Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a surprising downgrade in the video game EA Sports FC 25 following a costly penalty miss that saw his team, Al-Nassr, knocked out of the King Cup of Champions.
Ronaldo squandered a last-minute chance to equalise in Al-Nassr’s clash with Al-Taawoun by sending his penalty over the crossbar – a rare error for the Portuguese star, who is typically clinical from the spot.
The penalty miss marked Ronaldo’s first for Al-Nassr after successfully converting his previous 18 attempts.
Following this misstep, EA FC have dropped Ronaldo’s penalty attribute by three points, from 90 to 87.
Ronaldo’s miss capped off a disappointing performance for Al-Nassr, who were knocked out of the King Cup. The Saudi Pro League side struggled to find rhythm in the match, and Ronaldo, usually a dependable leader, couldn’t provide the necessary breakthrough.
Following his penalty miss and Al-Nassr’s cup exit, Ronaldo took to social media, simply stating, “Every challenge is an opportunity to grow.”
Every challenge is an opportunity to grow. pic.twitter.com/JOWHFTnJ9S
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 29, 2024
In the following days, Ronaldo’s frustrations extended into the league, where he and Al-Nassr faced defending champions Al-Hilal. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Ronaldo again unable to make his usual impact.
However, the 39-year-old found his way back onto the scoresheet during Al-Nassr’s recent 5-1 victory over Al-Ain, a crucial win that lifted his side to fourth in the league standings.
Despite the victory, Al-Nassr trail league leaders Al-Ittihad by eight points, although they do have a game in hand.
Al-Nassr will next face Al-Riyadh in a Saudi Pro League match, where Ronaldo will aim to return to top form and continue his scoring streak.
Shortly after, he will join the Portugal squad for Nations League fixtures against Poland and Croatia, giving him another opportunity to shine on the international stage.
