The 25 best penalty takers of all time
- Penalty taking is an under-appreciated art form in football
- Scoring from the spot takes impressive technique and confidence
- The likes of Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the active penalty kings
Some players just have a knack for penalties.
Technical skill is, of course, pretty important when it comes to spot-kicks, but even some of the greatest technicians in world football are not particularly efficient from 12 yards. After all, many of the best penalty-takers of all time are not prolific in open play.
A mixture of practice, quality and a clear and confident mindset set specialists apart from the average penalty-taker and there are plenty of players you would bet your life on when they place the ball on that penalty spot. For some, it just comes naturally.
Taking a closer look at some of those who have mastered their craft both past and present, here are 25 of the greatest penalty-takers the world has ever seen.
25. Eric Cantona
It's hardly surprising that Eric Cantona had the ice-cold confidence of a brilliant penalty-taker, with few situations unnerving the French forward.
He was particularly relentless from the spot for Manchester United, scoring 18 of his 24 career penalties with the Red Devils.
24. Erling Haaland
Despite being so young, Erling Haaland has already taken a ludicrous amount of penalties over the course of his career.
He's netted 38 of 43 he has taken and is sure to get plenty more opportunities to add to his tally in the seasons to come.
23. James Milner
There are few things James Milner hasn't been asked to do on a football pitch since his debut in the early 2000s, including taking some high-pressure spot-kicks.
He may not have taken as many as you may think, but he has scored 28 and missed only four of his penalties.
22. Leighton Baines
Some full-backs have a knack for spot kicks and former Everton defender Leighton Baines was certainly one of them.
Baines was brilliant from dead-ball situations, notably free kicks, and he bagged an impressive 26 of 29 penalties across his career.
21. Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney is known for being remarkably cool from the spot and his 29 penalties highlight just how prolific he has been, especially for Brentford in recent seasons.
He has missed just two over the course of his career and rarely fails to find the corner from 12 yards.
20. Francesco Totti
The great Francesco Totti was always a reliable customer for Roma and supporters were pleased to see him step up from 12 yards more often than not.
He did squander a fair few in the Italian capital with 20 career misses, but he makes up for that with 86 striking the back of the net.
19. Gaizka Mendieta
The former Middlesbrough star was always composed from 12 yards, scoring a staggering 32 of his 34 penalties for club and country over the years.
Gaizka Mendieta's only misses came within two months of one other at Valencia in 2000, but he never failed to find the net afterwards.
18. Gary McAllister
Former Liverpool man Gary McAllister was lethal from the spot and seldom failed to find the back of the net when handed a penalty.
38 goals and just three misses tells the story of a prolific marksman and the Scot was adept from all set-piece situations.
17. Michael Ballack
The midfield enforcer had an eye for goal during his Bayern Munich and Chelsea days and that extended to penalties.
Often prioritising power, Michael Ballack scored 29 of his 31 spot kicks and may have had a few more if it wasn't for the relentless Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge.
16. Antonin Panenka
To have a penalty named after you is pretty special, with the Czech midfielder's iconic chipped spot-kick still inspiring takers to this very day.
Antonin Panenka produced his fabled penalty during the final of the 1976 European Championship, scoring the winning spot-kick in a tense shootout with West Germany.
15. Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes' skip and hop technique doesn't always fill those in the stadium with confidence, but they should trust the ruthless Portuguese.
While he has missed six penalties during his time at Udinese, Sporting CP and Man Utd, he has buried 51 spot-kicks in total - a staggering tally.
14. Danny Murphy
The former Fulham and Liverpool midfielder often produced crucial goals over the years, many of which came from 12 yards out.
He has one of the best penalty records in Premier League history and scored 29 of his 30 spot-kicks over the course of his career.
13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic may have missed a fair few penalties over the years, but that's bound to happen when you have taken well over a century of spot-kicks.
The Swede was denied 17 times from the spot, but still managed to score an astonishing 86 penalties for club and country since his first in 2003.
12. Harry Kane
Few players have better technique than Harry Kane when it comes to penalties. More often than not, the Bayern Munich forward will find the bottom corner with ferocity.
He has always been the designated taker wherever he has been on the pitch and with good reason given he has scored 68 times from the spot.
11. Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool hero was another dead-ball specialist and his penalty technique more than matched his ability from free-kicks and corners.
Steven Gerrard was another taker who boasted a great combination of power and accuracy and finished his playing days with 46 strikes to his name from the spot.
10. Mario Balotelli
You never know what you are going to get from the Italian maverick, except for when it comes to penalty kicks.
The former Manchester City attacker is unsurprisingly calm from the spot and seldom succumbs to penalty pressure, scoring 44 and missing just five times from 12 yards.
9. Michel Platini
The iconic France legend could do pretty much anything he wanted with the ball at his feet, with penalties no exception.
He never missed a spot-kick on French soil, with both his wayward efforts coming in Italy, but Platini still bagged a remarkable 44 penalties during his career.
8. Alessandro Del Piero
One of many fantastic Italian penalty-takers during the 2000s, Alessandro Del Piero was a class act from 12 yards out - not to mention in open play as well.
The Juventus star scored a mighty 77 spot-kicks throughout his career, with just 15 misses. Not a shabby record.
7. Marco van Basten
The Ballon d'Or winner was capable of producing absolute screamers, like his famous volley at Euro 88, but he was also known for his efficient penalties.
He netted 51 of 55 kicks over the years, taking responsibility from 12 yards for Ajax, Milan and the Netherlands.
6. Rogerio Ceni
Not only did Rogerio Ceni have a good penalty-saving record, the Brazilian goalkeeper (yes, goalkeeper) netted an astonishing 47 times from the spot during his career.
He gets bonus points for having the nerve to step up as a stopper, while his five misses will have undoubtedly caused chaos as he sprinted back to his goal line.
5. Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard, who is Chelsea's record goalscorer with 211 strikes, was a tremendous box-to-box midfielder and darn good at penalties.
His impressive tally for the Blues and England is boosted by 60 penalties over his career, as well as a couple for West Ham United and New York City FC.
4. Robert Lewandowski
Few strikers have been more deadly in the box than Robert Lewandowski over the past decade and the Pole has added to his impressive goal tally with a fair few penalties.
He has taken a remarkable 87 for club and country over the years, 78 of which have nestled in the back of the opposition net.
3. Alan Shearer
The Premier League's record goalscorer, Alan Shearer was dynamite from the spot. In fact, he still boasts one of the most impressive penalty records of the modern era.
Newcastle United enjoyed the majority of his spot kicks and hung up his boots having scored 72 penalties. What is equally impressive is that he missed only six.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo may have missed a lot of penalties throughout the years - 29 to be precise - but he has scored more spot-kicks than many current footballers have played matches.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored a whopping 163 times from the spot, meaning he still boasts a truly formidable record with few players exuding as much confidence from 12 yards out.
1. Matt Le Tissier
Forgetting his views on climate change and vaccines for a second, Matt Le Tissier is one of the greatest penalty-takers to have ever played the game.
The Southampton stiker took 43 over the years and missed, well, none. He had a 100% record from the spot for the Saints, including 25 in the Premier League.
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