If you had never watched the Champions League before the 2002-03 season, then you will, for once, experience it without Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese megastar (37) will not play the C1 for the first time in his professional career, Manchester United only qualifying for the Europa League.
Who says Ronaldo says record goals in C1, with 140 achievements (141 counting the preliminary rounds).
His runner-up in the standings, Lionel Messi, therefore has free rein to usurp his place as number 1. But it would be a feat, even for Messi.
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The PSG striker has 125 goals in the competition.
He would therefore have to score 15 goals in a single C1 campaign to join Ronaldo.
What he has… never done, he who topped out at 14 goals in 2011-12.
At his age (35) and after a painful first season in Paris, Messi is starting from afar.
But there are grounds for hope.
Starting with his amazing start to the season in Ligue 1, the absence of Ronaldo who can over-motivate him, or the fact that he is, behind the scenes, "
totally fulfilled
" and "
much more smiling
" than last year, according to the indiscretions of the newspaper
Le Parisien
.
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That Messi, who scored 5 goals in 7 European matches last season, is getting closer to the record, that's for sure.
For him to equal it, there is a long way to go.
Especially since with 3 goals and 6 assists after six days in Ligue 1, the Argentinian is more altruistic than ever.
Precisely, perhaps he will rather seek this record of assists?
Ronaldo is at 42, Messi at 36. We must also watch, just behind, his compatriot from Juventus, Angel Di Maria, with 35 offerings.
Or even, in the longer term, his teammate Neymar, 30 passes on the clock.
Read alsoBroadcast, favorites, upset calendar … 10 questions about the Champions League
Behind the two multiple Ballon d'Ors, the fight is raging for the scorers' podium.
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) and Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona) are both at 86 nets found.
Figures that Kylian Mbappé dreams of overcoming within a good decade: the 23-year-old Frenchman has already scored 33 goals in the Champions League.
At his age, Ronaldo was only 11, and Messi 31.
