England Penalty Shootout Record: Every Shootout, Plus World Cup and Euros History
England penalty shootout record at major tournaments: 4 wins and 7 losses from 11 shootouts, as of 5 November 2026. That is 1-3 at the World Cup, 2-4 at the Euros and 1-0 in the Nations League, and England did not face a shootout at the 2026 World Cup. Below is every England shootout with the takers who missed, World Cup and Euro records by nation, conversion rates, goalkeeper records, the four 2026 World Cup shootouts, the free-kick scoring list and the shootouts of the past month.
England's full penalty shootout record, every shootout listed
England's senior men have taken part in 11 penalty shootouts at the World Cup, the European Championship and the Nations League finals. They have won four and lost seven. The first came in Turin in 1990 and the most recent in Düsseldorf in 2024. England did not need a shootout at the 2026 World Cup: they beat Norway after extra time in the quarter-final, lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-final and beat France 6-4 in the third-place match, so the record still stands at 4-7.
Below is every one of those shootouts, with the England players who missed. Scores are the shootout result, England first.
| Date | Tournament and round | Opponent | Venue | Shootout | Result | England misses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 1990 | World Cup semi-final | West Germany | Turin | 3-4 | Lost | Pearce (saved), Waddle (over) |
| 22 Jun 1996 | Euro 96 quarter-final | Spain | Wembley | 4-2 | Won | None |
| 26 Jun 1996 | Euro 96 semi-final | Germany | Wembley | 5-6 | Lost | Southgate (saved by Köpke) |
| 30 Jun 1998 | World Cup round of 16 | Argentina | Saint-Étienne | 3-4 | Lost | Ince, Batty (both saved by Roa) |
| 24 Jun 2004 | Euro 2004 quarter-final | Portugal | Lisbon | 5-6 | Lost | Beckham (over), Vassell (saved) |
| 1 Jul 2006 | World Cup quarter-final | Portugal | Gelsenkirchen | 1-3 | Lost | Lampard, Gerrard, Carragher (all saved by Ricardo) |
| 24 Jun 2012 | Euro 2012 quarter-final | Italy | Kyiv | 2-4 | Lost | Young (hit the bar), A. Cole (saved by Buffon) |
| 3 Jul 2018 | World Cup round of 16 | Colombia | Moscow | 4-3 | Won | Henderson (saved) |
| 9 Jun 2019 | Nations League third-place play-off | Switzerland | Guimarães | 6-5 | Won | None |
| 11 Jul 2021 | Euro 2020 final | Italy | Wembley | 2-3 | Lost | Rashford (post), Sancho, Saka (both saved by Donnarumma) |
| 6 Jul 2024 | Euro 2024 quarter-final | Switzerland | Düsseldorf | 5-3 | Won | None |
Split by competition, the record looks worse at the World Cup. At the World Cup England are 1-3, at the Euros 2-4 and in the Nations League 1-0. The four Euro defeats are the most by any nation at that tournament, and they came in a row: 1996, 2004, 2012 and the 2020 final.
| Competition | Played | Won | Lost | Kicks scored | Kicks taken | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 57.9% |
| UEFA European Championship | 6 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 31 | 74.2% |
| UEFA Nations League | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| Total | 11 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 56 | 71.4% |
The kick totals for the World Cup and Euros come from the full shootout lists for each tournament. For the 2019 Nations League shootout England scored all six, with Jordan Pickford converting one himself and then saving from Josip Drmić to win it.
What changed after 2018
Before the Colombia game in Moscow, England had won one shootout in seven attempts, and that was against Spain at Wembley in 1996. Since 2018 they have won three of four, all under Gareth Southgate, the man who missed the decisive kick against Germany in 1996 and later made shootout preparation a routine part of England camps. In Moscow, Mateus Uribe hit the bar and Pickford saved from Carlos Bacca before Eric Dier scored the winner, England's first World Cup shootout win at the fourth attempt.
The goalkeepers on the other side have often decided it. Ricardo of Portugal is the extreme case. He saved three England kicks in Gelsenkirchen in 2006, a World Cup record for one shootout that he still shares with Danijel Subašić and Dominik Livaković. Two years earlier in Lisbon he saved from Darius Vassell and then scored the winning kick himself.
Three England players share the record for most shootout goals: Alan Shearer, David Platt and Michael Owen, with three each.
How the penalty shootout began
For a century the Laws of the Game had no tie-breaker. The FA Cup used replays, and when replays were impossible, matches were decided by drawing lots or tossing a coin. Morocco went through a 1970 World Cup qualifier against Tunisia on a drawing of lots in 1969, which is the sort of result that pushed football to find something better.
Two men are usually credited with the idea. Israeli official Yosef Dagan proposed a kick-off from the spot after Israel went out of the 1968 Olympic quarter-finals to Bulgaria on lots. German referee Karl Wald had been using shootouts unofficially in Bavaria since the early 1960s, and the Bavarian FA wrote them into its rules in May 1970. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) adopted the penalty shootout at its annual meeting in Inverness on 27 June 1970, just too late for that summer's World Cup in Mexico.
English football tried it within weeks. On 5 August 1970 Hull City and Manchester United drew 1-1 in a Watney Cup semi-final at Boothferry Park. George Best took the first kick, Denis Law was the first to miss, and Hull goalkeeper Ian McKechnie, who had saved from Law, became the first goalkeeper to take one. He hit the bar and United went through. UEFA's first shootout followed on 30 September 1970, when Honvéd beat Aberdeen 5-4 in the Cup Winners' Cup.
First uses at major tournaments
- Euro 1976 final, Belgrade: the first major international tournament decided on penalties. Czechoslovakia beat West Germany 5-3 after Uli Hoeneß fired over and Antonín Panenka chipped the winner down the middle, the kick that gave the "Panenka" its name.
- First World Cup shootout: Tunisia against Morocco in African qualifying on 9 January 1977.
- First at a World Cup finals: West Germany 5-4 France, semi-final in Seville, 8 July 1982. Shootouts were in the rules from 1978, but the final kept a replay until 1986.
The format has barely changed since: five kicks each, alternating, then sudden death, with only players on the pitch at the final whistle allowed to take part. IFAB trialled an "ABBA" order in 2017 to cancel out any advantage to the team kicking first, then dropped it on 22 November 2018 because it was too complicated and lacked support. Economist Ignacio Palacios-Huerta's research found the team kicking first wins around 60% of shootouts, which is why captains still want to win the toss.
World Cup penalty shootout records by nation
There have been 39 shootouts at men's World Cup finals, from 1982 to 2026. Argentina have played the most (seven) and won the most (six). Germany won their first four, then lost for the first time ever when Paraguay beat them 4-3 in Foxborough in June 2026. Croatia are the only side to have won four without a defeat.
| Nation | Played | Won | Lost | Win % | Kicks scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | 25 of 31 |
| Germany (incl. West Germany) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | 20 of 24 |
| Brazil | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | 15 of 22 |
| France | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | 17 of 24 |
| Spain | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | 13 of 22 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | 13 of 22 |
| Croatia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% | 14 of 18 |
| Italy | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25% | 13 of 20 |
| England | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25% | 11 of 19 |
| Paraguay | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100% | 9 of 11 |
| Morocco | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100% | 6 of 9 |
England, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands share the record of three straight World Cup shootout defeats. The Dutch reached theirs in 2026, losing to Morocco three tournaments in a row on penalties (2014, 2022, 2026, having missed 2018). The United States have played eight World Cup knockout matches since 1978 without ever going to a shootout.
World Cup finals decided on penalties
Three World Cup finals have gone to penalties, and the Euros have had two. Each one is listed below.
| Final | Winner | Shootout | Runner-up | Decisive moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro 1976, Belgrade | Czechoslovakia | 5-3 | West Germany | Panenka's chip |
| World Cup 1994, Pasadena | Brazil | 3-2 | Italy | Roberto Baggio fired over |
| World Cup 2006, Berlin | Italy | 5-3 | France | Fabio Grosso scored the fifth |
| Euro 2020, Wembley | Italy | 3-2 | England | Donnarumma saved from Saka |
| World Cup 2022, Lusail | Argentina | 4-2 | France | Gonzalo Montiel scored the winner |
The 2026 final did not need one. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium on 19 July 2026, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute. Spain became the first champions since France in 2018 to win the World Cup without a shootout.
Euros shootout records
The European Championship has had 25 shootouts since 1976. Italy have played the most (seven), and Italy and Spain have won the most (four each). The Czechs, as Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic, are the only team to have won three out of three, scoring all 20 of their kicks.
| Nation | Played | Won | Lost | Kicks scored | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 7 | 4 | 3 | 29 of 41 | 70.7% |
| Spain | 6 | 4 | 2 | 20 of 28 | 71.4% |
| England | 6 | 2 | 4 | 23 of 31 | 74.2% |
| Portugal | 5 | 3 | 2 | 19 of 23 | 82.6% |
| France | 4 | 2 | 2 | 19 of 21 | 90.5% |
| Switzerland | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13 of 18 | 72.2% |
| Netherlands | 4 | 1 | 3 | 14 of 20 | 70.0% |
| Germany (incl. West Germany) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 of 19 | 78.9% |
| Czechoslovakia / Czech Republic | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 of 20 | 100% |
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored the most Euro shootout kicks (four, across 2004, 2016 and 2024). Cesc Fàbregas is the only player to score the winning kick in two Euro shootouts, against Italy in 2008 and Portugal in 2012. The fewest kicks ever needed was six, when Diogo Costa saved all three Slovenia attempts at Euro 2024.
Conversion rates: how often do shootout penalties go in?
Shootout kicks are missed far more than people expect. Across every men's World Cup shootout, 247 of 360 kicks have been scored, a conversion rate of 68.6%. At the Euros the figure is 197 of 256, or 77.0%. Combined, that is 444 of 616 kicks, about 72%, so more than one kick in four fails.
- Lowest World Cup tournament rate: 1994, with 18 of 29 scored (62.1%). The 2026 tournament was close behind at 25 of 40 (62.5%).
- Highest World Cup rate: 1986 and 2010, both 77.8%.
- Best Euro tournament: 1980, when 17 of 18 kicks went in (94.4%), including the first 17 in a row in the third-place play-off between Czechoslovakia and Italy.
- Fewest goals in a World Cup shootout: three, in Ukraine 3-0 Switzerland (2006) and Morocco 3-0 Spain (2022). In both, the losing side failed to score a single kick.
The 2026 World Cup shootouts
The first 48-team World Cup, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June to July 2026, added a round of 32. It produced four shootouts in 32 knockout matches, fewer than the five in Qatar.
| Date | Round | Match (after 120 min) | Shootout | Winning kick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 2026 | Round of 32 | Germany 1-1 Paraguay | Paraguay won 4-3 | José Canale (sudden death) |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Round of 32 | Netherlands 1-1 Morocco | Morocco won 3-2 | Ismael Saibari |
| 3 Jul 2026 | Round of 32 | Australia 1-1 Egypt | Egypt won 4-2 | Hossam Abdelmaguid |
| 7 Jul 2026 | Round of 16 | Switzerland 0-0 Colombia | Switzerland won 4-3 | Rubén Vargas |
Paraguay's win over Germany was the upset of the tournament. Kai Havertz missed Germany's first kick, Jonathan Tah sent his sudden-death kick over the bar, and centre-back Canale scored to end Germany's perfect World Cup shootout record. Morocco's Yassine Bounou saved from Crysencio Summerville before Saibari scored, and Bounou now has six World Cup shootout kicks missed against him, the most of any goalkeeper. Egypt scored all four of their kicks to win their first World Cup knockout match, after Australia brought on Mathew Ryan for Patrick Beach in the final minute of extra time. Switzerland's Gregor Kobel saved from Cucho Hernández as the Swiss reached a first World Cup quarter-final since 1954.
Goalkeeper records in shootouts
Goalkeepers decide more shootouts than the scoreline suggests. These are the records at the two biggest international tournaments.
| Record | Goalkeeper | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Most World Cup shootout saves | Harald Schumacher, Sergio Goycochea, Danijel Subašić, Dominik Livaković | 4 each |
| Most saves in one World Cup shootout | Ricardo (v England 2006), Subašić (v Denmark 2018), Livaković (v Japan 2022) | 3 |
| Most World Cup kicks missed against | Yassine Bounou (2022, 2026) | 6 |
| Most Euro shootout saves | Buffon, Casillas, Unai Simón, Donnarumma, Diogo Costa, Jordan Pickford | 3 each |
| Most Euro shootouts played | Yann Sommer (Switzerland) | 4 |
| Most saves in one Euro shootout | Diogo Costa (v Slovenia 2024) | 3 |
Pickford's three Euro saves (two against Italy in 2021, one against Manuel Akanji in 2024), plus Bacca in 2018 and Drmić in 2019, make him the most successful shootout goalkeeper England have had.
The longest shootouts
- World record: 56 kicks, when F.C. Dimona beat Shimshon Tel Aviv 23-22 in Israel's third-tier play-offs in 2023-24.
- Most consecutive goals: 31, in Aston Villa Under-21s' 18-17 win at Blackpool in the EFL Trophy on 17 December 2024, the longest in English professional football.
- Longest at any World Cup: 20 kicks, Australia 7-6 France at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
- Longest at a major men's tournament: 24 kicks, Ivory Coast 12-11 Cameroon at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations.
Free kick records: most direct free-kick goals
Free kicks have no governing-body record, so every list is a reconstruction from match reports, and totals for older players differ between sources. Older lists credited Juninho Pernambucano with 77. The tally used by most outlets in September 2026, which matches a historical reconstruction by El Gráfico, puts Brazilian Marcelinho Carioca top. Lionel Messi moved to 76 with a free kick for Inter Miami against Columbus Crew on 28 September 2026, two short of the record. We could not find a report of a 77th by 5 November.
| Player | Nation | Direct free-kick goals |
|---|---|---|
| Marcelinho Carioca | Brazil | 78 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 76 |
| Jair Rosa Pinto | Brazil | 74 |
| Roberto Dinamite | Brazil | 73 |
| Juninho Pernambucano | Brazil | 72 |
| Siniša Mihajlović | Serbia | 72 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 63 |
One free kick nearly settled the 2026 World Cup final. In stoppage time Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez saved a curling Lamine Yamal free kick, and Spain had to wait for extra time to win it.
Latest: penalty shootouts in October and early November 2026
The last 30 days brought three Premier League clubs into Carabao Cup shootouts in the space of two nights. The League Cup plays no extra time before the final, so level ties go straight to penalties.
- 27 October 2026, Carabao Cup fourth round: League Two Fleetwood Town drew 1-1 with Arsenal and won the shootout 5-3. Fleetwood scored all five, goalkeeper Jay Lynch saved one Arsenal kick and teenage defender Conor Haughey scored the winner. ESPN reported it as the first time reigning Premier League champions had lost a League Cup tie to a fourth-tier side, and Fleetwood reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
- 28 October 2026: Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea, Liverpool won 6-5 on penalties.
- 28 October 2026: Manchester City 2-2 Brighton, City won 4-3 on penalties.
- Quarter-final draw: ties are scheduled for the week commencing 14 December, with Manchester City at home to Bradford City and Liverpool at home to Bournemouth.
Online, fans picked the shootouts apart. Sky Sports' full shootout video from the round has more than 17,000 views on YouTube, and one fan on X argued that most of the week's kicks were struck at a height that makes them very hard to save even when the keeper guesses right.
Play Spot Kick and Free Kick on Rescro
If all this has you wondering which corner you would pick, try it yourself. Spot Kick is our free penalty shootout game: five kicks, then sudden death, and the keeper reads you better the longer it goes on, so mix up your corners. If set pieces are more your thing, Free Kick gives you ten kicks from outside the box, with a wall that shuffles and a keeper who moves to where the ball first looks to be heading. Both run in the browser with no download. More games are in the Sport category.
Frequently asked questions
What is England's penalty shootout record?
England have played 11 penalty shootouts at the World Cup, the European Championship and the Nations League finals, winning 4 and losing 7. They are 1-3 at the World Cup, 2-4 at the Euros and 1-0 in the Nations League. The wins came against Spain (1996), Colombia (2018), Switzerland (2019) and Switzerland again at Euro 2024. There was no England shootout at the 2026 World Cup.
How many World Cup penalty shootouts have England won?
One. England beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties in the round of 16 in Moscow on 3 July 2018, with Eric Dier scoring the winning kick after Jordan Pickford saved from Carlos Bacca. They lost World Cup shootouts to West Germany in 1990, Argentina in 1998 and Portugal in 2006.
When was the first penalty shootout?
IFAB adopted the shootout on 27 June 1970. The first in English professional football was Hull City v Manchester United in the Watney Cup on 5 August 1970, when George Best took the first kick. The first major tournament decided on penalties was the Euro 1976 final, won by Czechoslovakia, and the first at a World Cup finals was West Germany v France in 1982.
What's the longest penalty shootout in football?
The world record is 56 kicks, when F.C. Dimona beat Shimshon Tel Aviv 23-22 in Israel's third tier in 2023-24. In England, Aston Villa Under-21s beat Blackpool 18-17 in the EFL Trophy in December 2024 after 31 kicks in a row were scored. The longest at any World Cup was Australia 7-6 France at the 2023 Women's World Cup, with 20 kicks.
Which country has the best World Cup penalty shootout record?
Argentina have won the most World Cup shootouts, six from seven, including two at the 2022 tournament and the 2022 final against France. Croatia have the best perfect record, four wins from four. Germany won their first four but lost to Paraguay in 2026, and Paraguay and Morocco are both two from two.
Who has scored the most direct free-kick goals?
There is no official record, so totals vary by source. On the tally most outlets used in September 2026, Marcelinho Carioca leads with 78, with Lionel Messi second on 76 after his free kick against Columbus Crew on 28 September 2026. Older lists credited Juninho Pernambucano with 77. Cristiano Ronaldo sits at 63 on the same recent tally.
What percentage of shootout penalties are scored?
At men's World Cups, 247 of 360 shootout kicks have been scored, which is 68.6%. At the European Championship the rate is higher, 197 of 256 or 77.0%. England have scored 40 of their 56 shootout kicks at major tournaments, about 71%, but only 11 of 19 at World Cups.
Sources
- Wikipedia: List of FIFA World Cup penalty shoot-outs
- Wikipedia: List of UEFA European Championship penalty shoot-outs
- Wikipedia: Penalty shoot-out (association football)
- Wikipedia: 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
- Wikipedia: 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32
- Goal.com: England's penalty shootout record
- Press and Journal: shootout sanctioned at an Inverness hotel
- ABC News (AP): Paraguay beats Germany 4-3 in penalty shootout
- ABC News (AP): Saibari's shootout winner sends Morocco past the Netherlands
- Football Australia: Egypt defeat Socceroos on penalties
- Flashscore: Vargas and Kobel star as Switzerland see off Colombia
- World Cup Ranking: 2026 final, Spain 1-0 Argentina (AET)
- Vanguard: most free-kick goals as Messi nears record (28 Sept 2026)
- AfricaSoccer: Messi closes in on free-kick record as Ronaldo sits ninth
- ESPN: Arsenal stunned by Fleetwood Town in Carabao Cup
- Dave Sport: Carabao Cup fourth round results and quarter-final draw
- Sky Sports Football (YouTube): full Carabao Cup fourth round shootouts