Messi’s Penalty Record: How Does it Compare to Cristiano Ronaldo?

Lionel Messi’s recent penalty miss during Inter Miami’s game against Charlotte FC, executed with a Panenka-style attempt, drew attention to his penalty record. The miss represented Messi’s 32nd penalty failure in his career, prompting a comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty statistics. Both players have been dominant figures in world football for approximately 20 years, leading their respective teams and taking the primary penalty-taking responsibilities. Ronaldo, who took over penalty duties for Real Madrid, has taken 210 penalties, scoring 177, with 33 misses, giving him a success rate of 84.29%. Messi, who took over penalty duties for Barcelona and later for Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, and Argentina, has taken 145 penalties, scoring 113 and missing 32, with a 77.93% success rate. The recent miss by Messi also concluded a nearly three-year period without a penalty miss in regular gameplay, excluding shootouts, highlighting the infrequent nature of such misses.