Summary
AI has named the 20 greatest penalty takers of all time.
Lionel Messi doesn't make the list while Cristiano Ronaldo finishes 10th.
An English cult hero takes top spot.
In football, it is very rare to get as good a chance to score a goal as from the penalty spot. Just a goalkeeper stands between the taker and the goal, with just 12 yards separating the two. On the surface of it, it would seem impossible to miss, though that doesn't tell the full story.
Pressure, weather conditions, the fans behind the goal — these are just some of the other variables that can impact a player when they step up from the spot. And some handle all of these far better than others.
Who is the best? Well, GIVEMESPORT has enlisted the help of AI to rank the 20 greatest penalty takers of all time, from modern-day stars to blasts from the past who all had an impeccable record.
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20-11
Kicking things off with the bottom ten who just missed out on the top half, Jose Altafini anchors the AI's list, followed by current England captain Harry Kane and former Barcelona man Ladislav Kubala. After that trio comes Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero and Chelsea's all-time leading scorer Frank Lampard — two men who had very different styles when it comes to their penalty-taking techniques.
There is more British royalty that follows, thanks to Ray Stewart and Alan Shearer, with Argentina's Mario Kempes in 13th. Zlatan Ibrahimovic took decisive penalties all over the world, which sees him take 12th, while the bottom 10 is rounded out by none other than one of the greatest finishers of all time — Pele.
AI's Greatest Penalty Takers (20-11)
Rank
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10 Cristiano Ronaldo
174 penalties scored
Cristiano Ronaldo
What AI said: "Ronaldo is extremely dependable, especially in tournaments and shootouts, with more than 150 penalties scored."
We challenge anyone to find someone who has scored more penalties than Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is the greatest goalscorer of all time, and his record from the spot has certainly helped his case. 174 successful efforts compared to 33 failures is far from a poor record.
Though many may remember his misses more vividly, namely the one at Euro 2024, there is a good reason why the Portuguese legend was sometimes handed the less-than-complimentary nickname 'Penaldo' during his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Penalty Record
Taken
Scored
Missed
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9 Lothar Matthaus
67 penalties scored
Lothar Matthaus in action for West Germany
What AI said: "Matthaus was a key taker for Germany and Bayern Munich. Precision, power, and nerves of steel in pressure moments."
If ever proof was needed that the best penalty takers don't always have to be those who play in attack, Lothar Matthäus was certainly a prime example. A defensive midfielder by trade, the 150-cap German international was imperious from the spot, as his record suggests.
A conversion rate of 88% is nothing to sniff at and made him a more than reliable candidate whenever his team managed to win a foul inside the opposition area.
|Lothar Matthaus' Penalty Record|
|Taken|76|
|Scored|67|
|Missed|9|
|---|
8 Francesco Totti
86 penalties scored
Francesco Totti
What AI said: "86/106 penalties scored. Totti was a panenka specialist and Roma’s go-to man in derbies."
An iconic one-club man, it's safe to say that the AI's assessment of Francesco Totti being the go-to man for Roma in derbies is understating his influence, as he was often handed that responsibility regardless of who the opposition was.
Interestingly, his record is not as strong as some of the others below him on this list. Perhaps a flaw in the system? Or does it go back to the old case of 'you need to watch football through the lens of your eyes, not stats'? Probably not, since it is an AI deciding this after all, but an interesting thought nonetheless.
|Francesco Totti's Penalty Record|
|Taken|106|
|Scored|86|
|Missed|20|
|---|
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7 Diego Maradona
54 penalties scored
Diego Maradona
What AI said: "Not perfect, but scored under immense pressure. Took on the responsibility in chaotic, high-stakes environments."
There's nothing Diego Maradona couldn't do with a football. Therefore, the fact he was so imperious from 12 yards should be a surprise to absolutely no one.
If anything, kicking a ball at the goal with no obstacles in sight is arguably about as easy as it could get for one of the most technically gifted players to walk this earth. And with some big penalties in World Cups and other key games, it's fair to say the pressure never got to him either.
|Diego Maradona's Penalty Record|
|Taken|58|
|Scored|54|
|Missed|4|
|---|
6 Ronald Koeman
114 penalties scored
Ronald Koeman
What AI said: "Scored 100+ goals as a defender, many from the spot. Known for power and accuracy."
We may have said earlier that Lothar Matthaus was the prime example of a player not being an attacker but being incredible from the spot. Perhaps that assessment should've been saved for Ronald Koeman, who was a master from 12 yards despite being a sweeper for most of his career.
Koeman possessed a typical Dutch characteristic in being fazed by seemingly very little on the football pitch. Combine that with his accuracy when finding the net, and he was exactly who you would want stepping up when it mattered most.
|Ronald Koeman's Penalty Record|
|Taken|122|
|Scored|114|
|Missed|8|
|---|
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5 Zinedine Zidane
11 penalties scored
Zinedine Zidane
What AI said: "Famed for 2006 World Cup Final Panenka. Not the most frequent taker, but ice-cold when it mattered."
If anything, data-wise it can be argued that Zinedine Zidane is the weak link on this list. He is noted as taking just 15 penalties during his career, missing four — leaving him with a success rate of just a little over 73%. Certainly not incredible figures.
However, for his audacious effort in his final ever game — that being the 2006 World Cup final — he deserves a place. A moment that iconic cannot simply be overlooked.
|Zinedine Zidane's Penalty Record|
|Taken|15|
|Scored|11|
|Missed|4|
|---|
4 Michel Platini
44 penalties scored
Michel Platini captaining France.
What AI said: "Exceptional placement, scored key penalties for France and Juventus. Combined elegance with clinical finishing."
Another French superstar makes the top four, with Michel Platini getting the nod over 'Zizou' when it comes to Les Bleus' best penalty taker. Platini was a multiple-time Ballon d'Or winner, so needless to say, most things he did were completed at a very high level.
All in all, he missed just two penalties in his career — half of what Zidane managed, despite having far more attempts. Perhaps the gap between the two should be a little bigger.
|Michel Platini's Penalty Record|
|Taken|46|
|Scored|44|
|Missed|2|
|---|
3 Robert Lewandowski
88 penalties scored
lewandowski
What AI said: "90%+ success rate. Consistently calm in both club and international high-stakes moments."
Technically, the AI is wrong with its statistics, as Robert Lewandowski's success rate from the spot is actually 89.8%. Would that 0.2% difference prevent him from being in the top three? No, in all likelihood.
Besides, there is still time for the Pole to take a few more penalties for Barcelona and bring that number back up to 90%+. And you wouldn't bet against him either.
|Robert Lewandowski's Penalty Record|
|Taken|98|
|Scored|88|
|Missed|10|
|---|
2 Josef Bican
N/A
What AI said: "Nearly flawless penalty record. Historical data credits him with near-perfection; rarely missed from the spot."
The issue when it comes to Josef Bican is that records of how many penalties he took are inconclusive. The AI claims near perfection, suggesting that he scored an estimated 50 penalties from as many efforts. Transfermarkt, on the other hand, lists his record at five scored and three missed, though this is likely due to the lack of available evidence surrounding his goals.
Given he played from the 1930s through to the 1950s, we may never know for sure. However, Bican remains one of the top goalscorers in football history, so while we may not know how many of those were from 12 yards with certainty, it’s a good bet that he would’ve been precise when such a moment came.
1 Matt Le Tissier
43 penalties scored
matt le tissier southampton
What AI said: "43/44 penalties scored (98%). Universally regarded as the most reliable penalty taker in history.
It seems as though the AI has taken human accounts into its decision to name Matt Le Tissier as the greatest penalty taker in history. And who can blame it?
Le Tissier is the type of player that many believe would’ve been even better had he played in the modern era, as opposed to the 1990s when English football didn’t have much room for mercurial talents like him. However, whether it be 1905, 1995, or 2025, you would always bank on the Southampton icon to send the goalkeeper the wrong way with a penalty.
|Matt Le Tissier's Penalty Record|
|Taken|44|
|Scored|43|
|Missed|1|
|---|
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 23/05/2025.