“Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, will be honoured with a special award by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin in recognition of his remarkable legacy in the world’s most prestigious competition,” the organisation said.

In the same statement, the UEFA president explained that the Portuguese “is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation” and that “his extraordinary goal-scoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time”.

The Portuguese forward has finished seven separate seasons in the Champions League as the top scorer, more than any other player, and has scored 140 goals in 183 games in the Champions League, a competition he has won five times, once with Manchester United (2007/08) and four with Real Madrid (2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18).

Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, who currently plays for Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, will receive the award during the Champions League draw in Monaco, which will feature national champions Sporting and Benfica, who finished second in the previous edition of the I Liga.