Vinicius Junior edges past Cristiano Ronaldo’s early Champions League mark

Vinicius Junior has taken another big step into Champions League history, overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s early competition record and pushing closer to marks set by Lionel Messi and Neymar.

The Real Madrid star has become one of Europe’s most decisive forwards on the biggest stage.

The Brazilian recently became the youngest player ever to reach 80 Champions League appearances, hitting the milestone in style with a brace against Manchester City that sealed Madrid’s place in the quarter-finals. By age 25, he has produced 34 goals and 26 assists in the tournament, far ahead of Ronaldo’s 26 goals and 13 assists at the same age.

Vinicius has been especially influential in knockout ties, where he has delivered 26 goals and 13 assists, underlining his big-game mentality. His 29 goal involvements in 39 knockout matches leave him trailing only Messi at a similar age, while already surpassing Neymar and Kaka as the most productive Brazilian in Champions League knockout history.

Overall, he now has 60 goal contributions in the competition and is closing in on Neymar’s 73, steadily building a legacy as one of Real Madrid’s modern European greats.