Football has many great players, but only a few leave a lasting legacy. Each player excels in different parts of the game some in free kicks, others in corners or dribbling. Today, we focus on the top 10 current players known for their penalty skills. Penalties can decide matches, making these players crucial team members.
In the past, players like Zinedine Zidane have made their mark with unique penalty kicks, such as his famous Panenka in the 2006 World Cup.
Now, let’s see who the current top 10 penalty experts are in the world
10. Sergio Ramos
This 38-year-old Spanish footballer is considered one of the best defenders ever. Sergio Ramos has spent most of his career at Real Madrid, where he took most of his penalty kicks. Throughout his professional career, he has taken approximately 37 penalties, successfully scoring 32 of them.
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9. Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer, a young and very talented attacking midfielder from England, plays for the famous club Chelsea. At just 22 years old, most of his goals have been scored while playing for Chelsea. Palmer has taken 14 penalty kicks for his team and hasn’t missed a single one. His penalty kick success rate is currently 100%, making him a dependable player for Chelsea when it comes to penalties.
8. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is a famous player in soccer. Many people think he’s the best. He’s also really good at taking penalty shots. Messi has taken 141 penalty shots and scored 110 of them. That’s almost 75%! That’s really impressive considering how long he’s been playing.
7. Jorginho
Jorginho is known as one of the top players in his game. He’s played for teams like Napoli, Chelsea, and now Arsenal. His specialty is scoring penalties, especially during his time at Chelsea. Out of 42 penalties he’s taken throughout his career, he’s successfully scored 34 of them. That’s an impressive 80% success rate, making him one of the most reliable penalty takers in the sport.
6. Romelu Lukaku
At 31 years old, Romelu Lukaku is considered one of Belgium’s finest strikers. His career has been varied and intriguing. He has played for top football clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan, and now Roma. Lukaku has scored a total of 43 goals in his career, with 37 of those coming from penalties. This means penalties make up a significant part of his scoring record. His current scoring accuracy is about 86%, which is among the highest in the sport right now.
5. Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes, a 29-year-old soccer player from Portugal, is known for his attacking skills. He plays for Manchester United, a famous club. Before joining Manchester United, he played for Sporting CP. Fernandes is especially good at scoring penalties for Manchester United. In his career, he has taken 60 penalties and scored 54 times, which is a very high success rate of around 90%. This makes him one of the best penalty takers in the sport right now.
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4. Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland, a young and incredibly skilled footballer, currently plays for Manchester City, which was the top club in 2023. Before joining Manchester City, Haaland played for Borussia Dortmund, where he scored a significant number of goals. Since moving to Manchester City, he has continued to increase his goal tally. At just 23 years old, Haaland has taken 50 penalty kicks and successfully scored 45 times, giving him an impressive 90% success rate. This makes him one of the top penalty takers in football today.
3. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski, a highly acclaimed footballer, has scored a vast number of goals throughout his career. He has played for three of the greatest football clubs: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and now Barcelona. Most of his goals were scored during his time at Bayern Munich, where he has been for about 8 years.
Throughout his career, Lewandowski has taken a total of 88 penalty kicks, successfully scoring 79 of them. This impressive success rate of nearly 90% places him among the top three penalty takers in the world today.
2. Harry Kane
Harry Kane, a famous football player from England, had a remarkable season in the Bundesliga in 2023-24, where he scored the most goals. He used to play for Tottenham Hotspur before joining Bayern Munich, becoming only the second English player to do so. In his career, Kane has taken 85 penalty shots and successfully scored 74 of them, giving him an impressive 87% success rate. This achievement places him among the top penalty takers in the world currently.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Certainly, Cristiano Ronaldo is widely considered the best penalty taker today. His impressive statistics prove why he’s ranked number one in this skill. Throughout his career, Ronaldo has taken 192 penalties and scored 163 goals from them. This makes him not only the player with the most penalties taken but also highlights his remarkable scoring ability from the spot. His success rate stands at approximately 85%, which is outstanding considering the number of games he has played.
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