The Only Two Goalkeepers to Deny Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi From the Penalty Spot

• There are only two goalkeepers who have got the better of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from the penalty spot
• Ronaldo missed a penalty against Slovenia but made amends in the shootout as Portugal defeated Slovenia in Frankfurt
• Up next for Ronaldo and his teammates is a herculean task against Kylian Mbappe's France in a quarter-final showdown

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the greatest scorers in football history, yet two goalkeepers have managed to thwart both from the penalty spot.

In Euro 2024, Portugal advanced to the quarter-finals with a tense penalty shootout win over Slovenia.

The spotlight fell on Ronaldo, who was overcome with emotion after missing a penalty in extra time.

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Despite this, the Al-Nassr captain redeemed himself by confidently converting in the shootout, per the BBC.

Goalkeepers who saved penalties from Ronaldo add Messi

Ronaldo's penalty misses are often compared to Messi’s, given their legendary status and similar penalty records.

Messi, too, experienced the frustration of missing a penalty against Oblak in the 2015 Copa del Rey quarter-finals.

The Slovenia skipper skillfully anticipated Messi’s shot, though the Argentine capitalised on the rebound to score.

Prior to his recent miss, Ronaldo had a perfect penalty record against Oblak, having scored on three previous occasions.

Another goalkeeper who has successfully denied both Messi and Ronaldo is Valencia’s Diego Alves.

The Brazilian thwarted Ronaldo in his debut season and again in 2015 and 2017.

According to Sportbible, Alves accounts for 10% of Ronaldo's career penalty misses.

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Messi also struggled against Alves, who saved his penalty in the 2012 Copa del Rey semi-final, although Messi eventually led his team to victory in the final.

On the international stage, Messi boasts an 82.8% penalty conversion rate, scoring 24 out of 29 attempts.

In contrast, Ronaldo has a success rate of 71.4%, with 20 successful penalties out of 28 attempts.

What's next for Ronaldo and Portugal?

Portugal's next challenge is a showdown with a Kylian Mbappe-led France, one of the pre-tournament favourites, promising an exciting clash between two of the world's elite national teams.

Ronaldo turns attention to France

In a related publication, Sports Brief reported that Ronaldo is now focused on the upcoming quarter-final clash against France at the European Championships on Friday, July 5, 2024.

The Portugal captain, who missed a penalty in extra time before converting in the shootout, described the game against Les Bleus as a "war."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, making his final appearance at the Euros, hopes to conclude his career with a triumph.