In the 20th century, there have been questions regarding who is the better player between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Different opinions have been thrown out to the public, with many relating to their personal stats and individual awards coupled with trophies won so far in their career.
In terms of stats, Ronaldo remains a better player than Messi. However, in this write-up, the major stats that will be used to compare the two greatest of all time in football are the penalty stats in their career so far.
Penalty Stats Between Ronaldo And Messi
Ronaldo has been a superior player in terms of scoring penalties ahead of Inter-Miami attacker Messi.
Ronaldo’s penalty accuracy is 84.8%, and Messi’s penalty accuracy is 77.9%. The Al Nassr attacker has scored 167 penalties and missed 30 so far in his career.
He scored his last penalty against Al Shabab in the Saudi Arabia Pro League soccer.
Ronaldo’s last penalty missed happened in the 2024 Euro match against Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak. However, he redeemed himself by scoring in the penalty shootout against the goalkeeper.
Messi has scored 110 penalty goals and missed 31 in his entire career. The last penalty the Argentine attacker scored was against Nashville in Major League Soccer.
The last penalty the attacker missed came against Ecuador in the 2024 Copa America.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Messi Big Penalty Miss
The two world-class players have missed big penalties over the years. Messi has two big penalty misses so far in his career.
The first one came in the 2012 Champions League semifinals against Chelsea. Messi’s penalty miss came back to hurt Barcelona as Chelsea qualified for the final and went on to win the Champions League.
The second big penalty miss was in the 2016 Copa America final against Chile.
Ronaldo has missed three big penalties in his career. He missed a penalty in the 2008 Champions League semifinal against Barcelona and the Champions League final against Chelsea.
In 2012, Ronaldo missed a penalty against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals.
Who is the Better Penalty Taker Between Ronaldo and Messi?
Ronaldo has been relied on over the years in terms of taking penalties compared to Messi.
The Portuguese star possessed a huge confidential ability in the 18-yard box, coupled with his sense of calmness.
Also, Ronaldo puts in power when it comes to kicking the ball from the penalty spot. His approach to penalties is always direct. Ronaldo kicks the ball without any hesitation.
Even though he has missed important penalties, the Al Nassr star remains a formidable penalty taker.
Messi’s techniques of playing penalty can be described as effortless. Football fans have seen him do the Panenka penalty without the stress of scoring.
The Argentine legend’s ability to deceive goalkeepers with body language makes it difficult for goalkeepers to save the player’s penalty.
One of the biggest attributes Messi has is consistency.
In conclusion, Ronaldo is a better penalty taker than Messi because of the Al Nassr’s striker confidence and stats.
Other Comparison Between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Who has more Ballon d’Or, Messi or Ronaldo?
Lionel Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards in his career. His recent Ballon d’Or win came in 2023 after he led Argentina to winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, has won five Ballon d’Or so far in his career. The last time he won the award was in 2017 while he was playing for Real Madrid.
Who has more golden boots, Messi or Ronaldo?
The Argentine attacker has won six European Golden Boots so far in his career. Ronaldo has only won three.
Who is better at free kicks, Messi or Ronaldo?
Ronaldo has scored 66 free kicks in his career so far, while Messi has 64. The Al Nassr striker scored 55 free kicks at club level and Messi with 53 free kicks.
