Cristiano Ronaldo is set to receive a special UEFA award in recognition of his status as the all-time leading goalscorer in the Champions League.

The Portuguese forward, who has won the competition five times, will be honoured with the award at the revamped draw for this season’s tournament on Thursday, 29 August, in Monaco.

Ronaldo scored 140 goals in 183 Champions League appearances for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus over 18 seasons.

The 39-year-old finished as the top scorer in seven different campaigns and is 11 goals ahead of Lionel Messi in the scoring charts, with both long-time rivals now playing outside of Europe.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation,” said Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA president. “His sustained excellence at the highest level is a testament to his relentless pursuit of both team and individual honours.

“Over more than two decades, he has continuously evolved and refined his game while preserving a youthful passion for scoring and celebrating goals.”

Ronaldo won his first Champions League title in 2008 with Manchester United before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, where he won the competition four more times.

Capped 212 times by Portugal, the forward is also the all-time leading male international goalscorer and could still add to his tally of 130 goals, having expressed his desire to continue playing for Roberto Martinez’s side.

“When I leave the national team, I won’t tell anyone in advance. It will be a very spontaneous decision on my part, but also a very well thought-out one,” Ronaldo told Portuguese channel NOW.

“Right now, what I want is to be able to help the national team in their upcoming matches. We have the Nations League ahead of us, and I would really like to play.”