In brief
The greatest football penalties in history are ranked.
Zinedine Zidane’s famous Panenka and Johan Cruyff’s “pass penalty” are two examples.
While some penalties are unstoppable, like Kevin Pressman’s strong stroke and Lionel Messi’s cool finish, others are unconventional, like Aritz Aduriz’s one-step penalty and Ivan Toney’s distinctive approach.
Which football penalties are the best in history? Even narrowing down the greatest spot kicks ever to a final selection of 20 was a very challenging process because everyone has their favorites, generally involving the clubs they support.
So much so that, after Ivan Toney’s incredible no-look penalty kick for England versus Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, we’ve now expanded our full list to 21. Most of these strange and amazing penalties have already been covered in separate articles; now it’s time to organize them.
21Harry Wilson
Fulham vs Tottenham – Carabao Cup, 2023
Harry Wilson’s penalty was truly exceptional, and it definitely deserves to be at the top of the list. It was so amazing that some football fans at the time even called it the best penalty they had ever seen. Wilson used his deadly left foot to rocket the ball into the top corner of the net. Just observe how the ball bounces about afterward—it’s really beautiful!
But after searching the archives, we discovered 20 more punishments that we think are even more effective. Yes, the bar is indeed that high.
20Xabi Alonso
Spain vs Argentina – 2009
In 2009, during Spain’s friendly match versus Argentina at the Vicente Calderon, the cool-as-a-cucumber Xabi Alonso scored a stunning top-corner penalty. There was not a single goalie in the world who could save it.
Alonso is best known for his stints at Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. He currently manages Bayer Leverkusen, and in 2023–24 he guided the German team to an incredible undefeated season. But this penalty for Spain was undoubtedly the finest of his remarkable career.
19Charles Aranguiz
Chile vs Brazil – 2014 World Cup
The fact that Brazil won the shootout may have made this penalty essentially pointless, but that doesn’t diminish the quality of Chile’s Charles Aranguiz’s stroke. Aranguiz maintained composure and fired the ball towards goal despite Julio Cesar and a horde of Brazil supporters behind him.
It’s pure theater as the ball hits the net and Brazil fans whistle in the background. Aranguiz will never be able to completely appreciate it in retrospect, thus it’s a great tragedy that he was on the losing team that day.
18Ashad Ali
Maldives vs Afghanistan – 2014
Was it his intention? Nearly ten years later, we’re all still contemplating that question. During his run-up, Ashad Ali fell on his face, but he got back up and scored his penalty.
The fall looks nearly too staged to be authentic. After giving the referee a quick glance, he slides the ball past Afghanistan’s perplexed goalie. You must acknowledge that it’s brilliant if he meant it.
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