Football, or soccer as it is called in some parts of the world, is a sport that is loved by billions of people all around the globe. It is a sport that transcends language barriers and brings people together. One of the most exciting aspects of football is the penalty kick. When a team commits a foul inside their own penalty area, the opposing team is awarded a penalty kick.
This is a great opportunity for the attacking team to score a goal, and it often decides the outcome of matches.
In this blog post, we will be looking at the top 10 best penalty takers in the world. These are players who have shown time and time again that they can be counted on to score from the spot.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, who is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, currently holds the record for the most penalties converted in a career. The Portuguese star has taken a total of 154 penalty kicks throughout his career, with an impressive conversion rate of 77.5%.
Ronaldo’s accuracy and power make him a lethal penalty taker, and he has demonstrated his ability to score from the spot on many occasions. One of his most famous goals came in the 2009 Champions League final, when he dispatched a powerful penalty past Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to help Real Madrid win their first European Cup in over two decades.
There is no doubt that Ronaldo is one of the best penalty takers in the world, and he looks likely to continue setting records for years to come.
Lionel Messi
There is no doubt that Lionel Messi is one of the best penalty takers in the world. The Argentine has taken some of the most iconic penalties in history, including his Panenka against Real Madrid in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final.
Messi has a unique ability to make the ball move in unpredictable ways, making him extremely difficult for goalkeepers to save.
In addition, Messi’s composure under pressure is second to none, and he has converted an impressive 84.8% of his career penalty attempts.
Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. He is widely considered to be one of the best players in the world.
Neymar began playing football as a youngster and came up through the youth ranks at his first club, Santos FC. He made his senior debut for Santos in 2009, and helped the club win two successive Campeonato Paulista championships, a Copa do Brasil, and the 2011 Copa Libertadores – South America’s premier club football tournament. Neymar was twice named the South American Footballer of the Year, in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, he moved to Europe to join Barcelona.
With Barcelona, Neymar won further honours including three La Liga titles, a UEFA Champions League title, and was named in both FIFA World XI (2015) and FIFPro World XI (2015) teams on multiple occasions each year from 2014–2017. He also finished third for Ballon d’Or three times (in 2015, 2016, 2017), behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In August 2017 transfer window he moved from Barcelona to PSG for world record fee €222 million making him world most expensive player ever until Kylian Mbappé joined PSG exactly one year later with initial loan deal before making it permanent transfer
Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez: The Uruguay and Barcelona striker is one of the most prolific goalscorers in the world and is also a very good penalty taker. He has a success rate of over 80% from the spot, and has scored some crucial goals from 12 yards out.
Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos has been one of the best penalty takers in the world for many years now. The Real Madrid captain has a great record from the spot, scoring 57 out of 65 attempts (88%). He is also a very experienced penalty taker, having taken penalties for both club and country.
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for English club Chelsea and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as a winger and is known for his pace, dribbling, and finishing.
Hazard began his professional career with Lille in 2007. He spent two years in the club’s academy before making his senior debut in November 2009. He helped Lille win the 2010–11 Ligue 1 title and was named the Young Player of the Year. In June 2012, he signed for Chelsea for a fee believed to be £32 million, making him one of the most expensive teenage footballers ever.
Hazard won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in 2014–15, after scoring 14 goals and providing nine assists to help Chelsea win the Premier League title. The following season, he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award again; he was also named in both the FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year.
In 2016–17, he was voted as Chelsea’s Player of the Season as they won another Premier League title; Hazard also received his first nomination for the Ballon d’Or that year, coming in at seventh place.
Harry Kane
Arsenal’s striker has been in tremendous form over the past few years. He is a clinical finisher and his penalties reflect that. In the Premier League, he has scored 19 goals from the spot, with a success rate of 95%. He is also the joint-top scorer in Europe’s top five leagues from penalties, with 14 goals.
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah: The Egyptian king is currently the best penalty taker in the world. His technique is flawless and he has an ultra-precise strike. He has a success rate of 100% from the spot, having converted all seven of his attempts.
Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba: The French midfielder has been one of the best penalty takers in the world over the past few years. He has a great technique and can usually be counted on to score when given the chance from 12 yards out.
Antoine Griezmann
Griezmann is a world-class penalty taker who plays for Atletico Madrid and the French national team. He is known for his composure and accuracy from the spot, and has scored some crucial penalties in big moments for both club and country.
Griezmann has taken over 100 penalties in his career, and has an impressive conversion rate of over 80%. He is also a good free-kick taker, and has scored some important goals from set-pieces for both Atletico Madrid and France.
Griezmann is one of the best players in the world, and is capable of winning games on his own. He is a danger from anywhere on the pitch, and is especially lethal from the penalty spot. If you need a goal from a penalty, Griezmann is one of the best players to have in your team.
List Top 5 Most Successful Penalty Takers
Player | Penalties Scored | Penalties Missed |
Cristiano Ronaldo | 144 | 29 |
Matt Le Tissier | 49 | 1 |
Marco van Basten | 51 | 4 |
Alan Shearer | 72 | 5 |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 84 | 17 |