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Top 10 World Cup Penalty Shootout Dramas

Penalty shootouts are football's purest form of theatre — and the FIFA World Cup has produced some of the most nerve-shredding moments in sports history. From the very first shootout in 1982 to Messi's ice-cold kick in 2022, these 12 shootouts account for 8 eliminations decided by a single missed spot kick. Baggio's miss in 1994, Beckham's red card in 1998, Schumacher's unpunished assault in 1982 — this is the list that defines World Cup drama, heartbreak, and redemption.

2026353 viewsMar 15, 2026 Updated Oct 3, 2026

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#1
Argentina vs France — 2022 World Cup Final
Emiliano Martínez saved Kingsley Coman's penalty and Aurelien Tchouameni blazed over as Argentina won 4-2 on penalties after the most dramatic final in the history of football. Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in 97 seconds to force extra time from 3-1 down, then equalized again at 3-3 to drag the shootout into existence. Lionel Messi scored his penalty ice-cold to end a 36-year wait and seal his World Cup. More than 1.5 billion people watched worldwide — the most-watched sporting event of the decade.
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#2
Brazil vs Italy — 1994 World Cup Final
The first World Cup Final to be decided by penalties and still the most watched in history, with over 1 billion viewers in 1994. Roberto Baggio's skied miss gave Brazil a 3-2 shootout win after 120 goalless minutes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Baggio placed his hands on his head and his image became the most reproduced sporting photograph of the decade — a portrait of unbearable public failure that defined an era of Italian football.
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#3
England vs West Germany — 1990 World Cup Semifinal
Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed as England lost their third consecutive major tournament shootout. Gazza cried. A nation collectively experienced sporting heartbreak on a scale not seen before. The shootout has haunted English football for 35 years, inspiring rule changes, specialist coaches, and an entire industry of psychological research into penalty taking.
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#4
Argentina vs Netherlands — 2022 World Cup Quarterfinal
Emiliano Martínez saved two penalties as Argentina won 4-3 after an extraordinary match that ended 2-2 and featured Messi's most provocative performance ever. His deliberate taunt of the Dutch bench after scoring, combined with Martínez's notorious mind-game goal celebrations, generated days of media controversy. Wout Weghorst had equalized in the 83rd and 90+11th minutes to force extra time, making Argentina's shootout win feel like a miracle.
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#5
Spain vs Paraguay — 2010 World Cup Quarterfinal
Spain's 2010 quarterfinal shootout win over Paraguay in Johannesburg completed their journey to a first World Cup title. David Villa scored from the spot as Spain won 5-3 on penalties after Oscar Cardozo blazed over for Paraguay. The psychological significance went beyond the result: Spain were proving they could win the ugly way after decades of beautiful-football-but-no-silverware trauma, resolving a complex national identity crisis that had gripped Spanish football since 1964.
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#6
France vs West Germany — 1982 World Cup Semifinal
The first ever World Cup penalty shootout produced one of the tournament's greatest dramas. France led 3-1 in extra time before West Germany mounted an extraordinary comeback to force penalties. Harald Schumacher's brutal foul on Patrick Battiston — which knocked him unconscious and was unpunished — remains one of the most controversial moments in World Cup history. West Germany won 5-4 on penalties in a match that changed football's relationship with justice and fair play.
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#7
Morocco vs Spain — 2022 World Cup Round of 16
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (Bono) saved penalties from Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler as Morocco eliminated Spain 3-0 on penalties after 120 goalless minutes in Doha. The result shocked European football — Spain, runners-up in 2010, were beaten without conceding or scoring a single goal across 120 minutes. Morocco became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals, triggering celebrations across the Arab world and a night of euphoria in Casablanca seen by an estimated 25 million people.
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#8
Italy vs France — 2006 World Cup Final
Italy won 5-3 on penalties in Berlin after Zidane's infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi sent the France captain off in the 110th minute of his final professional game. David Trezeguet was Italy's villain, hitting the crossbar, as Fabio Grosso slotted the winning kick. Italy won the World Cup despite having been dominated for most of the 90 minutes — a match history will always remember for the headbutt rather than the penalty shootout or the scoreline.
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#9
England vs Argentina — 1998 World Cup Round of 16
David Beckham's red card for flicking his heel at Diego Simeone defined English football for years, as ten-man England were eliminated 4-3 on penalties despite Michael Owen's wonder goal making it 2-2. Sol Campbell's disallowed header and Beckham's sending-off remain two of the most controversial moments in World Cup history. David Batty and Paul Ince missed as Argentina progressed.
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#10
Germany vs Argentina — 2006 World Cup Quarterfinal
Jens Lehmann used a secret notepad hidden in his sock listing the tendency of each Argentine penalty taker — and saved two penalties from Ayala and Cambiasso to send Germany through 4-2. The revelation of the "cheat sheet" transformed penalty preparation across world football, as every goalkeeper coach subsequently adopted detailed pre-match shootout dossiers.
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World Cup Penalty Shootouts — Your Questions Answered

When was the first FIFA World Cup penalty shootout? The first was the 1982 semi-final between West Germany and France in Seville — the very match ranked #6 on this list — and it immediately cemented the shootout as the tournament's most theatrical tiebreaker.

Which country has the best World Cup shootout record? Germany (including West Germany) has historically dominated, winning five of six World Cup shootouts through 2022. England, by contrast, lost their first five before defeating Colombia in 2018.

Who saved the most penalties at a single World Cup? Emiliano Martínez saved three penalties across two shootouts at the 2022 FIFA World Cup — against the Netherlands in the quarter-final and against France in the final — the best single-tournament return by a goalkeeper in the competition's history.

Which penalty shootout drama was the greatest?

## Vote Now — Be the 1st to decide!

The 2022 Argentina vs France final deserves the top spot. Have your say—click the vote button above. Each ranking helps our community find the most epic penalties in World Cup history.

## Share Your Favorite Moment

Tag a friend who remembers the 1994 Baggio miss or the 2006 Zidane headbutt. These shootouts unite generations of football fans around one truth: football's magic lives in the last five seconds.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous World Cup penalty shootout?

The 1994 final between Brazil and Italy is widely considered the most famous, with Roberto Baggio's miss handing Brazil the title.

Which World Cup penalty shootout had the most consecutive successful kicks?

The 1990 semi-final between Argentina and Italy saw 5 consecutive successful kicks in the sudden-death phase, with Argentina winning 4-3.

What was the longest penalty shootout in World Cup history?

The 1990 quarterfinal between Ireland and Romania went to 5-5 after 10 kicks, but the longest by a single team was the 7-5 shootout in the 2018 round of 16 between Russia and Spain.

Which team has the best penalty shootout record in the World Cup?

Germany (including West Germany) has won all 4 of its World Cup penalty shootouts, the most of any nation.

Which World Cup final was decided by a penalty shootout?

Three finals have been decided by shootouts: 1994 (Brazil vs. Italy), 2006 (Italy vs. France), and 2022 (Argentina vs. France).