Scoring from the spot might sound like a cakewalk but when all eyes are on you, it is never easy. 12 yards away from the net, one on with the goalkeeper, it is always a 50-50 chance. Especially in crucial moments of the game when you desperately need a goal, there is a lot of pressure on the penalty taker. It takes a lot of skill, concentration and courage to get past the goalkeeper. Not a lot of players are able to carry the weight on their shoulders of scoring a penalty. However, we have seen quite a few players in history who have saved their teams in hard times. Let us take a look at 5 greatest penalty takers of all time.
Top 5 greatest penalty takers of all time :
#5 Frank Lampard
Penalties scored: 60/70 (85.7%)
The English midfielder is considered as one of the best players to have played in Premier league. He spent most of his career playing for Chelsea and has a club record of scoring 211 goals for the blues. Even though he played as a midfielder, Frank is known for being spectacular in the box. When it came to taking penalties, he was the man. He has scored a total of 60 penalties out of the 70 he has taken. This gives a conversion rate of about 85.7% which makes him one of the best penalty takers of all time. Besides, Lampard always stood up for the team in crucial moments taking them forward.
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#4 Francesco Totti
Penalties scored: 86/105 (81.9%)
Roma’s most capped player Francesco Totti is not only one of the highest goal-scorers of all time, but also one of the greatest penalty takers ever. The Italian golden boy only ever played for Roma winning 7 trophies with them. Totti played as a second striker, and is known for his creative playmaking. He scored a total of 307 goals for AS Roma. Moreover, when it came to scoring from the spot, he was the club’s go to. The Italian legend has netted the ball 86 out of 105 times from the spot. He has a conversion rate of about 81.9% which is pretty excellent in terms of penalties. Totti also won the world cup with Italy in 2006.
#3 Alessandro Del Piero
Penalties scored: 77/92 (83.6%)
The Italian played mainly as a deep-lying forward and spent most of his career playing for Juventus. He is the second highest all-time Italian top-scorer in all competitions. Piero netted the ball 316 times and won a total of 18 trophies in his career. Moreover, he is a master in scoring penalties and freekicks. Having a conversion rate of 83.6%, the Italian legend scored 77 of the 92 penalties he took. His technique still remains unmatched to this date.
Also Read: Different Types Of Kicks In Football
#2 Matt Le Tissier
Penalties scored: 47/48 (97.9%)
The Southampton legend has one of the best penalty records of all time. He did not score a very huge number, but he made sure to score the ones he attempted. Having a conversion rate of 97.9% Le Tissier has only ever missed one penalty in his lifetime. He has netted the ball 47 out of 48 times from the spot. He also has a remarkable goal record of 146 goals in his career. Referred to as by the name ‘Le God’, Tissier loved smashing the ball at the back of the net.
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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Penalties scored: 143/171 (84%)
Now coming to the very best, we are all aware about the legend of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward has a total of 688 career goals in 455 appearances. He has won about 35 trophies and still looking to win more as English giants Manchester United just signed him. Apart from having remarkable career stats, Ronaldo is also a great leader to his team. Be it freekicks, headers, penalties, long range goals he is the master in scoring them all. The five time Ballon d’Or winner has netted the ball 143 of 171 times in all competitions from 12 yards away. Having a conversion rate of 84%, Ronaldo is no doubt the greatest penalty taker of all time. He has performed well under immense pressure in finals and taken his team to winning ways.
Honourable mentions include Alan Shearer, Steven Gerrard, Mario Balotelli, Marco Van Basten and Zlatan Ibrahimovic among others.
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