Cristiano Ronaldo missed a crucial penalty opportunity to equalize during Al Nassr’s Round of 16 match in the King Cup of Champions, resulting in the team’s elimination from the tournament. Here, we take a closer look at his penalty record and compare it to Lionel Messi’s.
According to MessivsRonaldo.app, excluding shootouts, Ronaldo has scored 168 penalties and missed 31, giving him a conversion rate of 85%. Meanwhile, Messi has scored 109 penalties and missed 31, with a 78% conversion rate. However, one of Messi’s “misses” includes his memorable assist to Luis Suarez while at Barcelona.
While Ronaldo has a higher conversion rate than Messi, it’s not the best of his generation. For instance, Robert Lewandowski boasts an impressive 91% conversion rate, while Harry Kane follows closely with 86%.
On the national stage, however, Messi surpasses Ronaldo’s conversion rate. Messi has scored 24 of 29 penalties (82.8%) with Argentina, while Ronaldo has converted 20 of 28 (71.4%) for Portugal.
Lionel Messi has a lower conversion rate than Ronaldo when it comes to penalties (Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Messi and Ronaldo’s Records in Penalty Shootouts
When it comes to shootouts, both players share an identical record, scoring in 11 out of 13 attempts for an 84.6% success rate. Ronaldo, however, has participated in four additional shootouts where he didn’t take a penalty due to his position as the fourth or fifth kicker.
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Messi’s two shootout misses with Argentina came in high-stakes matches: once in the 2016 Copa America final, where he took the first penalty in a loss for Argentina, and again in the 2024 Copa America quarterfinals against Ecuador, though Argentina advanced.
Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after missing penalty against Bayern Munich in Champions League 2012 (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Ronaldo’s shootout misses came in the Champions League: he missed in the 2008 final against Chelsea, though Manchester United eventually won (6-5), and in the 2012 semifinal with Real Madrid against Bayern Munich, where Los Blancos were eliminated.
Ronaldo and Messi’s Penalty Records with Al Nassr and Inter Miami
Tuesday’s penalty miss was Ronaldo’s first with Al Nassr (scoring 19 of 20) and proved costly, leading to elimination. On the other hand, Messi has taken and scored just one penalty with Inter Miami so far.
