This Saturday, Lionel Messi made headlines in Inter Miami’s game against Charlotte FC — but for an unusual reason: he missed a penalty with a Panenka-style attempt. It was the 32nd missed penalty in the Argentine forward’s professional career, raising the question of how Cristiano Ronaldo compares in that regard.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have dominated global soccer for nearly two decades, serving as leaders for their respective clubs and national teams. As two of the most prolific goal scorers of all time, it’s no surprise they’ve also been their teams’ go-to penalty takers — a responsibility that carries immense pressure.
Cristiano Ronaldo began taking penalties during his first spell at Manchester United, where he shared the duty with Wayne Rooney. But after his move to Real Madrid, the forward became the undisputed penalty taker — both at club level and for the Portuguese national team.
Over the course of his career, Ronaldo has taken 210 penalties across stints with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr, and the Portugal national team. He has converted 177 of them, while missing 33 — whether off target or saved by the goalkeeper — giving him an accuracy rate of 84.29%.
Lionel Messi takes a penalty kick and misses during the MLS match between Charlotte FC and Inter Miami.
Messi’s penalty stats
Just as Ronaldo took over penalty duties at Real Madrid, Lionel Messi assumed that role at Barcelona following Ronaldinho’s departure in 2008. That summer, newly appointed coach Pep Guardiola made Leo the focal point of his team, phasing out the Brazilian legend and putting Messi in the spotlight. That included giving him the iconic No. 10 shirt and the responsibility of taking most of the team’s penalties.
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Throughout his professional career with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, and the Argentina national team, Messi has taken 145 penalties — scoring 113 and missing 32, either off target or saved. That gives the Argentine forward a conversion rate of 77.93%, slightly lower than Ronaldo’s.
Messi ends an impressive streak
Saturday’s missed penalty against Charlotte FC also brought an impressive run to an end for Messi. The Argentine forward had gone nearly three years without missing a penalty during regular gameplay — not counting penalty shootouts.
The last time Messi failed to convert from the spot was with Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, when Wojciech Szczesny saved his attempt during a 2-0 win over Poland in Matchday 3 of the group stage. Since then, Messi had scored all six of his in-game penalties for both Argentina and Inter Miami.
