Earlier this week, Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines once again when he broke the record for most goals scored on the men’s international stage. A late brace against Ireland saw him surpass Ali Daei’s previous mark of 109 goals.
A detail lost from that game, however, is that the 36-year-old had a first-half penalty saved by the Irish goalkeeper, and Ronaldo’s miss from 12 yards has kickstarted a debate among Manchester United supporters.
Bruno Fernandes is Manchester United’s designated penalty taker and displacing him won’t be easy – the 26-year-old has missed just one penalty since he joined the club in 2020.
Ronaldo was absent against Qatar on Saturday after an early release was granted, and thus, when Portugal won a penalty, Fernandes stepped up and made no mistake to score their third goal.
Ronaldo was on penalty duties when he left the club in 2009 and some have suggested that he will immediately resume the role when he returns but is it really that straightforward?
