Cristiano Ronaldo had a night to forget as he missed a penalty and wasted a huge chance in front of an open goal against NEOM. Despite Al Nassr’s 1-0 victory, the Portuguese superstar was visibly frustrated and remains on 981 career goals.
Ronaldo Left Furious After Shocking Misses as 1,000-Goal Dream Takes Another Hit
Cristiano Ronaldo endured a frustrating night after missing a penalty and wasting an incredible chance in front of an open goal during Al Nassr’s 1-0 victory over NEOM on October 20, 2026.
The 41-year-old Portuguese superstar had several opportunities to add another goal to his incredible career record, but nothing went his way.
Ronaldo’s visible frustration quickly became a major talking point after the match.
Although Al Nassr secured all three points thanks to João Félix, Ronaldo remains stuck on 981 career goals, leaving him 19 short of the historic 1,000-goal milestone.
Ronaldo misses shocking penalty against NEOM
Ronaldo’s first major disappointment came just before half-time at Al Awwal Park.
After João Félix was fouled inside the penalty area, VAR confirmed that Al Nassr should receive a penalty.
Ronaldo stepped forward with the opportunity to give his team the lead and score the 982nd goal of his career.
However, the Portuguese captain produced a surprisingly poor finish.
Instead of finding the net, Ronaldo sent his penalty wide of the left post, leaving Al Nassr supporters stunned.
The missed opportunity meant the two teams went into half-time with the score still 0-0.
According to reports, it was Ronaldo’s fourth missed penalty from 31 attempts for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo shows his anger after penalty failure
Ronaldo did not hide his disappointment after missing the penalty.
The Al Nassr captain was visibly frustrated as the referee brought the first half to an end.
According to The Sun and Portuguese media, Ronaldo showed an angry reaction after failing to convert what should have been an excellent scoring opportunity.
Known for his competitive personality and desire to score in every match, Ronaldo clearly wanted to make an impact.
However, his problems in front of goal were far from over.
Ronaldo wastes another unbelievable chance
Just minutes after the second half began, Ronaldo received another golden opportunity.
Following a set-piece situation, Sadio Mané headed the ball towards his Portuguese teammate inside the penalty area.
Ronaldo found himself only a few metres from goal, with the goalkeeper unable to cover most of the net.
But instead of scoring a simple goal, Ronaldo fired his close-range effort over the crossbar.
The unbelievable miss added to his frustration and quickly attracted attention across social media.
For a player who has scored hundreds of goals from difficult positions, missing two clear opportunities in the same match was particularly surprising.
Ronaldo also failed to convert other chances as Al Nassr continued searching for the opening goal.
João Félix saves Al Nassr with brilliant goal
While Ronaldo struggled to find the net, his Portuguese teammate João Félix stepped up at the perfect moment.
In the 61st minute, Félix received the ball near the edge of the penalty area and produced a powerful finish to give Al Nassr a 1-0 lead.
His goal proved to be the winner as Al Nassr secured an important victory over NEOM.
The result lifted Al Nassr to 22 points in the Saudi Pro League, keeping them in the title race.
However, despite the team’s success, Ronaldo’s missed chances remained one of the biggest stories from the match.
Ronaldo’s race to 1,000 goals suffers another setback
Ronaldo has made no secret of his ambition to reach 1,000 official career goals.
At 41 years old, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star continues to chase one of football’s most remarkable individual milestones.
Before facing NEOM, he had scored 981 goals across his club and international career.
A successful penalty would have taken Ronaldo to 982 goals, leaving him only 18 away from the magic number.
Instead, his missed penalty and wasted open-goal chance meant he finished the match without adding to his total.
His record remains:
Career goals: 981
Target: 1,000
Goals still needed: 19
Every missed opportunity now attracts attention because Ronaldo is getting closer to the final stages of his playing career.
However, one disappointing performance does not mean he can no longer reach his target.
Pressure grows on Ronaldo after difficult few days
The difficult night against NEOM came during a challenging period for Ronaldo.
He had recently received a 30-day suspension and a fine from the Portuguese Football Federation following a disagreement during international duty.
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag had also made fresh comments about Ronaldo’s attitude and preparation during their time together at Old Trafford.
With these controversies already making headlines, Ronaldo’s missed penalty and open-goal chance brought even more attention to his performances.
However, there is no confirmed evidence that the off-field issues directly caused his poor finishing against NEOM.
Can Ronaldo bounce back and reach 1,000 goals?
Despite his disappointing performance, Ronaldo remains one of the most successful goalscorers in football history.
His hunger for goals has helped him remain competitive long after many players of his generation retired.
And while he failed to score against NEOM, Al Nassr still celebrated an important victory.
The biggest question now is how quickly Ronaldo can recover his scoring form and continue his journey towards 1,000 career goals.
With 19 goals still needed, the Portuguese superstar has work to do.
For now, his missed penalty, visible frustration and unbelievable open-goal failure have turned what should have been another routine victory into a night to forget.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo bounce back in his next match, or will the pressure of reaching 1,000 goals continue to grow?
