Al Nassr are chasing the Saudi Pro League title, something they haven’t achieved in recent years. Saturday’s match against Al Fayha was crucial, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s early penalty miss came in the opening minutes of the game.
Following wins by Al Ahli and Al Hilal, Jorge Jesus’ team entered Saturday’s match knowing they needed a victory to retain first place in the league standings, or at least a draw to share the top spot with Al Ahli. In that pursuit, facing a lower-level opponent like Al Fayha — currently 10th in the standings — appeared to be an advantage.
The gap between the two teams was evident from the opening minutes, as Al Nassr controlled possession comfortably in the attacking half and created chances to score the opener. In the 11th minute, the referee awarded a penalty for a foul inside the box, giving them an opportunity to take an early lead.
Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to take the kick, as he usually does. The Portuguese forward struck the ball with his right foot, aiming for the lower right corner past goalkeeper Mosquera. However, he lacked precision, sending the shot too wide. The ball struck the post and went out of play.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s unwanted penalty record
Cristiano Ronaldo has reached countless records throughout his career, most of them tied to his remarkable scoring ability. He is, of course, the all-time leading scorer in soccer history with 965 goals, and he holds similar records in the UEFA Champions League, with Real Madrid, and with Portugal.
However, when it comes to penalties, CR7 also holds an unfortunate record. Ronaldo is the player who has missed the most penalties in soccer history, with a total of 36 across his club career with Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al Nassr, as well as his time with the Portugal national team. Considering that he has scored 181 goals from the spot, his conversion rate stands at 81.43%.
Second place in that ranking is also surprising: Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward, who also trails CR7 on the all-time scoring list, has missed 32 penalties compared to 114 converted. That gives him a success rate of 78.08%.