World Cup Penalty Shootout Analysis: Key Stats and Trends

The World Cup is entering the quarter-final stage, raising the likelihood of more high-stakes penalty shootouts. Following four memorable shootouts in the round of 32 and round of 16, BBC Sport and Opta have updated their analysis of every World Cup shootout penalty ever taken. The data now covers 360 penalties in 39 shootouts since 1982, including the first sudden-death spot-kicks since 1994, two shootouts with a joint record five missed penalties, and only the second goalkeeper to come on as a substitute specifically for a shootout.

National Team Performance

Most Successful and Least Successful

Argentina leads all nations with six shootout wins out of seven, including the 2022 final victory over France. Croatia has won all four of its shootouts, while Germany has won four out of five, with its only loss coming against Paraguay in the 2026 tournament. Conversely, the Netherlands, after losing to Morocco in the round of 32, joined Spain with a record four shootout defeats. Both sides have won only one of five shootouts and have missed nine penalties each. England, with eight misses, is among three teams with three defeats. Colombia, Japan, Mexico, and Romania have each lost both of their shootouts.

Perfect Records

Egypt, Belgium, and South Korea are the only teams to have scored all their penalties in shootouts. Egypt achieved this in their round-of-32 win over Australia.

Worst Records

Mexico has the worst success rate, converting only 2 of 7 penalties (29%). Switzerland had a 0% record (0 for 3) before beating Colombia in the round of 16, improving to 50%.

Player Performance

Shootout Kings

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 penalty in the 2022 final. However, Messi's overall World Cup penalty record is 4 of 8, with two misses in the 2026 tournament. Twenty-six players have scored 2 of 2 in shootouts. Italy's Roberto Baggio scored 2 of 3, but his miss was the decisive penalty in the 1994 final.

Goalkeeper Standouts

Four goalkeepers have saved four penalties in World Cup shootouts: Croatia's Danijel Subasic (all in 2018, facing 10), Croatia's Dominik Livakovic (all in 2022, facing 8), West Germany's Harald Schumacher (facing 9), and Argentina's Sergio Goycochea (facing 10). 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% (3 of 4). Notably, Subasic and Livakovic, along with Modric, are from Zadar, Croatia's fifth-largest city.

Penalty Placement and Order

Going Central is Risky

Players who aim to either side have a higher success rate than those who go down the middle. Penalties to the right score 73% of the time, to the left 71%, and central only 58%. While central kicks are saved less often (18% vs. 22% for side kicks), they miss the target (including hitting the woodwork) 24% of the time, compared to just 7% for side kicks.

Order of Kicks

In the 2026 tournament, all four teams that kicked first in shootouts lost, but historically, 17 of 35 (49%) teams taking the first penalty have won. Success rates by round: first round 72%, second 72%, third 74%, fourth 60%, and fifth 67%.