking to follow in CR7’s footsteps and the Brazilian joined an elite list when he recently scored his 25th Champions League goal.
Aged 24 years and 54 days, the Real Madrid star became the fifth youngest player in Champions League history to score 25 goals in the competition.
While he can sometimes be overshadowed by the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, there’s no doubt that Rodrygo currently ranks as one of the best wingers in world football.
“He is a complete player,” Carlo Ancelotti said earlier this season discussing Rodrygo’s impact.
“Although we are aware that he prefers to play on the left, someone, for the good of the team, has to make sacrifices and Rodrygo has always done so.
“He has always put the good of the team first. Football enjoys Rodrygo’s quality.
“For the good of the team, I have to clarify the positions. It hasn’t gone badly, so far. And it won’t in the future.”
Predominately playing on the right-hand side, Rodrygo has enjoyed a good season up until this point. Across all competitions, the 24-year-old has scored 13 goals and provided eight assists.
He’s been especially prolific in the Champions League, where he’s scored five goals in his last nine European appearances.
“Rodrygo is so underrated. For me, he’s probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad,” Jude Bellingham told CBS Sports last month.
“The things he can do with the football. We’ll be messing around, and he’ll flick the ball up somehow, and you’re thinking: ‘How’d he do that?’
“I’m twisting my ankles if I try that!”
At this stage, Rodrygo’s Champions League record is strikingly similar to Ronaldo’s.
It took the Brazilian 61 games to reach 25 UCL goals, whereas Ronaldo needed 63 games in order to reach that tally.
Impressively, Rodrygo also boasts a superior minutes-per-goal ratio and has more assists than CR7 at this stage of his career.
Here’s the full breakdown of how long it took Rodrygo to score 25 Champions League goals with Ronaldo.
How long it took Rodrygo to score 25 UCL goals
Games: 61
Goals: 25
Assists: 12
Penalties: 2
Minutes per goal: 146.7
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 159.1
Minutes per goal or assist: 98.9
How long it took Ronaldo to score 25 UCL goals
Games: 63
Goals: 25
Assists: 11
Penalties: 2
Minutes per goal: 207.3
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 225.3
Minutes per goal or assist: 143.9
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