Who Is The Best Penalty Taker In The World?

Who Is The Best Penalty Taker In The World?

Ever since it was first introduced in a competitive game in 1891, the penalty kick has become a part of our sport which has been responsible for so much jubilation and so much heartbreak over the years. Introduced by Irish businessman William McCrum, it's invention was to prevent players from committing fouls near the goal. Now a rule of football that has stood the test of time, it has become a facet of the sport which is often the decisive factor. With the handball law becoming stricter in recent times and fouls in the box being given for less and less contact, the frequency of penalties given has increased substantially and we have seen the emergence of specialist penalty-takers.

Different styles, different techniques and different methods. The modern game has produced some iconic moments from the penalty spot. A battle of the minds as well as the feet, we have witnessed both amazing and utterly terrible efforts from 12 yards. Here at Football Park, we take a look at the pinnacle of penalty-taking in world football.

Even The Best Struggle

When it comes to penalties, even the greatest to ever do it have succumbed to the pressure from 12 yards. Cristiano Ronaldo has converted spot kicks time and time again in his career, and has taken and scored more than anyone else. But sitting at an 84% conversion rate, he shows that even the most prolific of goal scorers are unable to score every time from the spot. Likewise with Lionel Messi, his 77% conversion rate demonstrates that not even the legends are immune from the drama of a penalty kick and both fail to make it into our top three.

🚨Most penalty shots missed in career:

🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo — 33 times
🇦🇷 Lionel Messi — 32 times
🇧🇷 Neymar Jr — 23 times

Ronaldo still holds the record of most penalties missed in history, he has 1 more missing penalty shots than Leo Messi! 😱👀 pic.twitter.com/EYaSvyoZtz

— LEO MESSI FAN ZONE 🇦🇷🐐 (@LeoMessiFanZone) September 14, 2025

Arguably the two best players to ever set foot on a football pitch have missed 65 between them in their glittering careers and, if anything, this exemplifies the specialist nature of the best penalty takers in world football currently. We have put together a podium of who stands above the rest as candidates for the title.

The Pinnacle of Penalty Taking

Now there is a lot to look at when it comes to determining the best penalty taker in world football. Conversion rate, volume and pressure moments all have to be taken into account when deciding who leads the way, but aspects such as style and the aesthetic of a penalty also make their way into consideration. Here is Football Park's top three and why they feature in our selection of the best around at the moment.

Cole Palmer

Up until March of this year Cole Palmer had not missed any of his penalties for Chelsea. The English attacking midfielder is prolific from 12 yards and, if it were not for the heroics of at the time Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, would still have a 100% record from the spot. Palmer dispatches his penalties with conviction and is very much a player you can rely on to convert in the big moments.

Cole Palmer's perfect penalty record has ENDED at the 14th time of asking 👀❌ pic.twitter.com/Molcjz9gzy

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) March 9, 2025

Harry Kane

Without wanting to sound too biased, another Englishman makes our top three. Whenever Harry Kane steps up there is a sense of an inevitability and the Bayern striker rarely disappoints. Scoring 94 penalties in his career, there is an emphatic nature to the way Kane strikes his spot kicks. In terms of both volume and conversion rate, Kane is amongst the highest in both. Scoring four penalties in his last three games for Bayern, Kane has defined himself as one of the best around.

Harry Kane has a 100% record from the penalty spot for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. 🥅✅

▪️ 17 taken
▪️ 17 scored

He breaks the record held by Hans-Joachim Abel in the 1980s. pic.twitter.com/86rYEH5ycS

— BRENDAN🎭 (@brendan_D_first) September 21, 2025

Robert Lewandowski

Whether it be in Germany, Spain or for his country Poland, Lewandowski has continued to prove himself as one of the game's greatest ever goal scorers. Clinical from 12 yards, the 37 year old refuses to act his age for Barcelona and has maintained his status as one of the best number nines in the world. As for his penalty taking record, it is stellar. With 88 scored in his career, the Polish forward is the definition of a penalty taking specialist and has stepped up time and time again to score pivotal spot kicks.

Robert Lewandowski has the best penalty conversion rate in Champions League history among all players to take more than six spot-kicks (excluding shootouts).

𝐿𝑒𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑠𝑘𝑖 94.7% (18/19)
Harry Kane 90.9% (10/11)
Jorginho 88.9% (8/9)
Cristiano Ronaldo 86.4% (19/22) pic.twitter.com/XDGAC8mi0b

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) January 21, 2025

Honourable Mentions

Now it is important to remember that the quality of penalty taking, like so many other things in football, is all orientated around opinion. The likes of Bruno Fernandes or Hakan Calhanoglu do not feature in our top three but they should not be disregarded. Then of course there's the unique routine of Jorginho, who took the footballing world by storm with his run up to the spot. Penalty kicks in modern football reflect so much individualism and artistry in players and it is brilliant to watch. Some choose to stutter in their approach, some choose to not even look at the ball as penalty taking methods have emerged as a real craft with the abundance of different techniques.

There is both a brilliance and a cruelness in the fact that games of football can be decided by one kick of a ball. All three of Palmer, Kane and Lewandowski are the ones we see as the most reliable in ensuring that a result can be positively affected by converting from 12 yards and the three who you would count on scoring in the biggest moments.