Record-Breaker Cristiano Ronaldo's Top 10 Champions League Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo helped himself to a hat-trick against Shakhtar Donetsk, and in doing so, he moved past Lionel Messi to become the Champions League's top goalscorer.

The Real Madrid star brought his total to 80 goals in the Champions League with his treble strike, and here, we'll look at Ronaldo's best goals in his record haul.

10. The Header in the Final vs. Chelsea, 2008

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Manchester United met Chelsea in an all-English affair for the Champions League final in Moscow in 2008, putting Cristiano Ronaldo on Europe's grandest stage for the first time. 

As has now become expected of the Portuguese phenomenon, it didn't take long for the No. 7 to stamp his mark on the clash, dropping off Michael Essien to launch high in the penalty area and head home Wes Brown's cross in emphatic fashion. 

However, the night didn't all go well for United's star. His penalty kick in the shootout was saved by Petr Cech, leaving a few anxious moments for Ronaldo as his team-mates secured the title.

9. The Sweet Finish vs. Liverpool, 2014

Real Madrid came up short in the 2014/15 season, but Ronaldo still dazzled with his work in front of goal.

He scored a stunner against Liverpool at Anfield in October, exchanging passes with James Rodriguez before flashing a shot over Simon Mignolet.

The goal earned Ronaldo the award of the top goal in the 2014/15 Champions League.

8. The Original vs. Roma, 2007

When reliving Cristiano Ronaldo's finest goals in the Champions League, it's impossible to ignore the strike that started it all for the Portuguese back in 2007. 

In the second leg of their quarter-final tie with Roma, Manchester United ran all over the Italians, turning around a 2-1 deficit from the first leg to hammer the visitors 7-1 at Old Trafford. 

Already 3-0 ahead in the game, Ronaldo opened his account in the continental competition after a long wait, cutting in front on the right before firing past goalkeeper Doni to kick-start a phenomenal run in Europe. 

7. The Fancy Footwork vs. Schalke, 2013

Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League campaign in 2013/14 was simply staggering, as he smashed the record books by reaching 17 goals in a single season of the competition. 

One of his finest efforts, of course, came in Real Madrid's 6-1 victory over Schalke in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.

Receiving the ball from Gareth Bale on the left, the Portuguese faced up to Joel Matip just outside the penalty area before bewildering the defender with a stunning sequence of footwork, breezing past the Cameroonian before smashing a left-footed strike past Ralf Fahrmann to take Real's lead to 3-0. 

6. The Free-Kick vs. Marseille, 2009

Following his world-record £80 million move from Manchester United, there was significant pressure on Cristiano Ronaldo to display his supreme ability in the 2009-10 Champions League with Real Madrid. 

Impressively, he didn't waste any time doing so. 

After striking a brace in Real's opening clash with Marseille in the group stage, the world's then-most expensive player completed an astonishing free-kick against the French outfit at the Stade Velodrome to ensure his brilliance transferred from red to white. 

What made the strike more impressive was that it was made from straight on to the goal—a position from which it is typically far more difficult to beat the goalkeeper. 

5. The Solo Effort vs. Galatasaray, 2013

Before he'd made Joel Matip and Schalke look foolish, Cristiano Ronaldo did the same to Galatasaray in the group stage of the 2013/14 Champions League. 

Already 5-1 ahead in the dying minutes of Real Madrid's opener against the Turkish giants, Ronaldo was keen to inflict further damage and pushed forward down the left with Karim Benzema. 

What came next was a sublime exhibition of footwork and deft touches that took the Portuguese past three defenders before he completed his hat-trick with a shot very similar to the one against Schalke. 

4. The Free-Kick vs. APOEL, 2012

When a player takes a free-kick from an acute angle, it's typically expected that the ball will be delivered into the middle of the penalty area.

But normal rules have never really applied to Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Against APOEL in 2012, the Portuguese stunned the Cypriot outfit with an immaculate free-kick in the Champions League, blasting a ferocious effort past the goalkeeper that caught the inside of the right post to secure his second goal in a 5-2 rout. 

3. The Thumping Header vs. Roma, 2008

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Is there a better header of the ball in world football than Cristiano Ronaldo?

Though it's sometimes forgotten when watching his dazzling shooting and free-kick skills, the superstar forward is perhaps the game's most dominant player in the air as well. 

Never has that skill been as evident as when Ronaldo struck his thumping header against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in the 2007/08 Champions League to help send Manchester United through to the semi-finals. 

His towering goal came after Wayne Rooney made a sublime turn, releasing Paul Scholes into the penalty area, where he floated a cross to the head of a charging Ronaldo to bury the ball into the bottom-left corner.

2. The Free-Kick vs. Arsenal, 2009

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We've seen plenty of Cristiano Ronaldo's trademark free-kicks over the years, but few have ever been better than his stunning effort against Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2008/09. 

Having blasted his famous 40-yard screamer against Porto in the previous round, the No. 7 again showcased his remarkable talent less than a month later. 

Lining up from considerable distance on the right flank at the Emirates Stadium, a ball to the middle of the penalty area seemed to be the Portuguese's only option.

Instead, Ronaldo sent a swerving, dipping and bullet-like strike past Manuel Almunia into the corner of the net to secure Manchester United's place in the final. 

1. The Long-Range Bullet vs. Porto, 2009

Manchester United travelled to Porto in the 2008/09 Champions League knowing that they couldn't afford any slip-ups after the Portuguese outfit had managed a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final tie at Old Trafford.

Returning home to Portugal, Ronaldo naturally demanded the spotlight on that pivotal evening. 

Incredibly, he didn't disappoint, thumping a spectacular 40-yard strike past goalkeeper Helton in the opening minutes to wrestle the contest his side's way, ultimately sending United through to the semi-finals.