Scoring a penalty should be a simple task for a top player, but converting from 12 yards out is much more difficult in a high-pressure situation.
And if the man standing between that player and the net is a top goalkeeper, that difficulty only increases.
In order to calm their own nerves and to give themselves the edge over the goalkeeper, players have come up with many different ways of improving their chances from the spot over the years.
Here, a look at some of the footballers in the men’s game who have employed unusual penalty techniques…
16. Simone Zaza
Simone Zaza’s dancing run-up might have become iconic had he scored in Italy’s Euro 2016 semi-final shootout against Germany. But he missed and ended up looking extremely silly.
The former Juventus, Valencia and West Ham striker blasted his effort over the bar following the ridiculously long run-up, which was mocked mercilessly on social media and is what everyone remembers most about his career. After the match, which Italy lost, Zaza issued an apology to the fans. He said he had always taken penalties that way and been successful in the past, even beating Manuel Neuer once. Not this time, sadly.
15. Andrej Kramarić
Andrej Kramarić scored all four goals as Hoffenheim beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 away from home on the final day of the 2019/20 Bundesliga season.
With no fans in the stadium due to Covid-19 and a hat-trick already in the bag, the Croatian forward hit his penalty while turning his head the other way and still slotted it into the corner.
14. Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes has been pretty reliable from the penalty spot over the years and the midfielder is helped by his unorthodox style.
The former Sporting CP star takes a hop in his run-up, with his standing foot landing next to the ball, allowing him some time to see where the goalkeeper is going before hitting his shot. Pretty effective.
13. Cuauhtémoc Blanco
One of Mexico’s greatest-ever players, Cuauhtémoc Blanco also had an impressive conversion rate from the penalty spot.
Blanco would start his run-up way outside the area, taking an age to reach the ball. But it worked, with 71 out of 73 spot-kicks converted througout his career.
12. Mario Balotelli
It was often difficult to know what to expect from Mario Balotelli, but the former Italy striker was usually reliable from the penalty spot.
Balotelli’s wait-and-see technique has been used by many over the years, but he did it better than most, pausing just before the kick and almost always slotting home comfortably with the goalkeeper committed.
11. Jorginho
Jorginho’s penalty technique has divided opinion over the years and although the midfielder’s method is often successful, it does not look good when it goes wrong.
The Italian international takes a hop and a skip in his run-up, which allows him to slot home with ease if the goalkeeper commits. But he has struggled more recently, missing in the shootout as Italy beat England in the final of Euro 2020 and twice in games against Switzerland as the Azzurri failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
10. Paul Gallagher
Once praised for his ability at set pieces and likened to former England captain David Beckham by Sven-Göran Eriksson, Paul Gallagher had a unique penalty routine.
The midfielder, who was capped once by Scotland, would place the ball on the spot and then turn his back to the goalkeeper until the referee blew his whistle. He would then walk back to the edge of the box, before turning and running to hit his kick. He usually scored, too.
9. Giuseppe Signori
Giuseppe Signori was one of the finest Italian strikers of his generation and the former Lazio forward was also an accomplished penalty taker.
Signori did not need a run-up, taking just one step before striking the ball and therefore giving the goalkeeper little chance of reading his intentions.
8. Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney’s penalty technique caught the eye at Euro 2024 as the former Brentford forward converted in the shootout against Switzerland.
Eyes fixed on the goalkeeper, Toney took two steps and powered a right-footed shot into the corner in impressive fashion. England won 5-3 to advance to the semi-finals.
7. Diego Perotti
Who needs a run-up to take a penalty? Not Diego Perotti. The former Roma winger developed a unique technique for spot-kicks and it was surprisingly effective.
The ice-cool Argentine would walk calmly from the edge of the area to the ball and then place his shot with a powerful side-footed effort. It nearly always worked, with 27 out of 30 career penalties scored, and regularly left goalkeepers confused.
6. Neymar
As you would expect from a player chosen ahead of both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé to take penalties, Neymar has been pretty effective from the spot throughout his career.
Early in his time at Santos, the Brazilian used to feint before shooting, which usually saw the goalkeeper dive and the forward left with an easy tap-in into the opposite corner. Fans loved it, but FIFA did not and outlawed the paradinha in 2010. These days, Neymar uses a more subtle pause in his run-up and waits for the goalkeeper to commit before slotting home.
5. Rafael Albrecht
One of Argentina’s all-time great centre-backs, Rafael Albrecht was also a penalty specialist and is one of the highest-scoring defenders in football history.
Albrecht would wait until the last moment before deciding where to shoot. It is a technique which would not be effective for a lot of players, but it worked for him, with 35 goals from his 37 career penalties.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo looked to have created a moment of real magic in the Champions League in a game for Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain in February 2018. But as usual, it was a trick the Portuguese had perfected on the training ground.
A split second before he struck a powerful penalty past Gianluigi Donnarumma, the ball bounced off the ground. How? The Portuguese had stamped on the turf next to the ball in his run-up, making it jump off the ground without touching it and hitting a shot effectively on the volley to generate more power.
3. Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff was one of football’s great innovators and in 1982, the Dutch legend and Ajax team-mate Jesper Olsen came up with a unique penalty.
Instead of shooting, Cruyff touched the ball gently for the advancing Olsen, received a pass back and scored in a game against Helmond Sport. Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez teamed up for a similar effort against Celta Vigo in February 2016.
2. Gaizka Mendieta
One of the best midfielders of his generation, Gaizka Mendieta was also known for his unique penalty technique.
The former Valencia and Spain star would watch the goalkeeper as he ran up to shoot, fixing his eyes on the opponent and not the ball. He scored 32 out of 34 penalties across his career. Among those was one against France in the quarter-finals of Euro 2000. Unfortunately for Spain, he had been substituted when La Roja were awarded another penalty and Raúl missed the chance to level at 2-2.
1. Antonin Panenka
The Panenka penalty may not be unusual these days, but it was unseen outside of Czechoslovakia until Antonin Panenka used it in a shootout to beat West Germany in the final of Euro 1976.
Panenka had perfected the technique, which sees the taker chip the ball down the middle, in late-night training sessions with Bohemians goalkeeper Zdeněk Hruška to win a bar of chocolate or a glass of beer. He ended up winning the Euros for Czechoslovakia – and a place in football history.
