The World Cup is entering the knockout stages – and penalty shootouts are back. At the 2022 tournament in Qatar, there were a record five shootouts, a mark that could be broken in 2026 with an extra round in the last 32. But what do the 320 spot-kicks taken across 35 shootouts since 1982 tell us about who thrives and who crumbles under the pressure?
Spain know the pain better than anyone now. England had missed more World Cup shootout penalties than any other nation – eight – until La Roja took the unwanted crown in 2022. Spain missed all three kicks in the last 16 against Morocco, taking their total to nine. They have now lost four of their five shootouts, pushing them past England (three losses) and several other countries.
“Spain now hold the record for most missed World Cup shootout penalties, while Argentina remain the most successful nation.”
Argentina, by contrast, are the most successful nation in World Cup shootouts, winning six of their seven, including the 2022 final against France. Germany are perfect in four shootouts, scoring 17 of 18 kicks, and Croatia share that flawless record with four wins from four. At the other end, Japan, Mexico and Romania have lost both of their shootouts, while Switzerland are the only nation to miss every penalty they have taken – a miserable zero from three. Belgium, South Korea and Paraguay boast perfect records, each scoring all five of their attempts.
Only two players have scored penalties in three different World Cup shootouts: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Croatia’s Luka Modric, both with a 100% success rate. Messi’s included a conversion in the 2022 final. Meanwhile, 23 players have netted two out of two. Italy’s Roberto Baggio scored two of three, but his single miss was the crucial kick that cost Italy the 1994 final.
If you need a goalkeeper, look to Zadar, Croatia’s fifth-largest city. That small coastal town produced both Danijel Subasic (who saved four spot-kicks in 2018) and Dominik Livakovic (four saves in 2022). Only West Germany’s Harald Schumacher (facing nine penalties) and Argentina’s Sergio Goycochea (facing 10) have also saved four. Subasic, Livakovic and Portugal’s Ricardo are the only keepers to save three in a single shootout. Ricardo holds the highest save percentage at 75%, having faced just four penalties. In the 2022 final, Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez only stopped one penalty, but his mind games seemed to unsettle French takers.
Tactically, players who pick a side have a much better chance of scoring than those who go down the middle. Of those who aimed to the right, 72.4% found the net. As the 2026 World Cup looms with an extra knockout round, the shootout is likely to play an even bigger role – and the data suggests that preparation, nerve and a goalkeeper from Zadar might be the key to victory.