Who has the best penalty shoot-out record in FIFA World Cup history?
As we look ahead 2022 FIFA World Cup, it remains to be seen how much of a part that penalty shoot-outs will have to play in the ultimate outcome of the competition.
Penalty shoot-outs can define a country’s World Cup. Whilst certain nations have proven themselves capable of handling the most intense pressure within international football, others have wilted under such pressure and ended up exiting the World Cup numerous times through this cruel fashion.
Which country boasts the strongest record at penalty shoot-outs in the World Cup? Which countries are yet to win a single shoot-out? Below we’ve compiled the total win/loss record of every country to have competed in a World Cup penalty shoot-out in alphabetical order.
Germany have gained a notorious reputation for their prowess from the penalty spot and you can see why. They are yet to lose a World Cup penalty shoot-out, winning all four that they have competed in, their most recent triumph coming in quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup against Argentina on home territory. That was Argentina's first and only World Cup penalty shoot-out defeat having won their three previous shoot-outs. Since then, Argentina have been victorious once again via this method, beating Netherlands on spot-kicks following a 0-0 draw after extra time in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. However, Germany proved their nemesis once again in the final, beating them by a single goal after extra time.
In contrast, England have grown an unwanted reputation for their penalty shoot-out struggles and at one stage had lost all three World Cup shoot-outs they had contested in. However, the Three Lions' most recent penalty shoot-out saw them come out on top against Colombia in 2018. Their record is identical to that of fellow European countries Italy and Spain, who have also lost three of four World Cup penalty shoot-outs, Spain's most recent failing coming in their 2018 World Cup Round of 16 clash with Russia.
