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The 50 Best Penalty Takers in Football History
Feb 5, 2025
Penalty-taking is not for the faint of heart.
While it seems easy enough (you only need to put the ball in the net from 12 yards unchallenged, right?), those who have ever taken one even at Sunday league level know that the walk to that spot is the longest and loneliest in football as the nerves jangle, the legs wobble, keepers grow and posts shrink.
However, there are some ice-cold footballers who have perfected the art of the penalty with their precision, courage or just by... y'know, being German.
So, without further ado, here (in no particular order) is 90min's 50 best penalty takers in football history.
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard kicks off this list not only for his fantastic success rate from the spot but for his pure audacity.
On many occasions, the Belgian simply rolls the ball in as if it doesn't matter, with his composure and reliability making him the perfect man to take a crucial penalty.
Pirlo was always a reliable player, but the one moment that epitomised the Italian was at Euro 2012.
In the quarter-final penalty shootout against England in Kiev, Pirlo stepped up to face Joe Hart in goal. With 64,000 people watching on in the stadium, he deftly dinked the ball past Hart to convert as if he was half-Italian, half-cucumber.
Lampard was a fantastic penalty taker during his playing career, striking all of his spot kicks with power and precision.
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