The 10 Best Penalty Takers of All-Time
- Think Football Ideas
- Aug 15
- 5 min read
While taking penalties might seem straightforward when watching from the sofa, in reality, it's anything but easy. The pressure, the precision, the moment, they all collide in one short run-up. And that moment is rarely decided by luck.
By keeping their cool in stadiums roaring with tension and mastering technique under microscopic pressure, these footballers transformed penalties into an art form. Some of them were feared for their power, others admired for their precision, and a few were simply impossible to read.
Whether from the spot in the 90th minute or the middle of a major final, these are the players you’d want standing 12 yards out with the game on the line.
Below Are the 10 Best Penalty Takers of All-Time
10. Erling Haaland (Norway) – 88%
There’s something almost mechanical about Haaland’s game - in the best way possible. His penalties carry the same ferocity as his open-play finishes. They are direct, unapologetic, and fiercely efficient.
With 51 penalties converted out of 59 attempts, Haaland has developed a reputation for brushing off pressure like it’s background noise.
Although a few of his misses came in high-stakes moments after joining Manchester City, it hasn’t dulled his clinical edge. He's only getting started, and the numbers already speak for themselves.
9. Harry Kane (England) – 89%
England’s modern-day goal machine is nothing if not dependable from 12 yards. Harry Kane’s technique is methodical and almost surgical. He studies the goalkeeper, waits, and delivers with precision.
He has scored 89 out of 100 career penalties, a stat that puts him among the very best. One of his most iconic moments, however, was also one of his most haunting, and that was the miss against France in the 2022 World Cup. But even that hasn't overshadowed his consistency and courage in big moments. These 10 Interesting Facts about Harry Kane provide more insight into the Englishman.
8. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) – 90%
Robert Lewandowski doesn’t do flashy when it comes to penalties. He does it flawlessly. With 88 penalties converted from 98 attempts, he brings the same discipline to the spot that he brings to everything else in his game.
Whether it was for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, or Barcelona, his calmness is striking. There's no fancy feints or slow run-ups, just power and placement wrapped in confidence.
7. Rogerio Ceni (Brazil) – 90%
Yes, a goalkeeper makes this list, and no, that’s not a typo. Ceni was no ordinary shot-stopper. The Brazilian legend scored 47 penalties for São Paulo and remains the highest-scoring goalkeeper in football history.
Ceni’s approach to spot-kicks was pragmatic and precise, and his consistency defied expectations. It's rare enough for a keeper to take penalties — even rarer to outscore most of his outfield teammates from them.
6. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) – 91%
There’s a rhythm to Bruno Fernandes' penalties. The hop-step. The delay. The final strike. It’s a style that defenders hate and fans love.
Since arriving at Manchester United, Bruno has turned spot-kicks into his personal playground, converting 61 out of 67 across four clubs.
His unique technique has baffled keepers, and while critics may call it risky, his numbers make the argument loud and clear: he's one of the very best in the business.
5. Mario Balotelli (Italy) – 91%
Say what you want about Mario Balotelli’s eccentric personality, but when it came to penalties, he was ice-cold. The Italian forward scored 48 out of 53 from the spot and made it look almost too easy.
What made Mario stand out was his nonchalance. That slow, measured walk, which keeps the keeper guessing, and then the ball is calmly slotted into the corner. No rush. No panic. No drama. Well, no drama until after the goal, at least.
4. Alan Shearer (England) – 92%
A bulldozer of a striker with a right foot like a sledgehammer, Alan Shearer didn’t do subtlety. His penalties were fierce, straight, hard, and with absolute conviction.
With 72 goals from 78 penalties, including a record 56 in the Premier League, Shearer was always trusted to find the net. His final career goal? A penalty. Fitting for a man who never looked nervous with the weight of expectation on his shoulders.
3. Marco van Basten (Netherlands) – 93%
Marco Van Basten was elegance personified. He was a player whose class translated to every aspect of his game, including penalties. He scored 51 out of 55, rarely missing in his short but spectacular career.
What makes his inclusion even more poignant is how early his journey ended. Retiring at just 30 due to injury, he still left behind a penalty record that few have matched, let alone beaten.
2. Rickie Lambert (England) – 94%
No player in English football history boasts a better conversion rate than Rickie Lambert. With 51 goals from 54 penalties, he’s the ultimate example of quiet efficiency. He never missed a single spot-kick during his time at Southampton, not one.
Lambert’s rise from the lower leagues to England’s national team is a story of perseverance, and his calmness under pressure was symbolic of his late-blooming success. Whether it was League One or the Premier League, Lambert treated every penalty the same and delivered 94% of the time.
1: Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Mexico) – 97%
There was nothing accidental about Cuauhtémoc Blanco’s brilliance from the spot. Every step, pause, and strike carried intention like theatre with boots on.
While his personality was often polarising, his penalty record was near-perfect: 71 converted from 73 taken. That staggering 97% success rate wasn’t a statistical fluke; it was the product of a career built on courage and charisma.
Blanco thrived on pressure, whether he was in front of a packed Estadio Azteca or taking a breath before converting against France at the 2010 World Cup. His unshakable composure came not from calmness, but from confrontation as he stared goalkeepers down like a man with nothing to lose.
Known for the flamboyant “Cuauhtemiña” trick and his rebellious genius, he took penalties with the same confidence that defined his entire career: fierce, fearless, and fundamentally unforgettable.
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