By: Sunday Ameh
Portugal and Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo, one of football’s most celebrated goal scorers, has set a record he would rather not hold — the most penalty misses in football history.
Ronaldo’s latest miss came during Portugal’s international friendly against Ireland on Saturday, where his spot-kick was saved by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. The miss, according to Planet Football, brings his total failed penalties to 34, surpassing previous records held by other top players.
Despite this unenviable milestone, Ronaldo’s overall statistics remain outstanding. He has taken 211 penalties, converting 177, giving him an impressive 83.8 percent success rate, well above the global average.
The 39-year-old has now overtaken Lionel Messi, who has missed 32 penalties, to top the list of players with the highest number of penalty misses in history.
In the modern era, other notable names on the list include Neymar (22 misses), Francesco Totti (20), Ciro Immobile (19), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (17), and Ronaldinho (16) — showing that even the best in the game are not immune to failure from the spot.
While Ronaldo’s record of 34 missed penalties might draw criticism, analysts have pointed out that it reflects his long career at the top level and the sheer volume of penalties he has taken across competitions for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr, and Portugal.
Despite recent struggles from the spot — having missed four of his last 16 attempts over the past year — Ronaldo remains one of the most reliable penalty takers in football history, maintaining a conversion rate higher than most players globally.
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