"Cristiano Ronaldo slammed for shocking penalty miss, accused of passing to Kasper Schmeichel as Portugal captain wastes key chance to equalize against Denmark in Nations League clash."
Cristiano Ronaldo criticized for taking the ‘worst penalty ever’ as Kasper Schmeichel easily saves his weak spot-kick against Denmark.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo earned an early penalty in the second leg of their Nations League quarter-final against Denmark on Sunday, but his hesitant attempt was easily saved by Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Fans on social media quickly criticized the 40-year-old for wasting a crucial opportunity to level the tie at 1-1 on aggregate following their 1-0 defeat in the first leg.
WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
@Elmi218 tweeted: “That is the worst penalty ever taken.”
@kokkikumar98 wrote on X: “LOL, That’s the worst penalty Ronaldo has ever taken. Literally just passed the ball to the keeper.”
@blackyy_gee commented: “😂😂😂😂 can’t even score pens now swear this mf was overrated asf.”
@Abinwaz put: “He dived, JUSTICE,” and @saint_tropez8 added: “Leave the football before the football leaves u.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Doubts will persist over whether Ronaldo is the best choice to lead Portugal’s attack in high-stakes matches like this. While the Al-Nassr forward has proven his ability to score against lower-ranked teams, some may argue that the former Real Madrid star is becoming more of a liability than an asset as he nears the final stages of his legendary career. Only time will provide the answer.
WHAT NEXT?
Ronaldo’s future in Roberto Martinez’s starting XI remains uncertain, but ahead of the second leg, he emphasized that Portugal’s success matters more to him than personal achievements. “If I don’t score but someone else does, it makes no difference to me,” he stated. “If Portugal needs to win and I have to sit out, I’ll sign off on it right now, inform the coach, and step aside. I will defend these colors until my last breath.”
