Cristiano Ronaldo shocked fans with an uncharacteristic miss from the penalty spot on Wednesday, striking the post with a poor effort during Al-Nassr’s 2-0 win over Al-Khaleej.
With the score tied at 0-0 midway through the second half, the Portugal legend was handed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock from the spot after Sultan Al-Ghannam was illegally brought down in the penalty area.
To the surprise of his team-mates and Al-Nassr’s fans, Ronaldo clipped the outside of the post after aiming for the bottom left-hand corner, immediately flailing his arms in frustration.
Ronaldo has endured a difficult time at Al-Nassr of late, with the Saudi Pro League giants having failed qualify for the AFC Champions League Elite last week after yet another frustrating campaign.
With Al-Nassr missing out on Champions League Elite qualification, Saudi Arabia will instead be represented in Asia’s top club tournament next season by Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli.
Ronaldo, despite being the highest-paid sports star on the planet since his move to the Saudi giants in January 2023, has yet to win a major honour at the club, leading to speculation over a potential exit.
Cristiano Ronaldo shocked fans with an uncharacteristic miss from the spot on Wednesday
The Portuguese icon’s penalty headed towards the left-hand corner before clipping the post
It proved a frustrating night in front of goal for Ronaldo – before another chance arose late on
Despite missing the penalty, the 40-year-old veteran ultimately rallied his team-mates and guided Al-Nassr to a 2-0 victory, with former Aston Villa star Jhon Duran netting in the 75th minute before he scored deep into stoppage time to seal the win.
Blessed with another opportunity from the spot in the 97th minute, Ronaldo made no mistake at the second time of asking, placing his effort into the bottom left corner again – and this time the right side of the post.
Upon bulging the net, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star walked over to Al-Nassr’s fans and apologised, his first penalty miss still clearly weighing on his mind.
Addressing supporters again on social media after the match, the forward appeared to see the funny side of his difficult outing in front of goal.
‘One of those nights where the ball just didn’t want to go in… until it did,’ the icon posted on X, accompanying his remark with an embarrassed laugh emoji.
This week, Ronaldo has suggested that he could keep playing for another 10 years after finding out his physiological age.
Whoop conducted a physical analysis of the 40-year-old Ronaldo and determined his physiological age to be just 28.9.
The Portuguese star was stunned by the results and joked that he might be able to keep playing for another decade.
He made amends from the penalty spot in the 97th minute, as Al-Nassr carved out a 2-0 win
Ronaldo has still yet to win a trophy since his lucrative move to Saudi Arabia in January 2023
He joked: ‘I can’t believe it’s so good. This means I’ll play for another ten years. When you’re young, you think you’ll live forever, that you’ll always be strong, that you’re unbreakable.
‘At 25 it’s not the same as when you’re thirty, especially in football. I still feel good, I prioritize recovery and sleep much more than before.’
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast last September, Ronaldo admitted that he realised his career was entering its twilight phase and opened up on what he will yearn for once he retires.
‘I’m going to miss the adrenaline of scoring a goal, and (the feeling) of being nervous,’ he said.
‘I think I’m going to miss that because in other part of me, I can control that. I have good people around me, good business, I have good things.
‘But I (will miss the fact that) the adrenalin of football is never going to exist (again). This is why I’m going further than football.
‘I give everything, to 40, 41, it doesn’t matter. I give my body for 25 years of football and I cannot give more because age doesn’t allow to go further.’
Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr expires this summer, with an extension yet to be agreed.
