Top 20 footballers with the most penalty goals in the history of the game

Footballers with the most penalty goals in history give the impression that scoring from a spot is simple. In reality, these players deal with pressure from teammates and spectators. For this reason, they dread losing a penalty since it is a golden chance to make people watching them proud. This article lists the top 20 proficient penalty takers with precise shooting skills.

This article shares penalty stats of players with the most penalty goals in the history of soccer. It lists retired and active footballers considered legends in the sport due to their impressive skills in scoring penalties.

List of footballers with the most penalty goals in the history

Most players who score penalty goals are purely gifted. Although they spend a lot of time exercising to improve their skills, how they score almost all penalties they are given can only be described as a unique inborn gift. This article is about the following players:

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Players with the most penalty goals in history are commended for their bravery and boldness. Many know how hard it can be to score a penalty goal when all eyes are on you. It takes steel nerves and a lion's heart to score from the spot. Below are the 20 top soccer players with the most penalty goals in history. These players have mastered key strategies like confidence, keeping their heads over the ball, focusing on where to place their shots, and striking the ball cleanly.

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20. Robin van Persie - Retired

• Full name: Robin van Persie
• Born: 6 August 1983
• Age: 40 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Dutch
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 39
• Total penalties missed: 7
• Total penalties: 46
• Career duration: 2001 - 2019
• No. of clubs he played for: 3
• Current teams: Retired
• The longest time Van Persie has played for a club: Arsenal (2004 - 2012)

Van Persie was known for his excellent technique, ball control, intelligent positioning, and vision. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation. Van Persie spent most of his career with Arsenal FC. After playing soccer for over two and a half decades, he retired and ventured into coaching. Robin is currently a youth team coach at his former club, Feyenoord.

19. Kaká - Retired

• Full name: Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
• Born: 22 April 1982
• Age: 42 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Brazilian
• Position: Midfielder
• Total penalties scored: 39
• Total penalties missed: 8
• Total penalties: 47
• Career duration: 2000 - 2017
• No. of clubs he played for: 4
• Current teams: Retired
• The longest time Van Persie has played for a club: AC Milan (2003 - 2009)

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Kaká's prime time was during the years he played for AC Milan. The playmaker marked the period with creative passing, pace, goal-scoring, and dribbling skills. Ricardo Kaká played for São Paulo, AC Milan, Real Madrid, and Orlando City SC.

18. Mohamed Salah - Liverpool

• Full name: Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly
• Born: 15 June 1992
• Age: 31 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Egyptian
• Position: Midfielder
• Total penalties scored: 39
• Total penalties missed: 8
• Total penalties: 47
• Career duration: 2010 - present
• No. of clubs he played for: 6
• Current teams: Retired
• The longest time Mo Salah has played for a club: Liverpool (2017 - present)

Mo Salah is known for his clinical finishing, dribbling, and speed. He started his senior career in 2010 playing for Al Mokawloon Al Arab and played for Basel, Chelsea, and Roma before moving to his current team, Liverpool, in 2017. Mo Salah is regarded as one of the greatest African players ever.

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17. Kylian Mbappé - PSG

• Full name: Kylian Mbappé Lottin
• Born: 20 December 1998
• Age: 25 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: French
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 40
• Total penalties missed: 10
• Total penalties: 50
• Career duration: 2016 - date
• No. of clubs he played for: 2
• Current teams: Paris Saint-Germain, France national football team
• The longest time Kylian has played for a club: Paris Saint-Germain (2018 - present)

Kylian Mbappé is one of the best players in the world. The Paris Saint-Germain striker is renowned for his dribbling abilities, exceptional speed, and finishing. Kylian Mbappé has scored 34 penalty goals since his senior career debuted at AS Monaco in 2016. He has only played for Paris SG and Monaco at senior level.

16. Erling Haaland - Manchester City

• Full name: Erling Braut Haaland
• Born: 21 July 2000
• Age: 23 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Norwegian
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 41
• Total penalties missed: 5
• Total penalties: 47
• Career duration: 2015 - present
• No. of clubs he played for: 5
• Current teams: Manchester City, Norway national football team
• The longest time Halaad has played for a club: Borussia Dortmund (2020 - 2022)

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Erling Haaland is one of the best players in the world. He plays for Manchester City and has previously played for Borussia Dortmund, RB Salzburg, Molde FK, and Bryne at a senior level. Striker Erling Haaland is known for his speed, strength, positioning, and finishing inside the box.

15. Steven Gerrard - Retired

• Full name: Steven George Gerrard MBE
• Born: 30 May 1980
• Age: 43 (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: English
• Position: Midfielder
• Total penalties scored: 46
• Total penalties missed: 9
• Total penalties: 55
• Career duration: 1998 - 2017
• No. of clubs he played for:
• The longest time Gerrad has played for a club: Liverpool (1998 - 2015)

Gerrard was among the most competent footballers in the world in the early 2000s. He was discovered by his local upper-division football club, Liverpool FC, at age nine. Steven Gerrard played for Liverpool and Los Angeles in his senior career and scored 46 penalty goals.

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14. Sergio Aguero - Retired

• Full name: Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo
• Born: 2 June 1988
• Age: 35 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Argentine
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 48
• Total penalties missed: 14
• Total penalties: 62
• Career duration: 2003 - 2021
• No. of clubs he played for: 6
• The longest time Sergio has played for a club: Manchester City (2011 - 2021)

The legendary Man-City striker is among the players with the most penalty goals in football. He was one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League. Sergio Aguero played for six clubs and spent most of his career time, a decade, with Manchester City.

13. Bruno Fernandes - Manchester United

• Full name: Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes
• Born: 8 September 1994
• Age: 29 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Portuguese
• Position: Midfielder
• Total penalties scored: 52
• Total penalties missed: 6
• Total penalties: 58
• Career duration: 2012 - present
• No. of clubs he played for: 5
• The longest time Fernandes has played for a club: Manchester United (2020 - present)

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Fernandes played for Novara, Udinese, Sampdoria, and Sporting CP before joining Manchester United in 2020. He is known for his passing ability, vision, creativity, and penalty technique. Bruno Fernandes broke Frank Lampard's record of being the highest-scoring midfielder in Europe in a single season.

12. Frank Lampard - Retired

• Full name: Frank James Lampard OBE
• Born: 20 June 1978
• Age: 45 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: English
• Position: Midfielder
• Total penalties scored: 61
• Total penalties missed: 11
• Total penalties: 72
• Career duration: 1995 - 2016
• No. of clubs he played for: 5
• The longest time Lampard has played for a club: Chelsea (2001 - 2014)

Lampard was one of Chelsea's greatest players ever and one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. He played as a box-to-box midfielder and an excellent penalty-taker. As one of the highest goal-scoring midfielders of all time, Frank Lampard only missed ten times from the spot kick. He played the longest for Chelsea.

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11. Edinson Cavani - Boca Juniors

• Full name: Edinson Roberto Cavani Gómez
• Born: 14 February 1987
• Age: 37 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Uruguayan
• Position: Forward
• Total penalties scored: 62
• Total penalties missed: 14
• Total penalties: 76
• Career duration: 2005 - date
• No. of clubs he played for: 7
• Current teams: Club Atlético Boca Juniors, Uruguay national football team
• The longest time Cavani has played for a club: Paris Saint-Germain (2013 - 2020)

Cavani plays as a striker for Argentine Primera División club, the Boca Juniors. He has played for six more clubs, including SSC Napoli and PSG. Of all the teams Edinson Cavani has played for, he spent the most years, around seven years, with PSG.

10. Ronaldinho - Retired

• Full name: Ronaldo de Assis Moreira
• Born: 21 March 1980
• Age: 44 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Brazilian
• Position: Midfielder
• Total penalties scored: 70
• Total penalties missed: 17
• Total penalties: 87
• Career duration: 1998 - 2015
• No. of clubs he played for: 8
• The longest time Ronaldinho has played for club: Barcelona (2003 - 2008)

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Ronaldinho became a favorite of many and a household name among billions of soccer fans worldwide because of his magical playing skills. Besides bending free kicks into the net, soccer legend Ronaldinho could also easily score penalties.

9. Alan Shearer - Retired

• Full name: Alan Shearer CBE DL
• Born: 13 August 1970
• Age: 53 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: English
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 72
• Total penalties missed: 5
• Total penalties: 77
• Career duration: 1998 - 2006
• No. of clubs he played for: 3
• The longest time Shearer has played for a club: Newcastle (1996 - 2006)

Alan Shearer was one of the best strikers of all time and the Premier League's record goal scorer, with 260 goals. He is also among the soccer players with the most penalty goals in the Premier League, with 56 goals. Between 1998 and 2006, Alan Shearer played for Blackburn, Newcastle, and Southampton and scored 72 penalties, only missing five.

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8. Alessandro Del Piero - Retired

• Full name: Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI
• Born: 9 November 1974
• Age: 49 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Italian
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 77
• Total penalties missed: 15
• Total penalties: 92
• Career duration: 1991 - 2014
• No. of clubs he played for: 4
• The longest time Del Piero has played for a club: Juventus (1993 - 2012)

The Juventus legend scored 77 times from the spot during his career. He is among the leading scorers in the history of Serie A and Juventus's all-time top scorers, with 290 goals. Del Piero retired from playing football in 2012 after being in the profession for almost two decades.

7. Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona

• Full name: Robert Lewandowski
• Born: 21 August 1988
• Age: 35 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Polish
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 78
• Total penalties missed: 9
• Total penalties: 87
• Career duration: 2005 - present
• No. of clubs he played for: 8
• The longest time Del Piero has played for a club: Bayern Munich (2014 - 2022)

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Robert Lewandowski is one of the most successful players in the history of the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich. Not everything came easily to him, particularly from age 16 until he established himself at Dortmund. Today, Robert Lewandowski is considered one of the best strikers of all time.

6. Zlatan Ibrahimović - Retired

• Full name: Zlatan Ibrahimović
• Born: 3 October 1981
• Age: 42 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Swedish
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 85
• Total penalties missed: 17
• Total penalties: 102
• Career duration: 1999 - 2023
• No. of clubs he played for: 11
• The longest time Ibrahimović has played for a club: Paris SG (2012 - 2016)

Ibrahimović calls himself the "football lion." The legend was known for his acrobatic strikes, volleys, technique, and ball control. Zlatan Ibrahimović defied all odds to become one of the best strikers ever. He only missed 17 penalties from 102 opportunities he got.

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5. Francesco Totti - Retired

• Full name: Francesco Totti Ufficiale OMRI
• Born: 27 September 1976
• Age: 47 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Italian
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 86
• Total penalties missed: 20
• Total penalties: 106
• Career duration: 1993 - 2017
• No. of clubs he played for: 1
• The longest time Totti has played for a club: AS Roma (1993 - 2017)

Totti only played for AS Roma and the Italy national team the entire time he was a soccer player. He is considered one of the best strikers ever, having netted 86 penalties and only missed 12. Francesco Totti also played for the Italian national soccer team.

4. Roberto Baggio - Retired

• Full name: Roberto Baggio OMRI
• Born: 18 February 1967
• Age: 57 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Italian
• Position: Midfielder
• Total penalties scored: 101
• Total penalties missed: 18
• Total penalties: 119
• Career duration: 1982 - 2004
• No. of clubs he played for: 7
• The longest time Baggio has played for a club: Juventus (1990 - 1995)

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Baggio is among the footballers with the most penalty goals of all time. He could play in several offensive positions but mainly as a second striker or attacking midfielder. He played for Italy in 56 matches, scoring 27 goals. As a result, Roberto Baggio is the joint fourth-highest goal scorer for his national team, alongside Alessandro Del Piero. He played for seven clubs in his senior career and scored 100 penalty goals.

3. Ronald Koeman - Retired

• Full name: Francesco Totti Ufficiale OMRI
• Born: 21 March 1963
• Age: 61 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Dutch
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 113
• Total penalties missed: 7
• Total penalties: 120
• Career duration: 1980 - 1997
• No. of clubs he played for: 5
• The longest time Koeman has played for a club: PSV Eindhoven (1989 - 1995)

Koeman is considered one of the best attacking center-backs of all time. He was capable of playing both as a defender and as a midfielder. Ronald Koeman was known for his goal-scoring, long-range shooting, and accuracy from free kicks and penalties. The retired Dutch player scored over 250 goals while playing in defense for most of his career.

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2. Lionel Messi - Inter Miami

• Full name: Lionel Andrés Messi
• Born: 24 June 1987
• Age: 36 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Argentine
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 109
• Total penalties missed: 31
• Total penalties: 140
• Career duration: 2004 - date
• No. of clubs he played for: 3
• Current teams: Inter Miami CF, Argentina national football team
• The longest time Messi has played for a club: Barcelona (2003 - 2021)

Messi captains Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. He is second with the most penalty goals in the history. Leo Messi has spent most of his senior career with Barcelona. Despite netting 109 penalties, the player has also missed the most penalties in history, 31.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - Al Nassr

• Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM
• Born: 5 February 1985
• Age: 39 years (as of April 2024)
• Nationality: Portuguese
• Position: Striker
• Total penalties scored: 163
• Total penalties missed: 29
• Total penalties: 192
• Career duration: 2002 - present
• No. of clubs he played for: 6
• Current teams: Al-Nassr FC, Portugal national football team
• The longest time Ronaldo has played for a club: Real Madrid (2009 - 2018)

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Ronaldo tops the list of footballers with the most penalty goals in the world. The Portuguese striker captains the Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. He holds the record for netting the most goals from the spot, 157, and is also the second player, after Messi, to have missed the most penalties, 29. Cristiano Ronaldo became the first footballer to reach 700 goals after scoring for Manchester United in a 2-1 home win over Everton on 9 October 2022.

Who has the most penalty goals in football history?

Penalties require mental strength and technique for one to score. Players with the most penalty goals are good at handling the pressure of the situation. Below are the top 10 most penalty goals in football history:

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Which footballer has scored the most penalties?

Cristiano Ronaldo has netted the most penalties in history. He scored 163 out of the 192 penalty chances he received in his senior career.

What are the most penalty goals missed by a player?

Lionel Messi has the most missed penalty goals. He has missed 31 penalty goals in his senior career.

Who has the most penalty goals by a player in a season?

Major League Soccer player Kei Kamara has the most penalty goals in a single season, with 9 in 2015.

Who is the best penalty scorer in football history?

Cristiano Ronaldo has the most penalty goals in history. He scored 163 out of the 192 penalty chances he received in his senior career.

Who is the king of penalty in football?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the king of penalties in football, having scored 163 penalties in his senior career.

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How many penalty goals has Ronaldo scored?

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 163 out of the 192 penalty opportunities he received in his senior career.

Who has the most free-kick goals in football history?

Juninho Paulista, a former Brazilian attacking midfielder, has scored the most goals from free kicks, with 77. He is followed by Pele, who has 70.

Which Premier League footballers with the most penalty goals?

Cole Palmer (8), Bukayo Saka (5), Mohamed Salah (5), Alexander Isak (4), João Pedro (4), and Carlton Morris (4) have scored the most penalty goals in the Premier League 2023/24 season.

Ronaldo's record of the most penalty goals in history could stand for many years unless iconic players like Messi, Haaland, and Mbappé turn things around. Since Haaland and Mbappé are still young and energetic, the world is eagerly waiting to see them break more records, including Messi and Ronaldo's records.

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Sportsbrief.com compiled a list of the most influential footballers of this decade. These players have performed remarkably for their club and country. According to internet publications, many former and current football players are considered extraordinary.

Currently, Ronaldo and Messi stand out as the most influential players. Find out about other players on the list.