Ronaldo whacks cameraman with free-kick as fans say ‘ban him from taking them’
Fans reckon Cristiano Ronaldo ought to be banned from taking free-kicks after his latest effort smacked a cameraman in the head.
The Portugal superstar rolled back the years by dancing through a couple of opponents in the box before slamming home Al-Nassr's third goal in a 3-1 win over Saudi Pro League opponents Al-Raed on Saturday, but his set-piece-taking, something few players on Earth could rival back in the day, left a lot to be desired.
He stepped up to a free-kick right on the edge of the area in the first half and blasted his shot well wide of the post, inadvertently bonking the man operating the camera jib behind the goal on the head – and very nearly knocking him out. Footage of the gaffe went viral and some fans reckoned it proved Ronaldo was "finished" as a top player.
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"Wow I didn’t want to admit but he’s finished," one supporter wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "He almost killed that cameraman," posted another while a third added: "He should be banned from taking free kicks to save human lives."
A fourth said: "Bro thinks he's Messi. Free-kicks are not your thing anymore. Focus on penalties as usual," while another commented: "Ronaldo has been s*** at free-kicks for like a decade and he still insists on taking them. Lol."
Should Ronaldo be banned from taking free-kicks? Let us know in the comments section below.
Ronaldo, 38, has scored 60 free-kicks over the course of his incredible career, averaging roughly one in every 20 matches, though his marksmanship has been in decline for years. In the six-year period between 2008 and 2013 he scored 34, but in the last six years he's netted just seven.
His powers, generally speaking, are evidently on the wane but his effectiveness from set-pieces hasn't been up to snuff for years – having scored roughly 3% of the free-kicks he's ever taken. The ex-Manchester United star has nonetheless made a flying start to the new season, from a statistical standpoint at least.
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He's bagged 13 goals in 12 appearances so far and helped Al-Nassr win the Arab Club Champions Cup back in August, netting both goals in the club's 2-1 victory over Al-Hilal in the final.
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