Cristiano Ronaldo Discusses His Legacy, Champions League Records and More

Cristiano Ronaldo is confident that he has already established himself in footballing history and believes his legacy will be long-lasting "whether people like it or not." 

The Real Madrid superstar has had another phenomenal season, netting over 30 goals in Los Blancos' La Liga title push and scoring 16 times in the UEFA Champions League as his side have advanced to the semi-finals, per WhoScored.com.

Ahead of Real's last-four second-leg clash against Manchester City on Wednesday, Ronaldo, 31, insisted he has already gained his place in the history books, having become the Champions League's most prolific scorer with 93 goals, per UEFA.com.

"I don't doubt that I will go down in footballing history," he said. "Whether people like it or not, the numbers speak for themselves. I will be up there with the rest. Some like it more, some like it less, but I have no doubt that I'm already in the history of football." 

Ronaldo missed Real's opening leg against the Sky Blues at the Etihad Stadium—which ended 0-0—but is reportedly fit for the Bernabeu clash as the two sides go head-to-head in an attempt to reach the Milan final, per the Champions League:

His potential return could be crucial, as he is hugely prolific in the Champions League—he leads second-placed Lionel Messi in the all-time scoring charts by 10 goals—and has been almost unstoppable this season, per Bleacher Report's Dean Jones:

Per UEFA.com, Ronaldo said it is a "privilege" to be the tournament's all-time leading scorer, and he is seeking another title with Los Blancos this season, having won it twice already—at Manchester United in 2008 and Real in 2014.

"It's a special competition and a competition that Real Madrid love," he said. "I've been lucky enough to win it twice and obviously I want to win it more—hopefully again this year. Fans love the Champions League and obviously I also love it, because it's a special competition."

The current campaign could be Ronaldo's last opportunity to win Europe's premier prize again, as he is surely drawing near to the end of his stellar career.

The Portuguese is still performing to an extraordinarily high level, but he will be 32 in February next year, and there have been consistent rumours that he may leave the Bernabeu in the summer, per Spanish outlet Sport.

While he is likely to have a couple of top-level seasons left in him, he would still go down as one of football's best-ever players if he never won anything again.

A double Champions League winner, Ronaldo has also claimed the Premier League three times, the Liga title and three Ballon d'Or awards in his storied career.

He revealed ahead of Wednesday's clash with City that he always thought he could be a great player, per UEFA.com:

"

I always felt that I was a special player, ever since I was starting out at Sporting. I felt that sooner or later I would be a top-level professional. I never thought it would come so fast, but I was preparing myself because, like I said, the talent was there. I've always worked hard, believed in my potential—in the academy at Sporting, at [United] and at [Real] as well—and I've developed more and more as a player, as a person, as a human being. I've enjoyed my work.

"

Ronaldo is unlikely to be satisfied with what he has already achieved and will be desperate to earn another Champions League medal—and perhaps even a Liga title—this season.

He could also make an impact at the summer's Euro 2016 in France, where he will be the key man for the Portuguese national team as they go in search of the continent's biggest international prize.