“It’s always the finals that are the most tense” - Cristiano Ronaldo names penalty kick that made him the most nervous in his career

Cristiano Ronaldo has named the penalty kick that made him the most nervous in his career. The Portuguese icon stated that even though it was difficult to mention one, he picked his winning spot-kick against Atletico Madrid in the 2016 UEFA Champions League final.

The 40-year-old forward revealed this during his interview with El Chiringuito journalist Edu Aguirre. When asked which penalty he took made him nervous, Ronaldo said (via Al Nassr Zone on X):

"It's hard to mention just one penalty, it's always the finals that are the most tense, for example, against Atletico Madrid in the final or in the Euros.”

Watch the full interview with Edu Aguirre below:

Real Madrid faced local rivals Atletico Madrid in the 2016 Champions League final. The two clubs had earlier met in the final two seasons prior, with Los Blancos defeating Diego Simeone's side 4-1 in extra time (after 1-1 in regulation period).

The 2016 final which went down at the iconic San Siro stadium in Italy saw legendary defender Sergio Ramos put Madrid ahead in the 15th minute. Yannick Carrasco equalized for Atletico in the 79th minute. The scoreline remained the same at the end of 90 minutes and extra time, sending the match into penalty kicks.

Juanfran missed Atletico Madrid's fourth penalty before Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to score Real Madrid's fifth kick, securing a record-extending 11th Champions League title.

It's pertinent to note that Ronaldo is the player with the most penalty goals scored in football. The Portuguese superstar has scored 171 penalty kicks. He has missed 31 as well.

How many goals did Cristiano Ronaldo score in the UEFA Champions League finals?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the record goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League with 140 goals. He also holds the record for most goals scored in the Champions League finals (four). The five-time Ballon d'Or winner appeared in six Champions League finals, winning five (once with Manchester United and four with Real Madrid).

In his first Champions League final appearance in 2008, Ronaldo scored against Chelsea in regular time but missed his kick during the shootout as Manchester United defeated the Blues 6-5.

He scored in extra time during the 2014 final versus Atletico Madrid, helping Madrid to a 4-1 victory as they clinched La Decima. The Portuguese ace also scored a brace against Juventus in the 2017 final, as Real Madrid defeated the Italian side 4-1.

The only Champions League final that the Portuguese icon lost was in 2009 when his then-club Manchester United succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona.