Cristiano Ronaldo Sets Unwanted Record For Most Penalty Misses In Football History [Top Ten]

Portugal captain and Al Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo has set a new record he would not be proud of, the most penalty misses in football history.

Ronaldo’s spot-kick was saved by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher during Portugal’s friendly against Ireland on Saturday, taking his total number of missed penalties to 34, according to Planet Football.

While the figure stands out, it’s important to note that Ronaldo has also taken more penalties than any other player ever recorded, 211 in total, and has converted 177 of them. His overall success rate of 83.8% remains among the best in world football.

Despite missing four of his last sixteen penalties, Ronaldo remains the most prolific scorer from the spot in the sport’s history. His confidence and willingness to step up under pressure have defined much of his career, from Manchester United to Real Madrid, Juventus, and now Al Nassr.

Below are the players with the most penalty misses in modern football:

7. Ronaldinho – 16 misses
The Brazilian magician boasted an 81.1% conversion rate, yet missed 16 times in his career. One of his most memorable misses came against England in 2013 when Joe Hart made a double save to deny him.

6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 17 misses
Zlatan found the net from the spot 87 times but missed 17, giving him an 83.6% success rate. During his final years with AC Milan, his accuracy dipped, converting only half of his last 12 attempts.

5. Ciro Immobile – 19 misses
The Italian striker, now at Besiktas, has scored 86 of his 105 penalties (81.9%). Two recent misses pushed him above Ibrahimovic on the list.

4. Francesco Totti – 20 misses
The AS Roma legend was ice-cold in his later years. He didn’t miss a single penalty in his final four and a half seasons and converted his last 13 in a row before retiring.

3. Neymar – 22 misses
Neymar’s record remains solid, with 91 goals from 113 attempts, an 80.5% success rate. Since rejoining Santos, he has been perfect, scoring both penalties he’s taken. At PSG, his record was even more impressive, with 28 goals from 31 attempts.

2. Lionel Messi – 32 misses
Messi, who previously held the record before being overtaken by Ronaldo, has converted 113 of 145 penalties (77.9%). Since joining Inter Miami, he’s often let teammates take responsibility from the spot, a shift from his Barcelona days.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 34 misses
Ronaldo now stands alone at the top of this list. His latest miss against Ireland adds to an otherwise impeccable record that has seen him convert 177 penalties in total, more than any other player in football history.

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