{
  "id": 15843072,
  "title": "Cristiano Ronaldo misses penalty and open goal on return to action with Al Nassr",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/cristiano-ronaldo-misses-penalty-and-open-goal-on-return-to-action-15843072",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-21T02:26:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2026/10/21/cristiano-ronaldo-misses-penalty-but-joao-felix-strikes-to-give-al-nassr-narrow-win/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cristiano Ronaldo faced a challenging evening as Al Nassr earned a narrow 1-0 win over Neom in the Saudi Pro League match at Awwal Park on Tuesday. The 41-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid star seemed on course to reach his 982nd career goal, but his penalty kick, awarded after Joao Felix's foul inside the box, failed to find the back of the net. This marked the fourth unsuccessful penalty attempt for Ronaldo in 31 attempts with Al Nassr. His night took a further downturn in the second half when he missed an open goal opportunity from close range after Sadio Mane's assist. The Portuguese forward wasted a header chance as well, further compounding his disappointing night as he inches closer to the 1,000-goal milestone. Al Nassr's victory did not hinge on Ronaldo's poor shooting, as Felix capitalized on a long-range opportunity in the 61st minute, scoring the lone goal for the team. Al Nassr currently sit in third place, just two points behind leaders Al Hilal and three points behind Al Qadsiah. Coach Ange Postecoglou commended Ronaldo for the team's numerous chances and acknowledged that the loss would impact the entire squad, urging the team to remain united and continue their upward trajectory. Dutch international Reijnders stepped up in the 96th minute with a crucial goal against Al Taawoon, securing a 1-0 win for Al Qadsiah and lifting the team back to the top of the table with 25 points. Reijnders' performance bodes well for Al Qadsiah as they face another key top-of-the-table match against Al Hilal next Friday. Elsewhere, Al Ittihad secured a 4-1 victory over Al Ettifaq, with George Ilenikhena and Youssef En-Nesyri each scoring twice in the win.",
  "summary": "Cristiano Ronaldo had a difficult night as Al Nassr scraped a 1-0 victory over Neom at Awwal Park in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday. The Portugal striker looked set to claim his 982nd career goal but surprisingly failed to convert a penalty just before half-time. The 41-year-old fired his effort wide of the mark after his international teammate Joao Felix had been fouled inside the box. It was…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}