Cristiano Ronaldo gives up penalty in 99th minute; gifts it to Sadio Mane despite being on record goal-scoring run

Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo gave up his 99th-minute penalty in favor of teammate Sadio Mane, in a 2-0 victory over Al-Wehda.

Cristiano Ronaldo gives up penalty in 99th minute; gifts it to Sadio Mane despite being on record goal-scoring run

Cristiano Ronaldo gave away the opportunity to score from a penalty to Al-Nassr teammate Sadio Mane. (via Daily Mail)

Al-Nassr skipper Cristiano Ronaldo‘s selfless gesture of giving up a penalty in favor of teammate Sadio Mane has won hearts across the internet. The 40-year-old veteran forward handed the ball to Mane, in the 99th minute of a Saudi PL encounter against Al-Wehda.

After a 3-2 disappointing defeat to Al-Ettifaq last weekend, Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr bounced back to form, with a convincing 2-0 victory over Al-Wehda, away from home. The visitors have now moved back to the third position on the Saudi PL table. 9 points separate Al-Nassr and league leaders Al-Ittihad. Al-Hilal is placed second, with 51 points from 22 matches.

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Against Al-Wehda, Al-Nassr opened the scoring in the 48th minute, after a promising first-half display by both the sides. Cristiano Ronaldo handed the visitors a much-needed lead, heading the ball into the back of the net. The goal was the 925th of his superb career, as well as the 25th of the season. The Portuguese forward has now scored 17 league goals this season, putting him on top of the top-scorers’ list.

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The five-time Ballon d’Or winner got the opportunity to add to his tally, after the visitors were awarded a stoppage-time penalty. However, Ronaldo, who is Al-Nassr’s regular penalty-taker, surprisingly handed the ball to his teammate Sadio Mane. The former Liverpool man is on a nine-match goal-less streak in all competitions. He duly stepped forward and converted from the spot, to make it 2-0 for his side.

Moreover, Cristiano Ronaldo was interestingly spotted urging the away fans to calm down as Mane took the penalty. The ex-Real Madrid forward won hearts with his humble gesture, despite chasing the historic milestone of 1,000 career goals.

Karim Benzema snubs former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in GOAT debate

2021 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema shockingly snubbed his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, while making his pick for the greatest player of all time. The 37-year-old interestingly picked Brazilian Ronaldo as the best.

Karim Benzema on Cristiano Ronaldo GOAT
Karim Benzema surprisingly picked Ronaldo Nazario as the ‘GOAT’ over his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. (via Transfermarkt)

The GOAT debate has continued for a long time. Cristiano Ronaldo most recently, described himself as the ‘best’ and ‘most complete’ player in history. However, Karim Benzema expressed his disagreement with the Portuguese forward’s claims. The Frenchman went on to pick Ronaldo Nazario as the greatest player, while also exclaiming that each player has a story of his own.

Everyone says what they want. If he [Cristiano Ronaldo] thinks he’s the best ever… For me, for example, it’s Ronaldo [Nazario], the one from Brazil. 

Karim Benzema on the ‘GOAT’ debate (H/T Marca)

Nonetheless, Ronaldo Nazario played for the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and AC Milan. The Brazilian striker, who is often regarded as the greatest number nine, won two Ballon d’Or awards and two FIFA World Cups.