Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo Misses 96th-Minute Penalty, Al-Nassr Eliminated from King Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr made headlines within a day of the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 28, not for an award but for a crucial penalty miss in the King Cup of Champions. While Ronaldo wasn’t in contention for the Ballon d’Or, his missed penalty in the 96th minute against Al-Taawoun drew significant attention online, as fans reacted to the misstep of the former Real Madrid star.

 

Ronaldo’s Penalty Miss

During Tuesday’s King Cup match in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo’s team trailed 1-0 after a goal by Al-Taawoun’s Waleed Al-Ahmed. In the final moments of the match, Al-Nassr earned a penalty that could have leveled the score and forced extra time.

However, Ronaldo missed from 12 yards, resulting in a disappointing exit from the tournament. The miss came as a blow to the 39-year-old, who has recently faced another high-profile loss with Portugal, falling short in a Euro 2024 quarterfinal shootout against France.

This isn’t the first time Ronaldo has missed a crucial penalty. In the 2008 Champions League final with Manchester United, he missed in the shootout against Chelsea. Fortunately, United still went on to win after a miss by John Terry.

 

Ballon d’Or Without Ronaldo and Messi

Ronaldo’s penalty miss happened just hours after the Ballon d’Or ceremony where Rodri joined the list of recipients. This year, neither Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi, both former winners, were nominated. This marks the first time since 2003 that neither player appeared among the nominees for the prestigious award.