Ronaldo sets unwanted penalty record

Portugal and Al Nassr forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, one of football’s most decorated goal scorers, now holds a record he would rather not claim. After his penalty miss against Ireland on Saturday, denied by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, Ronaldo now has the most penalty misses in football history

According to Planet Football on Monday, Ronaldo’s tally of failed spot-kicks has climbed to 34.

While this figure stands out, it comes with an important asterisk: Ronaldo has also taken more penalties than any other player on record (211) and converted an impressive 177, giving him a solid 83.8 per cent success rate — still well above average.

In the modern era, here are the seven players who have missed the most penalties.

7. Ronaldinho – 16 misses

The Brazilian boasted an impressive 81.1% conversion rate from the penalty spot, but still cracks our list with 16 misses.

Perhaps one of his most famous penalty blunders came against England in 2013 as Joe Hart made an excellent double save to deny the Brazilian maestro.

6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 17 misses

Ibrahimovic scored 87 penalties and missed 17, giving him a conversion rate of 83.6%.

However, his conversion rate became more sporadic upon his return to AC Milan in 2020.

During his final four seasons of his career, he only boasted a 50% conversion rate from the penalty spot, missing six of the 12 penalties he took upon his return to Milan.”

5. Ciro Immobile – 19 misses

Having missed two of his last seven penalty kicks for Besiktas, Immobile recently moved above Ibrahimovic on this list.

In total, he’s taken 105 spot-kicks, has scored 86 and missed 19, giving him an overall conversion rate of 81.9%.

4. Francesco Totti – 20 misses

Totti was especially prolific from the penalty spot in his later years.

Impressively, he didn’t miss a single penalty during his final four and a half seasons and scored his last 13 consecutive spot-kicks before retiring.

Throughout his entire career, he took 106 and scored 86.

3. Neymar – 22 misses

While the Brazilian is usually ice-cold from the spot, he has scuffed his fair share of penalties over the years.

In total, he’s taken 113 penalties and has scored 91, giving him a conversion rate of 80.5%, which is still well above average.

Since re-joining Santos earlier in the year, he has boasted a 100% penalty record, having scored the two penalties that he’s taken.

It’s worth mentioning that his penalty record with PSG was well above average, as he scored 28 of the 31 penalties that he took in France. That’s a conversion rate of 90.3%.

2. Lionel Messi – 32 misses

Last year, Messi held the record as the player with the most penalty misses in football history, but he’s since been overtaken.

While scoring penalties has never been the strongest asset to his game, a conversion rate of 77.9% is still just about above average.

There’s no doubt that he’s become a better penalty taker in his later years, although since joining Inter Miami, he’s often been happy to give the penalty responsibilities to others.

In total, he’s taken 145 penalties, has scored 113, and missed 32.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 34 misses

Having missed four of the last 16 penalties that he’s taken over the past 12 months, Ronaldo now holds the record for the most penalty misses in football history.

His latest miss came against Ireland as Brentford’s Caoimhin Kelleher denied him from 12 yards out.

Along with the most penalty misses in football history, Ronaldo has also scored more than anyone else (177) and has taken more (211) than any other player on record.

Despite his 34 misses, his conversion rate of 83.8% is still well above average.