Hardly any moment in football is as beautifully cruel as a penalty at a World Cup. Eleven meters, a ball, a shooter, a goalkeeper – and often an entire nation holding its breath. While the 2026 World Cup in North America has just become history and attention is slowly turning towards the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, it's worth looking back at the most legendary moments from the spot. The 2026 World Cup ended on July 19 with Spain's title win.
One must actually begin with a player who never converted a decisive penalty of this kind at a World Cup: Antonín Panenka. His cheeky chip in the 1976 European Championship final against West Germany nonetheless shaped the entire penalty culture of world football. The "Panenka" became synonymous with ice-cold nerve – and has since been imitated, celebrated and sometimes bitterly punished at major tournaments. Panenka converted his penalty in the 1976 EM final to score the decisive goal in the penalty shootout against West Germany. Andrea Pirlo celebrated the trick impressively in the 2012 EM quarter-final against England and paved the way for Italy to the semi-final. Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi are also among the prominent players who have successfully used the Panenka penalty.
The World Cup itself has known penalty shootouts since 1982, when Germany won the first ever World Cup shootout against France in the semi-final. Since then, an entire gallery of unforgettable scenes has accumulated. In 1990, England faced Germany in the semi-final in Turin – and Chris Waddle shot his penalty over the goal. Stuart Pearce had already failed against Bodo Illgner beforehand. Germany won the shootout 4:3. Four years later, in the final in Pasadena, came one of the most famous missed shot scenes in World Cup history: Roberto Baggio sent the decisive Italian penalty over the crossbar, Brazil won the first World Cup final decided by penalty shootout, 3:2.
Then there are the heroes. Fabian Barthez, who accompanied France to the title in 1998 with strong performances and saved a penalty from Demetrio Albertini in the quarter-final against Italy, Sergio Goycochea in 1990, who helped Argentina with several crucial saves in penalty shootouts, or Ricardo, who saved Portugal into the semi-final in 2006 in the quarter-final against England – the first goalkeeper to save three penalties in a World Cup shootout. Harald Schumacher occupies a special role: while he did save two penalties in the 1982 semi-final against France in the shootout, he became a controversial figure above all because of his brutal foul on Patrick Battiston during regular time – an image that remains associated with this match to this day.
The most recent great moment came from Gonzalo Montiel in the 2022 final in Lusail. After one of the most dramatic finals of all time, the defender stepped up in the penalty shootout against France, converted safely – and crowned Argentina and Lionel Messi world champions. Argentina won the shootout 4:2, Montiel converted the decisive fourth penalty. The fact that it was precisely a nominal defender who wrote the decisive scene fits the history of the penalty: not always the best technician scores, but the one with the strongest nerves. Further exciting data and records can be found in our World Cup history.
For the coming years, the topic is unlikely to lose its significance. The 2030 World Cup qualification will again put national teams ahead of decisive matches and possible penalty shootouts. Particularly in Europe, playoff rounds and decisive matches can become nerve-wracking. The 2030 World Cup takes place mainly in Spain, Portugal and Morocco; additionally, three anniversary matches are planned in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is to be expected that new Panenkas, new Baggios and new Montiels will also emerge there – names that are either celebrated forever or quietly regretted. Because one thing is certain: eleven meters are never just eleven meters in football. They are the shortest distance between anonymity and immortality.