Penalty – the ultimate test of nerve and skill. When the stakes are high, and the pressure’s on, some players rise to the occasion, while others crumble.
But what about the ones who consistently deliver from the spot?
The ones who make it look easy, like a mere formality? We’re talking about the elite penalty takers, the ones who have honed their craft to perfection.
1. Matt Le Tissier
When it comes to penalties, Matt Le Tissier is a name that resonates with fear and admiration.
With an amazing 47 penalties to his name, 25 of which came in the Premier League, he cemented his status as one of the all-time greats.
His precision from the spot is unparalleled, missing just one penalty in his entire career – a rare blip against Nottingham Forest’s Mark Crossley in March 1993.
Le Tissier’s prowess in front of goal was matched only by his creativity on the field.
As an attacking midfielder, he was blessed with exceptional skill, vision, and technique. His ability to find space and create chances for his teammates was uncanny, making him a nightmare for opposing defenses.
While he may not have been the most energetic or pacey player, his exceptional control, balance, and dribbling skills allowed him to outmaneuver even the toughest opponents.
2. Marco van Basten
Marco van Basten was a soccer phenom who could strike a ball with breathtaking power and precision. Who can forget his legendary volley at Euro 88?
But what’s often overlooked is his remarkable skill from the penalty spot. He was the ultimate clutch player, converting 51 out of 55 penalties throughout his career – a staggering 94% success rate.
Van Basten’s impressive goal tally of over 300 includes those 51 penalties, showcasing his unwavering confidence and composure under pressure. It’s a testament to his exceptional skill and mental toughness.
Tragically, his playing career was cut short at just 28 due to recurring knee injuries, forcing him into early retirement.
Despite his short career, van Basten’s penalty-taking ability remains one of the greatest in soccer history.
3. Alan Shearer
The Premier League’s all-time top scorer was a master from the penalty spot. His penalty record remains one of the most impressive in modern football.
Over his 18-year career, Shearer took 78 penalties and scored 72 of them, boasting a phenomenal 92% success rate.
Fittingly, his final career goal was a thunderous penalty against Sunderland in April 2006, sealing a 4-1 victory for his beloved Newcastle.
Shearer’s illustrious career includes winning the league title with Blackburn in 1996 and netting 30 goals for England.
This cements his legacy as arguably the greatest center-forward in English football history and one of the finest penalty-takers of all time.
4. Robert Lewandowski
Few strikers have been as lethal in the box as Robert Lewandowski over the past decade, and the Polish star has bolstered his impressive goal tally with a slew of penalties.
With over 500 goals to his name across stints with three elite clubs, Lewandowski became Poland’s all-time top scorer in 2017, amassing 82 goals for his national team by May 2024.
Lewandowski’s prowess extends to the penalty spot, where he has taken 88 penalties and scored 79 of them.
His first senior penalty came in a 4-2 victory for Znicz Pruszkow in August 2007, and less than six years later, he netted from 12 yards for Dortmund against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.
5. Harry Kane
Harry Kane is one of the most composed and deadly finishers of the 21st century.
With an outstanding scoring record, he sits second on the Premier League’s all-time top scorers chart and holds the title of England’s all-time greatest goalscorer.
By July 2023, he had already racked up over 400 goals for club and country, all before turning 30.
As expected, Kane has always been the go-to penalty taker for every team he has played for in his senior career. He has scored an impressive 74 out of the 85 penalties he has taken, boasting a success rate north of 85%.
During the Euro 2024 semi-final, the Three Lions were trailing when referee Felix Zwayer was sent to the VAR monitor to review a challenge by Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries on Kane, who had managed to get his shot away.
Many onlookers didn’t expect a penalty, but Zwayer eventually pointed to the spot, giving Kane the chance to equalize.
He did just that, and his late replacement Ollie Watkins came off the bench to score a 90th-minute winner, sparking scenes of delirium.
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6. Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s record goalscorer, netted 211 goals during his 13 years at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard was remarkably reliable from the penalty spot, taking 72 penalty kicks and scoring 61 of them.
One of his most memorable penalties came just a week after his mother’s death, during the 2008 Champions League semi-final against Liverpool.
That goal helped Chelsea secure a 4-3 aggregate win and reach the final for the first time.
His impressive tally for Chelsea and England includes 60 penalties, along with a few more during his stints at West Ham United and New York City FC.
7. Rogerio Ceni
Rogerio Ceni wasn’t just a goalkeeper with a knack for saving penalties – he was also a goal-scoring phenomenon.
Yes, you read that right: a goal-scoring goalkeeper.
In his 25-year career, all spent at São Paulo where he made over 1,000 appearances, Ceni often took on the role of penalty and free-kick taker.
His remarkable tally of 129 goals makes him the highest-scoring goalkeeper in history.
Ceni took 52 penalties and scored 47 of them, having an impressive 90% success rate. Of course, his five misses likely led to some frantic dashes back to his goal line.
On the flip side, he faced 53 penalties and managed to save just four. Despite this, during the 2000s, he was still considered one of the top goalkeepers in the world.
8. Cristiano Ronaldo
CR7 may have missed quite a few penalties over the years – 29 of them if the stats were correct – but he has also scored more penalties than many current footballers have played matches.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner and one of football’s all-time greats is undoubtedly one of the most prolific penalty-takers in history.
As of May 2024, Ronaldo has taken 192 penalties and scored 163.
His relentless pursuit of perfection is so intense that it’s easy to imagine him losing sleep, replaying each of those 29 misses over and over in his mind.
9. Michel Platini
The famous French legend Michel Platini could do just about anything with the ball at his feet, and penalties were no exception.
Remarkably, he never missed a spot-kick on French soil, with both of his misses occurring in Italy. Even so, Platini managed to score an impressive 44 penalties during his career.
The Juventus star netted a total of 77 penalties throughout his career, with just 15 misses—a truly impressive record.
10. Bruno Fernandes
Since joining Manchester United for £47 million from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020, Bruno Fernandes has been the club’s go-to penalty-taker.
The midfielder quickly became a key player at Old Trafford and was named club captain in the summer of 2023, with penalty duties being part of his role.
As of May 2024, Fernandes has taken 35 penalties for Manchester United, scoring 31 of them, giving him an 89% success rate for the Red Devils.
His overall penalty record is even more impressive when you include his successful spot-kicks for previous clubs—Novara, Udinese, and Sporting Lisbon—as well as for the Portugal national team.
Other Notable Penalty Takers Of All Time
- Mario Balotelli
- Alessandro Del Piero
- David Villa
- Antonin Panenka
- Leighton Baines
- Gaizka Mendieta
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- Michael Ballack
- Steven Gerrard
