WHAT HAPPENED?
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has found the back of the net with plenty of those efforts down the years, but many more have sailed high or wide of the target. That has not put the all-time great off, with the same routine worked through every time that he strikes a dead ball.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
His set-piece record has been discussed at length over the course of a record-breaking career, with the general consensus being that - for a player of his ability - more efforts should be finding the target, or at least working the goalkeeper.
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
Old Trafford academy graduate Mitchell, who never got the chance to work with Ronaldo in Manchester, is among those to have questioned why CR7 takes the same approach with free-kicks that require more of a delicate touch.
WHAT MITCHELL SAID
Mitchell, who made one Premier League appearance for United off the bench against Crystal Palace in May 2017, has posted on social media - despite CR7 not being in action at present: "Don’t get why Ronaldo knuckle balls every free kick even when it’s 20 yards away."
After being asked how many free-kicks he has scored down the years, Exeter winger Mitchell added: "When I speak about footballers I don’t understand why fans try to say what have you done etc all Prem players are obviously better than me but can I not speak from a fans perspective or am I not allowed? Why can I not criticise Ronaldo because I’m not as good as him if you can criticise me?"
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
Ronaldo will be firing in more free-kicks for Al-Nassr next season after signing a new two-year contract with the Saudi Pro League outfit. He also remains a prominent part of the Portugal national team set-up heading towards the 2026 World Cup.