Penalties

Messi vs Ronaldo penalties: 120 scored to 185.

Ronaldo's career penalty count is the highest in football history, and his conversion rate is the higher of the two — 185 from 222 against Messi's 120 from 156, a gap of 6.4 percentage points. The most decisive penalties of either career are concentrated in finals and knockout matches.

Penalties scored

120·185

Ronaldo's total is the all-time men's record

Conversion %

77%·83%

76.9% vs 83.3% exact

Knockout penalties scored

12·18

UCL knockouts + World Cup / Euros / Copa knockouts

Penalty record at a glance

5 metrics

Knockout-stage penalties scored: Champions League knockouts + World Cup / Euros / Copa America knockouts.

Messi · biggest penalties

Of these 6 big moments: 3 scored, 2 missed, 1 never taken.

2014
World Cup final vs Germany — not awarded one
Argentina lost 1–0 in extra time; the closest call of the final was a Higuaín offside, not a penalty for Messi.
not taken
2016
Copa America Centenario final vs Chile
First spot-kick of the shootout, fired over the bar. Argentina lost 4–2 on penalties.
missed
2018
World Cup group vs Iceland
First-half penalty saved by Hannes Halldórsson. Match ended 1–1.
missed
2022
World Cup opener vs Saudi Arabia
Argentina's opening goal of the tournament — they then lost 2–1 and had to win every game after.
scored
2022
World Cup final vs France
Opened the scoring in the 23rd minute of the 3–3 final that Argentina won on penalties.
scored
2022
World Cup final shootout vs France
Slotted Argentina's first kick of the shootout that won them the World Cup.
scored

Ronaldo · biggest penalties

Of these 8 big moments: 4 scored, 2 missed, 2 never taken.

2008
Champions League final shootout vs Chelsea
Saved by Petr Čech. United still won the shootout 6–5 after John Terry slipped.
missed
2012
Euro 2012 semi-final shootout vs Spain
Slated to take the fifth penalty but didn't get to — Portugal had been eliminated by the time it was his turn.
not taken
2014
Champions League final vs Atlético Madrid
Late penalty in extra time of La Decima — Real Madrid 4, Atlético 1.
scored
2016
Champions League final shootout vs Atlético Madrid
Slotted the winning penalty as Madrid took their 11th European Cup.
scored
2018
World Cup group vs Spain
First goal of his Portugal 3–3 Spain hat-trick — including a 88th-minute free kick.
scored
2018
World Cup group vs Iran
Saved by Beiranvand. Portugal still drew 1–1 and qualified.
missed
2022
World Cup round of 16 vs Switzerland
Dropped from the starting XI; came on and didn't take a kick. His World Cup ended in the next round.
not taken
2025
Saudi Pro League title-defining penalty vs Al-Ittihad
Late winner that kept Al Nassr's title hopes alive — his 11th penalty of the league season.
scored

How to read the conversion gap

Across full careers, both players convert penalties at around four-in-five — well above the league average of about 75% in major European leagues. Ronaldo has taken 66 more penalties than Messi over his career, partly because he has been his team's first-choice taker at most of his senior clubs from very early on, and partly because he has played in more games overall. He also converts at the higher rate — 83.3% to Messi's 76.9%, a gap of 6.4 percentage points on a sample of 378 penalties between them. Both have missed in high-pressure moments: Messi in the 2016 Copa America Centenario final shootout. Ronaldo's signature penalty miss is the 2008 Champions League final shootout against Chelsea; United still won.

Frequently asked

Who has scored more penalties, Messi or Ronaldo?+

Cristiano Ronaldo, by a wide margin: 185 successful career penalties to Messi's 120. Ronaldo's total is the highest in men's football.

Who has the better penalty conversion rate?+

Cristiano Ronaldo. He has scored 185 of 222 career penalties (83.3%) to Messi's 120 of 156 (76.9%) — a gap of 6.4 percentage points. Both are above the roughly 75% average in major European leagues, and Ronaldo has taken 66 more.

Have either of them won a World Cup with a penalty?+

Messi scored Argentina's opening penalty in the 2022 World Cup final and converted again in the shootout that won the trophy. Ronaldo's only World Cup penalty in a knockout round came in 2010.

Penalties are counted inside the career totals on career goals, and the knockout-stage spot kicks listed here mostly came in the Champions League and at the World Cup. The shootout misses that decided finals are placed in the timeline.