Some gamers simply have a knack for penalties.
Technical ability is, after all, fairly necessary in terms of spot-kicks, however even a number of the best technicians in world soccer will not be notably environment friendly from 12 yards. In spite of everything, most of the finest penalty-takers of all time will not be prolific in open play.
A combination of observe, high quality and a transparent and assured mindset set specialists aside from the common penalty-taker and there are many gamers you’ll wager your life on once they place the ball on that penalty spot. For some, it simply comes naturally.
Taking a better have a look at a few of those that have mastered their craft each previous and current, listed below are 25 of the best penalty-takers the world has ever seen.
It is hardly shocking that Eric Cantona had the ice-cold confidence of an excellent penalty-taker, with few conditions unnerving the French ahead.
He was notably relentless from the spot for Manchester United, scoring 18 of his 24 profession penalties with the Purple Devils.
Regardless of being so younger, Erling Haaland has already taken a ridiculous quantity of penalties over the course of his profession.
He is netted 38 of 43 he has taken and is bound to get loads extra alternatives so as to add to his tally within the seasons to come back.
There are few issues James Milner hasn’t been requested to do on a soccer pitch since his debut within the early 2000s, together with taking some high-pressure spot-kicks.
He could not have taken as many as you could suppose, however he has scored 28 and missed solely 4 of his penalties.
Some full-backs have a knack for spot kicks and former Everton defender Leighton Baines was definitely one in all them.
Baines was good from dead-ball conditions, notably free kicks, and he bagged a formidable 26 of 29 penalties throughout his profession.
Ivan Toney is understood for being remarkably cool from the spot and his 29 penalties spotlight simply how prolific he has been, particularly for Brentford in current seasons.
He has missed simply two over the course of his profession and barely fails to seek out the nook from 12 yards.
The nice Francesco Totti was all the time a dependable buyer for Roma and supporters had been happy to see him step up from 12 yards as a rule.
He did squander a good few within the Italian capital with 20 profession misses, however he makes up for that with 86 placing the again of the online.
The previous Middlesbrough star was all the time composed from 12 yards, scoring a staggering 32 of his 34 penalties for membership and nation through the years.
Gaizka Mendieta’s solely misses got here inside two months of 1 different at Valencia in 2000, however he by no means failed to seek out the online afterwards.
Former Liverpool man Gary McAllister was deadly from the spot and rarely failed to seek out the again of the online when handed a penalty.
38 targets and simply three misses tells the story of a prolific marksman and the Scot was adept from all set-piece conditions.
The midfield enforcer had an eye fixed for purpose throughout his Bayern Munich and Chelsea days and that prolonged to penalties.
Usually prioritising energy, Michael Ballack scored 29 of his 31 spot kicks and should have had a number of extra if it wasn’t for the relentless Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge.
To have a penalty named after you is fairly particular, with the Czech midfielder’s iconic chipped spot-kick nonetheless inspiring takers to this very day.
Antonin Panenka produced his fabled penalty throughout the last of the 1976 European Championship, scoring the profitable spot-kick in a tense shootout with West Germany.
Bruno Fernandes’ skip and hop approach would not all the time fill these within the stadium with confidence, however they need to belief the ruthless Portuguese.
Whereas he has missed six penalties throughout his time at Udinese, Sporting CP and Man Utd, he has buried 51 spot-kicks in complete – a staggering tally.
The previous Fulham and Liverpool midfielder usually produced essential targets through the years, lots of which got here from 12 yards out.
He has the most effective penalty data in Premier League historical past and scored 29 of his 30 spot-kicks over the course of his profession.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic could have missed a good few penalties through the years, however that is sure to occur when you’ve taken properly over a century of spot-kicks.
The Swede was denied 17 occasions from the spot, however nonetheless managed to attain an astonishing 86 penalties for membership and nation since his first in 2003.
Few gamers have higher approach than Harry Kane in terms of penalties. As a rule, the Bayern Munich ahead will discover the underside nook with ferocity.
He has all the time been the designated taker wherever he has been on the pitch and with good purpose given he has scored 68 occasions from the spot.
The Liverpool hero was one other dead-ball specialist and his penalty approach greater than matched his means from free-kicks and corners.
Steven Gerrard was one other taker who boasted an amazing mixture of energy and accuracy and completed his enjoying days with 46 strikes to his title from the spot.
You by no means know what you’ll get from the Italian maverick, apart from in terms of penalty kicks.
The previous Manchester Metropolis attacker is unsurprisingly calm from the spot and rarely succumbs to penalty stress, scoring 44 and lacking simply 5 occasions from 12 yards.
The long-lasting France legend may do just about something he wished with the ball at his toes, with penalties no exception.
He by no means missed a spot-kick on French soil, with each his wayward efforts coming in Italy, however Platini nonetheless bagged a exceptional 44 penalties throughout his profession.
One among many implausible Italian penalty-takers throughout the 2000s, Alessandro Del Piero was a category act from 12 yards out – to not point out in open play as properly.
The Juventus star scored a mighty 77 spot-kicks all through his profession, with simply 15 misses. Not a shabby file.
The Ballon d’Or winner was able to producing absolute screamers, like his well-known volley at Euro 88, however he was additionally recognized for his environment friendly penalties.
He netted 51 of 55 kicks through the years, taking duty from 12 yards for Ajax, Milan and the Netherlands.
Not solely did Rogerio Ceni have a great penalty-saving file, the Brazilian goalkeeper (sure, goalkeeper) netted an astonishing 47 occasions from the spot throughout his profession.
He will get bonus factors for having the nerve to step up as a stopper, whereas his 5 misses may have undoubtedly brought on chaos as he sprinted again to his purpose line.
Frank Lampard, who’s Chelsea’s file goalscorer with 211 strikes, was an amazing box-to-box midfielder and darn good at penalties.
His spectacular tally for the Blues and England is boosted by 60 penalties over his profession, in addition to a pair for West Ham United and New York Metropolis FC.
Few strikers have been extra lethal within the field than Robert Lewandowski over the previous decade and the Pole has added to his spectacular purpose tally with a good few penalties.
He has taken a exceptional 87 for membership and nation through the years, 78 of which have nestled behind the opposition web.
The Premier League’s file goalscorer, Alan Shearer was dynamite from the spot. In actual fact, he nonetheless boasts one of the vital spectacular penalty data of the trendy period.
Newcastle United loved nearly all of his spot kicks and hung up his boots having scored 72 penalties. What’s equally spectacular is that he missed solely six.
Cristiano Ronaldo could have missed plenty of penalties all through the years – 29 to be exact – however he has scored extra spot-kicks than many present footballers have performed matches.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored a whopping 163 occasions from the spot, which means he nonetheless boasts a really formidable file with few gamers exuding as a lot confidence from 12 yards out.
Forgetting his views on local weather change and vaccines for a second, Matt Le Tissier is without doubt one of the best penalty-takers to have ever performed the sport.
The Southampton stiker took 43 through the years and missed, properly, none. He had a 100% file from the spot for the Saints, together with 25 within the Premier League.
READ MORE ON THE BEST 25 PLAYERS FOR EVERY POSITION IN WORLD FOOTBALL
