3 Losses England's shootout record
● Data: all FIFA World Cup penalty shootouts 1982–2022 (35 total, including 2022 final). Source: FIFA / Wikipedia.
Every England fan knows the feeling. The draw. The long walk. The goalkeeper playing mind games. Of the four times England have faced the shootout lottery since 1982, they have won once. The question heading into 2026 is whether this squad — and this generation — can finally rewrite it.
The four nights that defined a footballing nation
1990 — Torino, West Germany (Lost 4–3). 4 July 1990. Stadio delle Alpi, 62,628. England drew 1–1 after extra time — Lineker cancelling out a Parker own goal. The shootout: Lineker scored (1–0), Brehme replied (1–1), Beardsley scored (2–1), Matthäus replied (2–2), Platt scored (3–2), Riedle replied (3–3). Then Pearce — saved by Illgner. Thon scored to make it 4–3. Waddle needed to convert to keep England alive and sent it over the bar. The Times called it “the most enthralling of the World Cup.” Football Monthly ranked it among “England’s finest achievements on foreign soil.” They were out.
1998 — Saint-Étienne, Argentina (Lost 4–3). The shootout that should never have been. David Beckham had been sent off in normal time, Paul Scholes was not even in the squad. England fought to 2–2 then held on for extra time with ten men. When it came to penalties, it was David Batty who stepped up fifth. It was his first ever competitive penalty. He missed. Argentina went through.
2006 — Gelsenkirchen, Portugal (Lost 3–1). Wayne Rooney was sent off in the 61st minute, leaving England to play extra time with 10 men. David Beckham — five penalties scored for England, one of the squad’s most experienced takers — was forced off with a foot injury and watched the shootout from the dugout. When it came to penalties, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher all missed. Only Owen Hargreaves converted. England managed one goal from four attempts — a conversion rate that made them the most inept shootout team in that tournament’s history. It was Sven-Göran Eriksson’s final game; he left his role as England manager after the tournament.
2018 — Moscow, Colombia (Won 4–3). 3 July 2018. Lukoil Arena, 44,190. England drew 1–1 after extra time — Kane’s 57th-minute penalty cancelled out by Mina in the 93rd minute. The shootout: Falcao scored (1–0), Kane replied (1–1), Cuadrado scored (2–1), Rashford replied (2–2), Muriel scored (3–2), Henderson missed (3–2), Uribe hit the bar (3–2), Trippier scored (3–3), Pickford saved from Bacca — Dier stepped up and scored. England won 4–3 and reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 12 years.
The global picture: who wins and who always loses
England's record looks worse when you place it alongside the rest of the world. Thirty-five World Cup shootouts have been played since the format was introduced in Spain 1982 — including the 2022 final itself, which Argentina won on penalties against France. The data reveals two types of nation: those who have made it a habit, and those for whom it remains a curse.
World Cup Shootout Records — Major Nations
| Nation | P | W | L | Win % | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany / West Germany | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% | Never lost |
| Croatia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 100% | Never lost |
| Argentina | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | Elite |
| Brazil | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | Solid |
| France | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50% | Average |
| Italy | 4 | 2 | 2 | 50% | Average |
| England | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25% | Near-worst major nation |
| Netherlands | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | Worst major nation |
Argentina's record includes 2022 semi-final and final wins. Germany unbeaten across all World Cups as West Germany (1982, 1986, 1990) and Germany (2006).
Germany’s record is remarkable. Four shootouts across four decades, four wins. They treat it as a technical exercise. Croatia’s run through the 2018 and 2022 tournaments — four shootouts, four wins, including Brazil in the 2022 quarter-finals — tells a similar story of a small nation that has learned to embrace the format rather than fear it.
Argentina won the 2022 World Cup itself on penalties — beating the Netherlands in the semi-final and France in a final that will be discussed for generations. For the Netherlands, meanwhile, the shootout remains the cruellest mirror: one win in five attempts, including three exits in knockout rounds in different eras. Even great teams can be psychologically owned by the format.
Why 2026 matters more than any previous tournament
The 2026 World Cup has expanded to 48 teams. That changes the mathematics of how far a side can go — and how many knockout games they face. Win a group, and England still need to win at least four knockout matches to lift the trophy. The early rounds could produce defensive ties against organised opposition. The probability of a shootout on any run to the final is higher than in any previous 32-team tournament.
Jordan Pickford is an excellent penalty-saving goalkeeper. He was central to England's 2018 win over Colombia. He was outstanding in England's shootout wins at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024. If he succeeds in stopping them, who will step forward to take the penalty kick?
England's penalty takers — ranked
The squad heading to 2026 has genuine depth from the spot. Here is how we rank the options, based on club record, international composure and big-game mentality.
England Penalty Power Rankings — World Cup 2026
| # | Player | Club | Club Record | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | 107/121 · 88.4% | 107 career penalties scored and 24 for England — both records in this squad by some distance. Consistent above 88% across Tottenham and Bayern Munich. The undisputed first choice with the experience and temperament to lead England's shootout effort. |
| 2 | Ivan Toney | Al-Ahli | 58/62 · 93.5% | The highest success rate in the squad by some distance. 58 penalties scored from 62 attempts — a number that makes him England's most technically complete spot-kick taker. Ice cold when it matters. |
| 3 | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal | 16/19 · 84.2% | After the Euro 2020 final miss at 19, his response has been remarkable. Now Arsenal's designated taker with 16 from 19 at club level. The composure he carries to the spot now bears no trace of that night. |
| 4 | Marcus Rashford | Barcelona | 21/23 · 91.3% | The Euro 2020 miss looms in the national memory, but his club record tells a different story: 91.3% from 23 attempts. Resurgent form at Barcelona has restored confidence. One of the strongest pure penalty records in the squad. |
| 5 | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | 4/5 · 80% † | Only five career penalties — a very thin sample, so read the 80% with caution. But Bellingham actively seeks responsibility at Real Madrid and that mentality is exactly what you want at number five. Ranked on temperament as much as numbers. |
| 6 | Anthony Gordon | Newcastle United | 17/20 · 85.0% | A strong 85% career record from 20 attempts makes him one of the more reliable options in this list. Has shown composure from the spot for Newcastle in both the Premier League and Champions League. A solid choice if the shootout extends to a sixth taker. |
| 7 | Eberechi Eze | Arsenal | 8/11 · 72.7% | A conversion rate of 72.7% is the weakest among the natural penalty options, and his miss in the 2026 Champions League final is a fresh mark against him. Technically gifted, but the numbers and the recent evidence both give pause. Sudden death territory. |
| 8 | Declan Rice | Arsenal | 1/3 · 33.3% | On raw numbers, one of the weaker options here. But context matters: he scored under enormous pressure in the 2026 Champions League final. He will not hide, will not hesitate. His character is beyond question; the career record just needs to grow. |
| 9 | Kobbie Mainoo | Manchester United | — ‡ | Has never taken a senior career penalty — no data to judge. What we do know is that he is 20, routinely composed in the biggest moments, and the type of player who volunteers rather than hides. That intangible earns him a place on this list. |
| 10 | Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | 6/13 · 46.2% | The weakest record on this list — six scored from 13 attempts, with more career misses than goals from the spot. His inclusion here reflects the reality of extended sudden death: England may need all ten takers. Not a natural penalty taker, but he would not hide from the responsibility. |
Career penalties: scored/taken · success rate. Source: Transfermarkt. Shootout penalties are not included in any player's totals. † Bellingham's sample (5 attempts) is too small to be statistically meaningful. ‡ Mainoo has no recorded senior career penalties.
Who should take penalties for England?
The data makes one thing clear: England have the players. The 2018 win over Colombia was not a fluke — it was evidence that this generation can handle it. The 2024 Euros showed Saka can score under pressure and Rashford has the big-game mentality to step up when it matters.
The suggested shootout order: Kane, Toney, Saka, Rashford, Bellingham. If it goes to sudden death: Gordon, Eze, Rice, Mainoo.
Crucially, every player on that list should be encouraged to practise from the spot in training. Germany's consistency is not genetic — it is cultural. They rehearse the moment. England, historically, have not treated it with the same seriousness. Gareth Southgate changed that in 2018. Thomas Tuchel must maintain it.
The 1990 final whistle, Pearce’s face, Waddle’s arc into the Turin sky — those images will never leave. But they are not destiny. They are history. Former FA game insights lead Chris Markham found that every England manager before Southgate described the shootout as a lottery or said pressure could not be practised. Southgate proved them wrong: England won three of their last four major-tournament shootouts under him, including a perfect five from five against Switzerland at Euro 2024. With just one win from four World Cup shootouts specifically, there is still ground to make up. But the culture has shifted. Thomas Tuchel’s job is to make sure it stays that way.
What the rulebook says
| Rule | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The goalkeeper must kick too | In sudden death, every eligible player — including the goalkeeper — must take a kick before anyone steps up a second time. If England reach the ninth or tenth round, Jordan Pickford would have to step up. | IFAB Laws of the Game (Law 10 — kicks from the penalty mark) |
| Extra-time substitution window | FIFA regulations grant each team an additional free substitution window at the start of extra time. Tuchel can use it to bring on a specialist penalty taker who has been rested specifically for the shootout. | FIFA World Cup 2026 Regulations, Article 36.4 |
| Yellow cards count during the shootout | The referee retains full disciplinary authority once the shootout begins. A yellow card earned in normal or extra time carries over — a second yellow in the shootout means a red, and that player cannot kick. | FIFA World Cup 2026 Regulations, Article 10.1 |
Shootout procedure is governed by IFAB Laws of the Game, to which the FIFA World Cup 2026 Regulations defer. Tournament-specific rules from the official FIFA World Cup 2026 Regulations document.