Kylian Mbappe missed his fifth penalty for Real Madrid in a loss to Real Betis, inviting comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo. Kylian Mbappe missed his fifth penalty for Real Madrid since arriving at the club, failing to convert from the spot in stoppage time as Real Betis handed Los Blancos their first defeat of the LaLiga season on Friday. Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles guessed correctly and saved Mbappe’s effort in the 90+3rd minute, sealing a 1-0 win built on Troy Parrott’s 81st-minute header, after Real Madrid also had a Carlos Espi equalizer ruled out by VAR in the 87th minute. It’s the latest in a growing list of missed spot kicks for the Frenchman since joining Real Madrid, following earlier misses against Liverpool and Athletic Club during the 2024-25 season, another against Barcelona in last season’s first Clasico, and one more in a matchday loss to Real Sociedad, though he converted the rebound on that occasion. The struggles from the spot inevitably invite comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s all-time top scorer and long regarded as one of the most reliable penalty takers in the sport. Across nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo missed 13 penalties, roughly matching Mbappe’s current tally in a fraction of the time and attempts. 🚨🚨 KYLIAN MBAPPE MISSES THE OPPORTUNITY TO EQUALIZE FOR REAL MADRID! ❌pic.twitter.com/ob8HaYHDFI— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) September 4, 2026 The difference lies largely in volume: Ronaldo scored around 79 penalties during his Real Madrid tenure, meaning his misses came against a much larger sample size than Mbappe has faced so far. Mbappe, for his part, has already converted 19 penalties since joining the club in 2024, according to Transfermarkt. Mbappe joins Ronaldo on unwanted list of penalty misses Mbappe is now the fifth player in Real Madrid’s history to miss a penalty in the closing minutes of a LaLiga match with the score tied or the team trailing by a single goal, joining Cristiano Ronaldo on a list first compiled by MisterChip on X (formerly Twitter). The Portuguese forward’s miss came in 2006 against Valencia, when he stepped up late in the match with the score level and failed to convert, a moment that until now stood as the most recent entry on the list before Saturday’s game against Betis. The rest of the group is completed by Alfredo Di Stéfano, who missed twice, along with Paul Breitner and Raul.
The teenager is continuing his journey through Al-Nassr's youth setup, and fresh footage has given supporters another reason to keep a close eye on his progress. Cristiano Ronaldo and his son are once again attracting attention from soccer fans, with Ronaldo Jr. beginning the 2026-27 season with a moment that has sparked plenty of excitement around his development. The teenager is continuing his journey through Al-Nassr’s youth setup, and fresh footage has given supporters another reason to keep a close eye on his progress. At 16, Ronaldo Jr. is entering an important stage of his development, where regular youth soccer and competitive experience are becoming increasingly valuable. His performances are naturally watched more closely than those of most academy players because of his famous father, but the teenager is gradually building a soccer identity of his own. The latest footage, shared by nfcwely on X (formerly Twitter), comes from what appears to be an Al-Nassr youth team match and shows Ronaldo Jr. wearing the club’s No. 10 shirt. The video captures the teenager leaping to meet a cross and powering a header beyond the goalkeeper, giving him his first goal of the new season. His movement toward the ball, timing, and ability to generate power immediately stood out. هدف كريستيانو جونيور ⚽️💛في اول مباراة بالموسم .. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/aBahKi3ZUt— WELY! (@nfcwely) September 4, 2026 The finish quickly became the main talking point among supporters, particularly because it brought back memories of his father’s trademark aerial goals. ‘Air Ronaldo Jr’ nickname takes off The reaction from Al-Nassr supporters was overwhelmingly positive, with fans praising the teenager’s finish and even giving him the nickname “Air Ronaldo Jr.” The nickname is an obvious reference to Cristiano Ronaldo’s extraordinary leap and heading ability, which has produced countless memorable goals throughout his career. Seeing similar characteristics from his son was always likely to generate comparisons, particularly when the goal itself came from a spectacular jump and header. A separate highlight reel provided a broader look at Ronaldo Jr.’s involvement during the match. The nearly three-minute video features aerial and ground footage from the youth game, showing Ronaldo Jr. involved in attacking moves, making runs, receiving the ball, and contributing to his team’s build-up play. The footage is fan-produced rather than a complete tactical recording, but it still provides an interesting glimpse into his development. 🎥🟡- ملخص كل ما قدمة ( كريستيانو جونيور )في اول مباراة له في الموسم 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ePeCsU57qy— WELY! (@nfcwely) September 4, 2026 Following his father’s footsteps Ronaldo Jr. has spent much of his journey under an enormous spotlight because of his surname. He is now developing within Al-Nassr’s academy system, where the focus will be on giving him the experience and soccer education required to progress through the ranks. The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo at the senior club naturally makes the situation even more intriguing. Every goal or impressive performance from his son is inevitably compared with the qualities that made the five-time Ballon d’Or winner one of the sport’s greatest players. However, Ronaldo Jr. still has plenty of time to develop his own style and strengths. At 16, consistency, technical ability, tactical understanding and physical development are far more important than trying to reproduce everything his father achieved.
The LAFC forward, who is now competing against Messi in MLS, offered a remarkably honest assessment that revealed why his personal choice and his soccer judgment do not completely align. Son Heung-min has found himself in the middle of the Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi GOAT debate, despite his own admiration for Ronaldo remaining as strong as ever. The LAFC forward, who is now competing against Messi in MLS, offered a remarkably honest assessment that revealed why his personal choice and his soccer judgment do not completely align. The former Tottenham star has never hidden his admiration for Ronaldo, whom he has regarded as an idol since his younger years. Yet when asked to compare two players who defined an era of soccer, Son admitted there is something about their careers that he simply cannot overlook. The Messi-Ronaldo argument dominated soccer for more than a decade, particularly during their extraordinary spells at Barcelona and Real Madrid. Their individual statistics, trophies, and records created a rivalry that became one of the defining storylines of modern soccer. For many fans, Messi’s 2022 World Cup triumph strengthened his case, giving him the major international trophy that had previously been missing from his résumé. His record eight Ballon d’Or awards, compared with Ronaldo’s five, have also become another significant talking point in the debate. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo’s longevity, goalscoring record and success across different leagues provide an equally powerful argument for his supporters. Even the Korean star, one of Ronaldo’s admirers, recognizes that the debate is ultimately too close to dismiss either player. Son remains huge Ronaldo admirer Son’s preference for Ronaldo is deeply personal, with the Portuguese superstar having influenced the South Korean’s approach to soccer from an early age. Ronaldo’s explosiveness, finishing, athleticism, and dedication made a lasting impression on Son, who has repeatedly spoken about trying to emulate his idol. That admiration has survived throughout Son’s career, including his time at Tottenham and now his move to Los Angeles FC. He even had the opportunity to face Ronaldo at the 2022 World Cup, when South Korea met Portugal in the group stage. Speaking during an appearance on The Late Run show, Son explained just how highly he still regards the five-time Ballon d’Or winner: “I mean, look, those two is not comparable, you know, for me. First of all, both make a huge impact for football. The people, I think those two are making football really special. I mean, but I always said Cristiano Ronaldo because he’s my idol, still.” 🚨 Son HEUNG-MIN:Cristiano is my idol but Messi is the GOAT 🐐. pic.twitter.com/LRrVuBmjZn— Johnny Cortes (@johnnycortes) September 3, 2026 The one thing Son cannot ignore Son then highlighted the quality that continues to impress him about Ronaldo, even at this stage of the Portuguese star’s career: “He’s 41, whatever, how old he is, he look like a 20 [year-old] and he show how much love of soccer, the passion, but yeah, I can’t change this things, you know, like Lionel Messi. Wow.” That was where Son’s answer took an interesting turn. Despite Ronaldo being his personal idol, Son conceded that Messi’s overall career makes it extremely difficult to deny the Argentine’s claim to being the greatest player ever. “Probably I would say he’s the GOAT. I can’t, I can’t disagree with this. He’s probably the best player, but my eyes, my point of view, I always want to play like him, like Cristiano Ronaldo, you know”, he added. The LAFC forward’s answer ultimately came down to the difference between personal inspiration and his assessment of greatness. “So that’s the reason that I will pick him [Ronaldo]. But look, those two it’s not comparable, you know. So both amazing. Both are GOATs.” The LAFC star therefore remains firmly attached to Ronaldo as his personal choice, while simultaneously acknowledging that Messi has an incredibly
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