What is the most extraordinary penalty shootout?

Yahoo

7 days ago

When football historians of the future look back over the strangest and most extraordinary penalty shootouts of all time, England's victory over Sweden at Euro 2025 will be a prized artefact.
Of the 14 penalties taken, five were scored, six were saved and three from the Swedes were missed. When BBC pundit Ellen White described it as "terrifying watching", she was spot on – this was the football coach's version of The Exorcist.
Of course, shootouts are a scary prospect for any participant, with so much on the line and the spectre of failure and embarrassment so present.
While the myth of penalties being a lottery has been dispelled in the era of football coaching driven by data and psychology, you can never quite predict what the pressure will do to a player, even at the elite level.
As Alan Shearer memorably exclaimed as England's men celebrated their shootout victory over Switzerland at Euro 2024: "Pressure is for tyres."
Inspired by the Lionesses' chaotic triumph in Zurich, here are some of the greatest moments when the tyre exploded...
Miss, and miss, and miss…
England became the first side at the Women's Euros to miss three successive penalties in a shootout and still go through.
The 36% conversion rate of spot-kicks in Zurich was the worst of any shootout in the competition's history, lower than the 2017 semi-final between Denmark and Austria.
That shootout saw Denmark progress 3-0 on penalties – four of the seven spot-kicks were missed, including all three from the Austrians.
But for the worst shootout on a major European stage, there is only one answer: the 1986 European Cup final.
After a tedious goalless 120 minutes between Barcelona and Steaua Bucharest, the Romanians won 2-0 on penalties.
Of the eight spot-kicks, only 25% found the net. All four of Barca's efforts were saved by Steaua keeper Helmuth Duckadam.
While the odd result of that shootout could be put down to goalkeeping brilliance, there are several examples which can be squarely chalked up to incompetence.
In February 2020, the Japanese Super Cup between Vissel Kobe and Yokohama Marinos ended 3-2 to Vissel – from 14 penalties taken, of which nine in a row were missed.
After both sides netted their opening two kicks, Yokohama – managed by one Ange Postecoglou – contrived to miss five in a row, while Vissel failed with four in succession before eventually putting everyone out of their misery.
Some BBC Sport research also digs up the 1985 Finnish Cup final, where Haka beat HJK 2-1 after the first seven penalties from both sides were missed, and the 1990 Copa Libertadores semi-final between Olimpia of Paraguay and Colombia's Atletico Nacional.
Nacional keeper Rene Higuita – he of the big hair and scorpion kick – saved four penalties, but himself missed the crucial kick as he took on a similar role to Swedish stopper Jennifer Falk against England in 2025.
Falk made a Women's Euros record four saves in the shootout but still ended up on the losing side, partly because she stepped up and missed her side's potential match-winning fifth penalty.
On, and on, and on…
Many football fans love a penalty shootout. The drama, the twists, the possible glory. But sometimes they outstay their welcome.
The most egregious example came in the 2023-24 promotion play-offs of the Liga Alef, the Israeli third tier – of course. A total of 56 penalties were taken as FC Dimona beat Shimshon Tel Aviv 23-22.
Dimona player Guy Eini, who scored three penalties in the course of the shootout, told Israeli media: "I've never had anything like this in my career. We tried to bewitch each other."
The longest penalty shootout in English professional football came just last season, as Aston Villa Under-21s beat Blackpool 18-17 in the Football League Trophy. The shootout saw 31 kicks scored in succession – a world record – before the 32nd was saved.
In international football, the longest at a World Cup was set in 2023 between co-hosts Australia and France, with the Matildas winning 7-6 after 20 penalties were taken in total. I was there. It still haunts me.
Liverpool fans have fond memories of long shootouts, with two famous examples in League Cup wins – 14-13 versus Middlesbrough in 2014, and 11-10 against Chelsea in the 2022 final.
Manchester United supporters, meanwhile, will wince at the thought of the 2021 Europa League final – an 11-10 loss to Villarreal, with keeper David de Gea missing the decisive effort.
And while the men's club season has only just started, we already have a prime example from the 2025-26 campaign. Hamrun Spartans of Malta defeated Lithuanian champions Zalgiris 11-10 in their Champions League qualifier on 15 July, two days before England and Sweden's duel.
The most controversial shootout of all time?
As for the strangest penalty shootout ever, there are a few candidates. Last season saw Atletico Madrid controversially penalised against Real Madrid in the Champions League, as Julian Alvarez was ruled to have "double-touched" a penalty – despite inconclusive evidence.
There is also the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations final between Nigeria and Cameroon. Nigerian forward Victor Ikpeba saw his effort bounce down off the bar and clearly over the line – but the goal was not given, and Cameroon won 4-3.
But this author submits to you, Orlando City versus New York City FC in the 2020 Major League Soccer play-offs. Here's how we described it in our report from November that year.
The shootout was poised at 4-3 to Orlando after both sides had taken four penalties, when Orlando keeper Pedro Gallese thought he had sealed the win for his side by saving Valentin Castellanos' penalty.
But the video assistant referee intervened and ruled Gallese was off his line, and he was shown a second yellow card, having been booked for time-wasting in extra time.
Orlando brought on substitute keeper Brian Rowe, but as he stood on the goalline for the retake the referee indicated a substitution was not allowed and sent him back off the pitch.
Instead, Argentine defender Rodrigo Schlegel took the gloves.
Castellanos scored at his second attempt to level things up and the shootout went to sudden death when Orlando and former Manchester United forward Nani's penalty was saved.
Both teams scored to make it 5-5 before Schlegel's heroics as he saved Gudmundur Thorarinsson's attempt - cue celebrations from Orlando players and staff who thought the game was over, unaware the shootout was still level.
Eventually Benji Michel scored to seal a 6-5 win - Orlando's first victory in the play-offs.
Opta tweeted that there had been 21 minutes and 35 seconds between the first and last penalty attempts in the shootout.
Resilience, luck and subs - England's winning formula
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