Most penalties scored by a player
Harry Kane remains the World Cup’s outright penalty-scoring leader after England’s Round of 16 win over Mexico, with six penalties converted from seven attempts in normal play and extra time. FIFA counts these tallies separately from shootout kicks, which are tracked as a distinct record.
All-time leading penalty scorers
| Player | Penalties scored |
|---|---|
| Harry Kane (England) | 6 from 7 attempts |
| Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina) | 4 from 4 |
| Eusébio (Portugal) | 4 from 4 |
| Rob Rensenbrink (Netherlands) | 4 from 4 |
| Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 4 from 6 |
Kane now holds the record for the most World Cup penalties taken, with seven attempts, while Messi remains on six. Kane’s only miss remains the one that went wide.
Country with the record for penalty shootouts
Argentina still holds the record for the most World Cup penalty shootouts of any nation, with seven appearances and six wins, a tally unchanged so far in the 2026 tournament. Their only defeat came against Germany in the 2006 quarter-final, with every other shootout going Argentina’s way, including the 2022 final against France.
Argentina’s shootout victims
| Year | Opponent(s) eliminated |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Yugoslavia and Italy |
| 1998 | England |
| 2014 | The Netherlands |
| 2022 | The Netherlands, and France in the final |
Argentina’s record stayed unchanged when they beat Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in the Round of 32 on 3 July, with no shootout required. They next face Egypt in the Round of 16 on 7 July.
The goalkeepers who became heroes
The record for the most penalties saved in shootouts during a single World Cup remains four, a mark still held jointly by three goalkeepers. Argentina’s Sergio Goycochea set it first at Italia ’90, when he carried his side to the final through two shootouts.
Goalkeepers with four shootout saves
| Goalkeeper | Shootout saves | Tournament |
|---|---|---|
| Danijel Subašić | 4 saves | 2018 |
| Dominik Livaković | 4 saves | 2022 |
Croatia’s Subašić and Livaković both backstopped deep knockout runs, with Livaković’s heroics helping the team reach third place in 2022. No goalkeeper at the 2026 tournament has come close to that mark yet, though Paraguay’s Orlando Gill saved two penalties to eliminate Germany in the Round of 32, and Morocco’s Yassine Bounou made the decisive stop against the Netherlands in Monterrey the same round.
The tournament with the most penalties
The 2018 World Cup in Russia still holds the record for the most penalties in a single tournament, with 29 awarded and 22 converted. That surge followed VAR’s debut, which let referees review penalty-area incidents on replay for the first time at a World Cup.
- 2018 (Russia): 29 penalties awarded, 22 scored — the all-time high
- 2022 (Qatar): 23 penalties awarded, six fewer than 2018
- 2026 (USA/Mexico/Canada), through the group stage: 11 penalties awarded at a 72.7% conversion rate
The 2026 edition’s expanded 104-match format leaves room for the record to fall before the final in New York, and every knockout spot-kick adds to the count. Youri Tielemans’ extra-time penalty winner for Belgium against Senegal was one of the first knockout additions, with Kylian Mbappe against Paraguay and Harry Kane against Mexico later adding to the Round of 16 tally.
Most shootouts in a single tournament
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar set a different record — the most shootouts in one edition, with five matches decided from the spot. The 2026 Round of 32 produced three shootouts of its own, so that mark is one worth watching as the bracket narrows.
The longest shootouts ever
The longest penalty shootouts in men’s World Cup history both reached 12 kicks, a joint record that survived the three new shootouts added in the 2026 Round of 32. Germany’s loss to Paraguay, Morocco’s win over the Netherlands, and Egypt’s win over Australia were all shorter affairs that fell well short of that mark.
- 1982 semi-final: West Germany beat France in Seville on 8 July 1982, the first shootout in World Cup history
- 1994 quarter-final: Sweden beat Romania in Stanford, California, at USA ’94
Both of those shootouts went to sudden death — a distinction now shared with Paraguay’s 2026 win over Germany, decided by José Canale’s sudden-death strike. Even so, only three of the 37 men’s shootouts in World Cup history have ever needed sudden-death kicks to be settled.
The longest shootout of all
The longest shootout across any FIFA World Cup, men’s or women’s, saw 20 penalties taken — Australia beating France 7–6 at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, also logged by Guinness World Records. Fans of the Matildas still point to that shootout as the gold standard for World Cup drama.
Where the next records get written
The remaining Round of 16 ties and later rounds carry new penalty-record potential, with Kane, Argentina and the chasing pack all still alive in the draw. If you are planning to catch a match in person, the host cities are spread across three countries, so book flights and stays early.
- Search flights to New York for the final at MetLife Stadium, or browse hotels in New York
- Track flights into Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta and Boston, host of Germany’s shootout exit, in the US
- For the Mexican venues, check Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey
- In Canada, matches run through Toronto, host of Portugal’s Round of 32 tie with Croatia, and Vancouver, where Switzerland face Algeria
Fans flying in on national carriers such as British Airways for England or Aerolíneas Argentinas for Argentina can track their journey alongside the knockout drama, and you can follow live arrivals and departures to any host city on the Wego flight tracker. With six Round of 16 ties complete by July 7 and Argentina vs Egypt plus Switzerland vs Colombia still to come, the penalty leaderboard could still shift.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions readers ask most often about World Cup penalty records, updated through six completed Round of 16 ties on July 7.
Who has scored the most penalties in World Cup history?
Harry Kane, with six penalties scored from seven attempts in normal and extra time. He overtook Lionel Messi in Group L at the 2026 World Cup and extended the record against Mexico in the Round of 16.
Do these totals include penalty shootouts?
No. FIFA counts penalties taken during normal play and extra time separately from shootout kicks, so shootout penalties do not appear in the scoring leaderboard.
Which country has won the most penalty shootouts?
Argentina, with six wins from seven shootout appearances — the most of any nation. Their only defeat came against Germany in 2006, and the record stayed unchanged after their extra-time win over Cape Verde in the Round of 32.
Why did the 2018 World Cup have so many penalties?
It was the first World Cup to use VAR, which let referees review penalty-area incidents on replay. The result was a record 29 penalties awarded, a mark 2026 has not yet threatened.
How many penalty shootouts has the 2026 World Cup had so far?
Three, all in the Round of 32: Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 in a shootout that went to sudden death, Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 in Monterrey, and Egypt beat Australia 4-2 after a 1-1 draw.
Sources
- FIFA — Players Scoring the Most FIFA World Cup Penalties
- FIFA — Argentina and Penalty Shootouts
- FIFA — Shootout Stops (Goalkeeper Saves)
- FIFA — The Longest Penalty Shoot-outs in World Cup History
- FIFA — Netherlands v Morocco Match Report (Round of 32)
- Guinness World Records — Most Penalties Scored by a Player at the FIFA World Cup
- Guinness World Records — Longest Penalty Shootout at the FIFA World Cup
- Guinness World Records — Most Penalty Shoot-outs at a FIFA World Cup Tournament
- Opta Analyst — World Cup Penalty Shootouts: The Facts
- ESPN — 2018 World Cup by the Numbers
- ESPN — Germany Dumped Out of the World Cup by Paraguay on Penalties
- ESPN — England 2-1 DR Congo Match Report
- Al Jazeera — Paraguay Shock Germany in Shootout Win
- Al Jazeera — Morocco Beat Netherlands in Dramatic Shootout
- Wikipedia — 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32
- Wikipedia — List of FIFA World Cup Penalty Shoot-outs
- World Soccer Talk — Harry Kane Surpasses Lionel Messi
- beIN Sports — Messi and Harry Kane Equal Historic World Cup Penalty Record
- Oddspedia — World Cup 2026 Penalty Takers Cheat Sheet
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