Ronaldo’s Penalty Parade: Four Misses and a Big Win – Will He Travel to India or Rest Again?
18 October 2025
Missed Penalties Mount for Ronaldo
The Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al Nassr, has just endured his fourth penalty miss of 2025.
He squandered a crucial chance to put his side ahead when they were level 1-1 with Al Fateh in Round 5 of the Saudi Pro League, blasting a powerful shot that goalkeeper Amin Bakri read and saved brilliantly.
Ronaldo did rebound, scoring in the eventual big 5-1 win that kept Al Nassr atop the Saudi table, but the miss this month remains a headline, a reminder that even the great can slip from 12 yards.
A Negative Stat and a Narrow Escape
Just over a week earlier, Ronaldo also missed a penalty wearing Portugal's jersey against Ireland in World Cup qualifying.
This time he aimed for the middle as a former Liverpool goalkeeper, Kaymen Kilyer, dived and pushed it away with his foot, leaving Ronaldo stunned; teammate Robin Neves headed in the winner to seal the victory.
In May, he missed another penalty for Al Nassr against Al Khaleej, blasting it onto the right post and out of play.
In March, he also missed a penalty against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League; Portugal still won 5-2 after Kasper Schmeichel saved the shot, so the result spared Ronaldo’s reputation from a harsher headline.
Negative Stat
That tally of penalties missed in a year is the highest in Ronaldo's two-decade career, tracing back to 2015-2016 when he missed five penalties (three with Real Madrid and two with Portugal).
Fortunately, the misses haven’t derailed his team or his country; they still came out on top in those matches. Yet the concern is clear: penalties used to be a guaranteed weapon in Ronaldo’s arsenal, and this year’s misses threaten to undermine it.
Narrative of a Sad Ending
Al Nassr previously paid a price for Ronaldo’s missed penalty last season against Al Taawoun in the King Cup Round of 16; his shot climbed high and the clock ran out on the chance to turn the game around, with Al Ittihad lifting the title later on.
In clutch moments, Al Nassr or Portugal need a penalty taker who rarely misses; Ronaldo must rekindle the deadly weapon that once scared rivals and delighted fans.
Anticipated Involvement
The Saudi club has clarified Ronaldo’s stance on participating in the Goa match in the AFC Champions League 2, with the plan reportedly to travel to Margao, India, for the fixture.
Goa reportedly requested Ronaldo accompany the squad, but the Indian club’s CEO said the request was not confirmed, while Goa’s president hinted the match would be India’s biggest football event if Ronaldo attends, with sponsorships ready to sign the moment he confirms his presence.
Coach Jorge Jesus had already decided to rest Ronaldo for all group-stage matches in AFC Champions League 2 to keep him fresh for the season, causing Ronaldo to miss the first two games against Istiklol Dushanbe and Al Zawra’a.
As a result, Ronaldo will not feature in those early fixtures, at least for now, as speculation swirls around India’s landmark clash and his ongoing role with the team.
