Edwin van der Sar was the hero for Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final shootout, after an unfortunate moment for Chelsea skipper John Terry... (Image credit: Getty Images)
Loved by neutrals, dreaded by fans as the possibility looms for their own team, the penalty shootout is one of football’s great spectacles.
Many a massive game has been decided on spot-kicks, at club level and – most prominently – on the international stage.
Here, we’ve picked out some of the most unforgettable shootouts since their introduction back in 1970.
The UEFA Cup final used to be a two-legged affair – and in 1988, Espanyol were 3-0 up and seemingly cruising at half-time in the tie. Travelling to Germany for the second leg, all the Spanish side had to do was avoid losing by more than two goals.
That proved to be too much: Espanyol conceded three goals in 24 second-half minutes, with the game ultimately going to penalties. In the shootout, they dispatched their first two spot-kicks to lead 2-0 – only to miss their next three and lose 3-2.
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Fabio Grosso celebrates after scoring the winning penalty for Italy (Image credit: Alamy)
Italy vs France, 2006 World Cup final
Italy’s shootout victory over France wasn’t even the most dramatic moment of the 2006 World Cup final – but it was extra significant because of what was .
Zinedine Zidane’s career-ending headbutt on Marco Materazzi partway through extra time left the French without their top penalty taker – who had put his country ahead from the spot early on in regulation time – and Les Bleus managed to convert only three out four kicks without him.
The Azzurri , meanwhile, produced a perfect five out of five to get their hands on the trophy for the first time in 24 years – including one from Materazzi.
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Jordan Pickford saves Carlos Bacca's penalty (Image credit: Alamy)
Colombia vs England, 2018 World Cup last 16
As England’s 2018 World Cup last 16 tie with Colombia went to penalties, you could hear the collective groan of dread sweeping the nation – the Three Lions’ shootout record was played seven, lost six…
And when Jordan Henderson’s miss gave their opponents a 3-2 lead on spot-kicks, it was impossible to sense anything but impending doom.
But failures from Mateus Uribe (hit the bar) and Carlos Bacca (saved by Jordan Pickford) put Gareth Southgate’s men in the driving seat, and Eric Dier dispatched the kick which banished England’s penalty hoodoo.
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Zambia defeated the Ivory Coast on penalties to win their first AFCON (Image credit: Alamy)
Zambia vs Ivory Coast, 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final
An emotional 2012 Africa Cup of Nations had a fairytale ending for Zambia – who triumphed in the Gabonese capital of Libreville, where most of their team had tragically died in a plane crash 19 years earlier.
The unfancied Copper Bullets were crowned continental champions for the first time after an epic shootout against the Ivory Coast – in which both sides dispatched their first seven penalties, before both missing their eighth.
Stoppila Sunzu got Zambia back on track by scoring with kick number nine, putting the pressure on Gervinho – who missed the target altogether.
The 2022 World Cup final was arguably the best of all time, as Argentina and France played out a pulsating thriller in Qatar. Kylian Mbappe hit the first World Cup final hat-trick since Geoff Hurst in 1966, but it would prove to be in vain…
Mbappe had scored twice from the spot in the game itself, and he tucked away his side’s first kick of the shootout – but, after Lionel Messi had done likewise, Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni failed from 12 yards as Argentine goalkeeper Emi Martinez took centre stage.
Pushing the limits of the law with his deployment of the dark arts – picking up a booking for his troubles – Martinez saved from Coman and seemed to do enough to put off Tchouameni. Argentina ultimately triumphed 4-2.
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David de Gea sees his penalty saved by Geronimo Rulli (Image credit: Alamy)
Villarreal vs Manchester United, 2021 Europa League final
In one of the most epic and tense penalty shootouts of the modern era, Villarreal eventually got the better of Manchester United in Gdansk, Poland to win their first Europa League.
All 11 Villarreal players succeeded from the spot, as did Manchester United’s first 10 takers – which meant it was up to David de Gea to keep the final alive…
Agonisingly for United’s much-maligned goalkeeper, he could only produce a tame shot which was easily saved by counterpart Geronimo Rulli. It was the closest the Red Devils came to silverware under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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Kepa Arrizabalaga protests at Maurizio Sarri's intention to bring him off ahead of the shootout (Image credit: Getty Images)
Chelsea vs Manchester City, 2019 League Cup final
Chelsea’s 2019 League Cup final shootout defeat to Manchester City was particularly awkward for one player: Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The Blues goalkeeper defied boss Maurizio Sarri, refusing to come off for penalty specialist Willy Caballero, insisting that he was the best man for the job.
Kepa did save one spot-kick – from Leroy Sane – but that wasn’t enough as City scored their other four and Chelsea missed two – including their first, a rare failure from Jorginho, whose feeble effort was easily kept out by Ederson.
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Jerzy Dudek saves Andriy Shevchenko's penalty, clinching Champions League glory for Liverpool (Image credit: Alamy)
Liverpool vs Milan, 2005 Champions League final
The ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ was surely the greatest Champions League final of all time, with Liverpool mounting the most astonishing comeback to recover from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Milan on penalties.
Having pulled off a physics-defying save to deny Andriy Shevchenko in extra time, Reds goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek produced further heroics in the shootout. Replicating Bruce Grobbelaar’s famous ‘spaghetti legs’, the Pole distracted Serginho into blasting Milan’s opening kick over the bar – before saving from Andrea Pirlo and Shevchenko.
Successful pens from Didi Hamann (with a broken toe!), Djibril Cisse and Vladimir Smicer saw Liverpool win 3-2 and claim their fifth European crown.
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Bruce Grobbelaar: Liverpool's shootout hero in the 1984 European Cup final (Image credit: Alamy)
Liverpool vs Roma, 1984 European Cup final
Liverpool’s fourth European Cup victory came thanks to the bonkers genius of the aforementioned Bruce Grobbelaar.
Roma had already missed once in the shootout at their home ground, the Stadio Olimpico, when Grobbelaar started wobbling in a bid to distract Francesco Graziani – and it worked, Graziani skying his attempt.
So, it was over to Alan Kennedy to seal glory for the Reds – which he did assuredly by sending Franco Tancredi – who had saved the opening penalty of the shootout from Steve Nicol – the wrong way.
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David Seaman consoles Gareth Southgate after his costly miss for England (Image credit: Alamy)
Germany vs England, Euro 96 semi-final
Euro 96 was a festival of football feel-good – at least until England crashed out of their home tournament at the semi-final stage.
Terry Venables’ team had already beaten Spain on penalties to reach the last four, so the nerves when facing old enemy Germany for a place in the final would have been lessened slightly.
It was to be another case of shootout heartbreak for the Three Lions, though, Gareth Southgate giving Andreas Kopke a simple save to make after the Germans had dispatched spot-kicks six out of six at Wembley.
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Ricardo saves Darius Vassell's penalty – with his bare hands (Image credit: Alamy)
Portugal vs England, Euro 2004 quarter-final
Sorry, England fans, but you must have expected this – these shootouts were never going to be memorable for everyone ; that’s an impossibility.
A dramatic Euro 2004 quarter-final encounter with hosts Portugal came down to penalties – and the Three Lions felt despair in sudden death once again.
In an example of archetypal goalkeeping madness, Ricardo converted his country’s sixth kick – then removed his gloves to save from Darius Vassell and send England home.
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John Terry takes a tumble at just about the worst possible time (Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United vs Chelsea, 2008 Champions League final
The first Champions League final between two teams from the same country was far from a classic – but Manchester United and Chelsea’s 0-0 draw over 120 minutes in a sodden Moscow would have a dramatic ending.
With Petr Cech having saved from Cristiano Ronaldo and the Blues having scored their first four penalties, captain John Terry had the chance to secure a first continental crown for his boyhood club.
But he slipped on the wet turf, rattling the post and letting Ronaldo and United off the hook. Unlike Terry, the Red Devils didn’t slip up, converting two more kicks through Anderson and Ryan Giggs and sealing glory when Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka.
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West Germany goalkeeper Bodo Illgner celebrates victory, as a dejected Chris Waddle walks away (Image credit: Alamy)
West Germany vs England, 1990 World Cup semi-final
Back to where it all began now, and England’s first taste of the unparalleled stress of a penalty shootout…
On a heartbreaking night in Turin, West Germany only needed four kicks to stop the Three Lions from reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 at Italia 90 – where they had performed so valiantly under Bobby Robson.
Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthaus, Karl-Heinz Riedle and Olaf Thon all scored from 12 yards for the Germans - but, following successful penalties by Gary Lineker, Peter Beardsley and David Platt, Stuart Pearce saw his effort saved by the legs of Bodo Illgner and Chris Waddle sent his into row Z.
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Roberto Baggio with the miss that handed Brazil the World Cup (Image credit: Alamy)
Brazil vs Italy, 1994 World Cup final
The first World Cup final to be decided on penalties is remembered for one event above all else: Roberto Baggio’s decisive miss in the shootout.
Italy’s ‘Divine Ponytail’ had propelled his nation to within touching distance of a fourth World Cup with some typically top-drawer displays in the USA, but his tournament ended in the cruellest of ways.
After Daniele Massaro’s spot-kick was saved by Claudio Taffarel and Brazil skipper Sunga had converted from 12 yards, Baggio had to score to keep the Italians in with a shout – but, devastatingly, he blazed over the bar, understandably appearing inconsolable afterwards.
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Harald Schumacher saves Maxime Bossis' penalty (Image credit: Getty Images)
West Germany vs France, 1982 World Cup semi-final
West Germany’s 1982 World Cup semi-final win over France was an absolute classic, featuring four goals in extra time as two of the finest international sides of the time fought tooth and nail to reach the game’s ultimate showpiece.
Having battled back from 3-1 down with just 18 minutes to go, the Germans must have felt it was fated for them to win – and maybe it was.
They briefly trailed in the shootout, Uli Stielike seeing his penalty saved by Jean-Luc Ettori, but that was to be their only shortcoming. Harald Schumacher – who, following his infamous collision with Patrick Battiston, was lucky to still be on the pitch – saved from Didier Six and Maxime Bossis, allowing Horst Hrubesch to wrap things up.
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Antonin Panenka celebrates Czechoslovakia's victory in the Euro 1976 final, having scored THAT penalty (Image credit: Alamy)
Czechoslovakia vs West Germany, Euro 1976 final
Whether pre- or post-unification, Germany haven’t lost on penalties very often; they did in the final of Euro 1976, though, as the game witnessed one of its most iconic pieces of skill.
Czechoslovakia scored five spot-kicks out of five, with Uli Hoeness’ skied effort putting glory in the hands (well, feet) of Antonin Panenka – who stepped up and introduced the world to the high-risk penalty technique which would take his name.
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