Taking a penalty in football is not an easy task, especially when the kick is going to decide a match.
Teams become nervous when a penalty is given during a match. Not every great scorer is a good penalty-taker. There have been stories of missed by star players.
Taking penalties are crucial moments that comes with pressure and expectations during matches. As such, they are regularly tense moments — for both the penalty-taker and the goalkeeper.
But amid the tensions, some players regularly keep their cool to convert their spot kicks.
In this article, we look at the top 10 best penalty-takers in 2024. This list is based on success rate, penalty style, and crucial games played.
1. Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer has made a name for himself as an exceptional penalty-taker. Remarkably, Palmer has never missed a penalty in his career.
With a perfect record of 14 penalties taken and 14 scored, he has consistently demonstrated a level of confidence and charisma that many players lack from the spot.
During the 2023/24 season, Palmer’s talents shone brightly at Chelsea, where he became the go-to player for penalties. He even scored the most penalties in a single Premier League season.
His unique penalty-taking style involves rolling the ball into the bottom corner rather than opting for sheer power. This approach not only showcases his precision but also frustrates goalkeepers who often find themselves outwitted by his calm demeanor and mental upper hand.
Palmer’s ability to remain composed under pressure and his impeccable technique make him arguably the best penalty-taker in the world today.
His success from 12 yards comes from his skill and psychological edge, ensuring that every penalty he takes feels almost guaranteed to find the back of the net.
2. Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney’s penalty prowess has become legendary, particularly highlighted by his unforgettable performance in the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland.
With the semi-finals at stake, Toney stayed remarkably calm under immense pressure. Demonstrating his confidence and skill, he didn’t look at the ball but instead locked eyes with Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, unsettling him before effortlessly scoring in the bottom corner.
Toney’s penalty record is nothing short of extraordinary. He has successfully converted 30 out of 32 penalties in his career, showcasing a near-flawless technique and mental fortitude.
His style is characterized by a composed approach and often includes a brief pause before striking the ball while looking at goalkeeper directly, a tactic designed to read the goalkeeper’s movements and make them commit first.
This method has proven highly effective, making Toney one of the most reliable penalty-takers in football.
Brentford has greatly benefited from Toney’s reliability from the spot, often counting on him to deliver in crucial moments.
His remarkable consistency and psychological advantage over goalkeepers make him arguably the best penalty-taker in the world.
As the summer transfer window approaches, there is much speculation about his future, but wherever he goes, his new team will undoubtedly gain a formidable asset in penalty situations.
3. Harry Kane
Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world. He is always competing for the Golden Boot in every competition he plays in.
He has won the Premier League Golden Boot several times and was the top scorer at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
To have an edge over his Golden Boot-chasing rivals, Kane is always on penalty duties for both club and country.
And he’s so good at executing them. Harry Kane loves going for power when shooting penalties, giving goalkeepers little chance of making a save!
Although Harry Kane is known for his versatile penalty-taking style, sometimes opting for powerful shots and other times focusing on precise placement.
Nonetheless, he has missed a few penalties in his career, including a crucial one against France in the 2022 World Cup that went over the bar, this doesn’t overshadow his impressive overall record.
With a conversion rate of 87.75%, Kane has scored 75 out of 86 penalties, embodying reliability from the spot.
4. Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon and hit the ground running immediately.
He instantly became the Red Devils’ best player, and it was inevitable that he will be placed on set-piece duties.
Bruno is very dangerous with free kicks around the 18-yard box and rarely misses penalties.
Fernandes has been a pivotal player for both his club and national team, particularly trusted when it comes to penalties.
He has an impressive record, scoring 54 out of 60 penalties, resulting in a 90% conversion rate. His signature stutter-step run-up often throws goalkeepers off balance, contributing to his high success rate.
The Portuguese is special in the sense that he can play penalties using different techniques — which makes him unpredictable.
5. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski has arguably been the best striker in the world in the last few years. The Polish regularly sets goal records upon records.
To bolster his goal stats, he doesn’t shy away from taking penalties. Sometimes, he even takes free kicks.
Lewandowski rarely misses penalties. He is already one of the most prolific strikers in history, has taken nearly 90 penalties in his career and scored 80 of them.
He was unstoppable at Bayern Munich and has carried the same form to Barcelona.
Unlike many players who can be predictable, Lewandowski keeps goalkeepers guessing by varying his shots, targeting either side of the goal with precision. This unpredictability makes it extremely difficult for goalkeepers to anticipate his moves, and as a result, very few have managed to stop him.
6. Erling Haaland
Although, he is known for many things Erling Haaland has also established himself as one of the most reliable penalty-takers in football, missing only five out of 50 penalties throughout his career.
His impressive record has consistently placed Manchester City in advantageous positions during crucial moments.
Haaland’s penalty style is marked by his preference for power, often driving the ball with such force that goalkeepers struggle to react in time.
Despite this reliance on power, he maintains exceptional control, ensuring his shots stay on target.
His ability to combine strength with accuracy makes him a formidable presence from the penalty spot.
7. Romelu Lukaku
It may come as a surprise to many that Romelu Lukaku is on this list of the best penalty-takers in the world, and rightly so.
The Belgian is said to be one of the unluckiest strikers in the world, especially highlighted during Euro 2024 where he had multiple goals disallowed due to mistimed runs.
However, when it comes to penalties, Lukaku is a different player entirely. The current Chelsea striker, who is expected to move on in the summer of 2024, has an impressive record from the spot, scoring 37 out of 43 penalties in his career.
Lukaku’s penalty-taking style is characterized by his powerful and precise shots.
He combines a strong, confident approach with the ability to place the ball accurately, making it difficult for goalkeepers to predict and stop his attempts.
His composure and focus during penalties are key factors that contribute to his high conversion rate.
8. Jorginho
Arsenal midfielder, Jorginho, is arguably the most reliable penalty taker in the world.
This is due to the Italian’s run-and-hop technique that deceives goalkeepers into jumping to a side — leaving the goal open for Jorginho to slot the ball into!
He is also intelligent in his run-ups towards the ball. If the keeper refuses to move, Jorginho just simply places the ball beyond his reach!
When he arrived at Chelsea, he took over penalty-kick duties at Stamford Bridge and rarely misses — especially when it is very important.
Furthermore, Jorginho is also the official penalty-taker for the Italian national team, but he has made some misses that have cost the Azzurri greatly.
He missed some penalties during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, ultimately costing the team a spot in Qatar.
Jorginho is definitely the best penalty-taker in the world at the moment.
9. Hakan Çalhanoğlu
Hakan Çalhanoğlu has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable penalty-takers in football, boasting a perfect record of 14 penalties scored from 14 attempts for Inter Milan, and 40 penalties scored out of 44 in his career.
This consistency from the spot has made him a key player for his team who won the Serie A last season.
Çalhanoğlu’s penalty style is a blend of precision and psychological acumen. He often uses a composed, steady approach to the ball, which helps him maintain control and accuracy.
His ability to read the goalkeeper’s movements and make split-second decisions about where to place the ball is a significant part of his success.
This method not only ensures that his shots are on target but also makes it extremely difficult for goalkeepers to predict his intentions.
Interestingly, the Turkish midfielder has missed most of his penalties while playing for his national team.
However, he is among the best set-piece takers in football.
10. Neymar
Neymar is an all-round set-piece specialist: capable of efficiently taking corner kicks, penalties, and free kicks.
The mercurial number 10 is the official penalty-taker for both Brazil and PSG.
So reliable is he that the arrivals of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, and Kylian Mbappé in Paris did not seen him stripped of penalty duties.
Moreso, Neymar’s calmness when taking penalties under huge tension makes him special.
Neymar’s penalty stats are also quite impressive, as he has scored 87 out of the 105 penalties he has taken.
Notable Mentions:
- Jamie Vardy
- Sergio Ramos
- Niclas Füllkrug
- João Pedro
- Lionel Messi
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Max Kruse
- Enner Valencia
- Antoine Griezmann
What a terrible mistake not to include max kruse, that guy uses his poker skills to score penalties. He never missed one.