A history of penalty shootouts at the World Cup

Source: Alamy Stock Photo

How many penalty shootouts have we had at the World Cup? And which teams are most likely to win or lose from the spot? We’ve explored the history of penalties at the World Cup.

Penalty shootouts are a staple of knockout football, and they’ve become fairly regular occurrences in the World Cup. But how many have we had to date, and which teams come out on top the most often?

Explore the history of penalties at the World Cup – or, if you’re already predicting a tight affair, discover the latest World Cup betting odds for this edition’s matches as they unfold.

How many World Cup penalty shootouts have we had?

World Cup penalty shootouts were introduced around 45 years ago, with the first head-to-head from the spot coming in ’82. It was the only shootout of the tournament in fact, contested between West Germany and France, with the former coming out on top and earning a place in the final.

Since, penalty shootouts have become more commonplace at the World Cup, with at least four occurring in four of the last five since 2006. England themselves have competed in four, losing three and winning one.

Who has won the most World Cup penalty shootouts?

When it comes to penalty shootout success at the World Cup, nobody’s tasted victory as many times as Argentina. They’ve come out on top a record 6 times, including trumping England in 1998. Other nations with a strong record of winning under the trying conditions include Croatia (4), Germany/West Germany (4), and Brazil (3).

Who has lost the most World Cup penalty shootouts?

Penalty shootouts can often rely on fortune as much as skill, with many viewing the process as little more than the flip of a coin. But, if that’s the case, which nations have suffered the worst luck since shootouts were introduced?

Taking top spot on this unfortunate list, we have Spain, with four World Cup losses via penalty shootout. Their first came in 1986, at the hands of Belgium, while other defeats were dealt by South Korea (2002), Russia (2018), and Morocco (2022).

Meanwhile, four nations have been on the wrong end of a penalty shootout on three occasions: England, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. France are the most recent victims, having lost the 2022 World Cup final on penalties, after a thrilling 3-3 draw took Argentina all the way.

Of course, the important caveat here is that you have to be in it to… lose it! To lose at the penalty shootout stage requires a nation to progress past the groups and into the competitive knockout rounds, so there’s a natural emphasis on ‘footballing’ nations.

What have been the longest World Cup penalty shootouts?

There have only been two World Cup penalty shootouts that extended into sudden death:

Following an entertaining 3-3 draw, including four goals in extra time, these European rivals couldn’t be separated, so the game saw the World Cup’s maiden penalty shootout. Both nations missed once from the spot, so the shootout was forced into sudden death, where Germany’s Hrubesch held his nerve to take the win.

With the scores level at the end of regulation time, Sweden and Romania squared up in a shootout showdown. Sweden missed their first penalty, but managed to bag the following four to take proceedings to sudden death. Here, the Scandinavians came out on top, with Henrik Larsson bagging the winner.

With the 2026 World Cup likely to give us more penalty shootout action, there’s plenty to look forward to. In the meantime, why not explore more insight over on our World Cup blog?