In association football, play can be restarted with a penalty kick, in which a player is awarded a single shot on goal. Two players with solid reputations are usually chosen beforehand to take the penalty.
There are generally two rules: the player who was fouled should not take the penalty, and anyone who isn’t putting up a good performance does not take it.
Penalty takers can grow better with practice and only rarely have bad luck in such crucial parts of the game. There have been many legendary footballers who gained notoriety for their on-field prowess, but the players listed here are known for their accuracy when it came to penalty kicks.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo has scored more penalty kick goals than any other player in football history. His name is a favorite among different soccer betting sites during the World Cup. Whether he’s shooting from the left or the right, the Real Madrid forward has such a fatal stroke that goalkeepers rarely have a chance against him.
The Portuguese, who has scored more than 200 penalties, is particularly well-known for his bold attitude to pressure situations.
He scored in the 2016 Champions League final victory against Atlético Madrid and the 2006 World Cup quarter-final against England.
Ronaldo is a player who plays with confidence. From the get-go, he exudes self-control and composure, his attentive body language evidencing how seriously he handles these chances.
Matt Le Tissier
Soccer experts agree that Matt Le Tissier was the greatest penalty-taker ever. Fans in Southampton called Le Tissier “Le God” because he always seemed to dominate his every penalty kick. The England midfielder netted 47 penalty kicks over his professional career. Amazingly, he only missed once, spoiling his perfect record.
The midfielder may not have had the most impressive track record, but his penalty kick accuracy was unparalleled in England. Le Tissier has admitted that he has never had a “tactic” for penalties other than trying to score as often as possible.
Frank Lampard
While he played in the middle of the field for Chelsea, Lampard was a terror in the penalty area. Frank Lampard has taken penalties in crucial situations for club and country, and he has never shied away from the weight of duty that comes with them.
Lampard has mastered the art of taking penalties and uses only his right foot while playing.
The Chelsea record-holder in goals (211) also holds the record for the most penalties (60) scored for both club and country. These included game-winning blows against teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United.
Alan Shearer
It’s hardly a huge shock that the Premier League’s all-time top scorer is also the league’s all-time leader in penalty kicks. Shearer scored 56 goals in the league from the penalty spot.
He has scored 260 goals in the English Premier League, making him the league’s all-time leading scorer.
At times it looked like Shearer was trying to pull the leather off the ball in his chase of a goal during his penalty kick attempts so that he could get a clean shot.
Alessandro Del Piero
The legendary Alessandro Del Piero of Italy and Juventus was a deadly finisher from set pieces. From the penalty spot, he never seems to feel any pressure, and he consistently puts the ball in the back of the net.
The striker was deadly from 12 yards out and took fantastic free kicks. Del Piero had 77 penalty goals and 15 misses in his professional career.
Zinedine Zidane
During his illustrious career, French star Zinedine Zidane scored multiple game-winning goals from the penalty spot.
His penalty kick in the 2006 World Cup Final against Brazil, in which he struck the crossbar and nearly gave France the lead, stands out as his most famous penalty attempt.
Zinedine Zidane’s involvement in the 2006 World Cup final will be remembered for two things: his notorious headbutt on Marco Materazzi and his incredibly bold penalty that gave France the lead right away.
Steven Gerrard
The legendary Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and England was always calm under pressure from the penalty spot. Gerrard had one of the best places-to-ball strikes in soccer history, if not the best.
Gerrard was well-known for his long-range efforts, but he could also find the back of the net from as near as 12 yards out.
Over the years, the former Liverpool captain frequently used the same part of his right foot that made him so dangerous from the penalty spot, and it was helpful in a few crucial moments for his team.
Final Thoughts
The taking of penalties in a football game is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the game. It may appear simple, but players often buckle under pressure and expectations from their global fan bases.
But the forwards we’ve identified as examples here have the guts and self-assurance to excel at penalty kicks truly.