The Penaldo nickname grew out of online football banter, where rival supporters used it to poke fun at Cristiano Ronaldo and his record from the penalty spot. It spread through memes, edits and reaction videos, gaining extra traction after his move to Saudi Arabia, which inspired jokes about him fading from Europe's top leagues. It is still shared today whenever a penalty dominates the football conversation, often alongside clips of his famous Siu celebration, because the contrast between the celebration and the joke is part of the humour.