Ronaldo has scored 180 penalties
Villarreal winger, Nicolas Pepe recently made headlines for weighing in on the GOAT debate, claiming that Cristiano Ronaldo “scored 200 penalties” since moving to Saudi Arabia and drawing comparisons between him and Lionel Messi using anime characters.
While Pepe’s colorful analogy caught attention, the facts tell a different story about Ronaldo’s incredible career.
Total goals and penalties
Cristiano Ronaldo has officially scored 954 goals in competitive matches for both club and country. Out of these, 180 came from penalties, converted from 215 attempts, giving him a solid penalty conversion rate of roughly 83.7%.
These numbers show that while Ronaldo is deadly from the spot, the majority of his goals have come from open play, headers, free-kicks, and long-range finishes, highlighting his versatility and finishing ability.
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Saudi Arabia stats
Since joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia in 2023, Ronaldo has continued to prove why he is one of football’s most prolific scorers.
In 123 appearances, he has scored 110 goals, maintaining an impressive scoring rate across all competitions.
Breaking down his goals:
Penalties: 29/32 (not including shootouts)
Free kicks: 5
Outside the box (excluding free kicks): 10
Inside the box (excluding penalties): 66
Left foot: 23
Right foot: 72
Headers: 15
These numbers show that Pepe’s claim of “200 penalties in Saudi Arabia” is clearly false.
Ronaldo’s scoring is far from penalty-dependent; he thrives in all types of situations, whether finishing inside the box, striking from distance, or heading home goals.
Pepe’s anime analogy
Pepe also compared Ronaldo and Messi using anime characters, saying:
“Vegeta is Cristiano. He has the frustration that someone small (Gokú) is ahead of him. Messi is Naruto and Cristiano is Sasuke.”
He argued that Ronaldo’s focus on Messi in interviews shows he is always chasing the Argentine. While playful, this comparison cannot overshadow the numbers: Ronaldo remains a versatile scorer who constantly finds ways to impact games.
Verdict
Nicolas Pepe’s claims are completely false. Ronaldo is far more than a penalty taker, and the notion that he has scored 200 penalties in Saudi Arabia is false.
His career stats, spanning 954 goals, with most coming from open play, prove his unmatched ability to score in a variety of ways.
In short, Ronaldo continues to excel in Saudi Arabia, demonstrating that even later in his career, he remains one of the most lethal forwards in football history.
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