Top 10 Most Impactful Successful Penalty Kicks in Football History

The 2015 Copa America final was the ultimate match in the international football tournament hosted by CONMEBOL, featuring the host nation Chile against Argentina. After a goalless draw, Chile triumphed over Argentina in a penalty shootout, claiming their first-ever Copa America title and securing a spot in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. Before this final, Chile had only defeated Argentina once in 38 official meetings, and the victory was celebrated by ecstatic home fans at the National Stadium.

Alexis Sanchez, the talisman of Arsenal, scored the decisive fourth penalty in the shootout, sealing the win for Chile against Argentina. This memorable moment saw Sanchez boldly convert his penalty, ending a 99-year wait for Chile's Copa America title. Although Sanchez had a golden chance to score in extra time earlier in the match, his long-range shot failed to beat goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

The 2012 UEFA Champions League final took place on Saturday, May 19, 2012, between Bayern Munich from Germany and Chelsea from England, held at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Bayern was appearing in their ninth final, having won four times and lost four, with their most recent defeat in 2010. Chelsea, on the other hand, were making their second final appearance after losing their first in 2008.

Bayern took the lead late in the second half with a goal from Thomas Müller, but Didier Drogba equalized for Chelsea just five minutes later, sending the match into extra time. During extra time, Arjen Robben missed a penalty, which was saved by Chelsea's Petr Cech. The game remained tied 1–1, leading to a penalty shootout. Drogba stepped up to successfully convert the decisive penalty, securing a 4–3 win for Chelsea in their first-ever Champions League title. With this victory, Chelsea became the first English club to win the prestigious tournament.

The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Final was held on February 8, 2015, to determine the champion of the prestigious African football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The match took place at the Estadio de Bata in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, between Ghana and Ivory Coast. After a goalless draw in regular time, and no goals in extra time, the match went to penalties with very few clear chances for either team.

Ghana initially led 2–0 in the shootout. However, Boubacar Barry, the Ivory Coast goalkeeper, saved Afriyie Acquah's penalty. Barry then stepped up to take the next penalty, scoring to help secure a 9–8 win in the shootout for Ivory Coast, clinching their second Africa Cup of Nations title. This victory marked Ivory Coast's second AFCON championship, following their penalty shootout win over Ghana in the 1992 final. This triumph also boosted Ivory Coast's position to second in the FIFA World Rankings among African nations.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th edition of the prestigious football tournament, held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11, 2010. The final match saw a record number of yellow and one red card handed out. In the end, Andres Iniesta scored the decisive goal with a right-footed strike from 8 meters out, squeezing the ball past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg with about 7 minutes left in the match.

European champions Spain triumphed 1-0 over the Netherlands after extra time to claim their first-ever World Cup title. Spain became the eighth nation in history to win the World Cup and the first European team to win the tournament outside of Europe, with all previous World Cups held outside of Europe being won by South American nations. They also became the first team since 1978 to win the World Cup after losing a match in the group stage.

The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final took place on July 9, 2006, between Italy and France at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. The match began with both teams scoring in the first 20 minutes, marking the only World Cup final between 1990 and 2014 in which both teams found the net. After extra time, the score remained 1-1, leading to a penalty shootout. Fabio Grosso, who had scored Italy's first goal in the semifinal against Germany, stepped up to take the decisive penalty, sealing Italy's 5-3 win.

This 2006 World Cup Final was a pivotal match in the fierce football rivalry between France and Italy, coming after France had defeated Italy in the UEFA Euro 2000 Final. Italy's triumph marked their first World Cup victory in 24 years and their fourth overall, pushing them ahead of Germany by one point and trailing Brazil by one. The win also propelled Italy to the top of the FIFA rankings in February 2007, their first time at the top since November 1993.

The 2003 UEFA Champions League Final was held at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on May 28, 2003, to determine the winner of the 2002–03 Champions League. The match featured two Italian clubs, Juventus and AC Milan. It marked the first time two Italian teams had faced each other in the final, and only the second national derby in the competition’s history, following the all-Spanish final between Real Madrid and Valencia in 2000.

Antonio Conte came close to scoring for Juventus after coming on as a substitute in the second half, but his header hit the post with Dida beaten. Andrea Pirlo also fired high for Milan. In the second half, both teams slowed down and created few chances. With the score still 0-0, the match went to a penalty shootout after 120 minutes. Andriy Shevchenko successfully converted the final penalty, securing Milan’s 6th UEFA Champions League title.

The 1976 UEFA European Championship was held in Yugoslavia. It marked the final edition of the tournament in its original format before expanding to include eight teams. It was also the only European Championship in which every match in the final round was decided after extra time, either by penalty shootouts or by goals. Additionally, this was the last time that the host nation had to qualify for the final tournament. Czechoslovakia emerged as champions after defeating West Germany in the final, which ended in a 2-2 draw, before triumphing in the penalty shootout.

In the final against West Germany, Antonin Panenka scored the decisive penalty with a delicate chip into the center of the goal, fooling the goalkeeper who had rushed out to block the shot. This technique, now known as the 'Panenka,' became one of the most iconic and frequently emulated penalty kicks in football history. Panenka's historic penalty not only secured Czechoslovakia's first European Championship title but also inspired millions of players worldwide to adopt his unique style.

The 2019 Italian Super Cup was held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with over 61,000 fans in attendance, including many women—who were allowed to enter stadiums for the first time just a year earlier. Juventus entered the match under increasing pressure, especially following a disappointing 0-2 loss to Inter Milan. The game was tightly contested with few real scoring opportunities, but Juventus finally broke the deadlock in the 64th minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo sealed the victory for Juventus by converting a late penalty, helping them claim their first title of the season against AC Milan in a tense semifinal encounter. Milan had been reduced to 10 men after Franck Kessie was sent off for a brutal tackle on Emre Can, who was left injured. Ronaldo's penalty, awarded in the dying moments of the match, canceled out Ante Rebic's earlier goal for Milan, which had given them the lead in the 62nd minute. This was the first time Zlatan Ibrahimović and Cristiano Ronaldo faced each other since 2015, when Paris Saint-Germain played Real Madrid.

The 2017 UEFA Champions League Final marked the conclusion of the 2016–17 season, which was the 62nd edition of Europe's premier club football competition, now called the UEFA Champions League. Held on June 3, 2017, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, the match featured Italian side Juventus against defending champions Real Madrid from Spain.

Throughout the match, Real Madrid dominated possession, though clear opportunities were scarce in the first half. Cristiano Ronaldo broke the deadlock with a well-placed penalty, and his brace helped secure Madrid’s victory. This historic win marked their 12th European Cup title, extending their record and making them the first club to successfully defend the Champions League title since AC Milan. Ronaldo’s performance also cemented Real Madrid’s place in history as the first club to win back-to-back titles in the modern era.

This was Real Madrid's third European title in just four years, a remarkable achievement that had only been matched by Bayern Munich and Ajax in the 1970s, during a very different era of football.

The 2016 Summer Olympics Men's Football Final, held at Rio's iconic Maracanã Stadium on August 20, 2016, saw Brazil face off against Germany for the Olympic gold medal. Both teams were vying for their first-ever Olympic football title, despite their impressive histories in the FIFA World Cup, with Brazil having won five titles and Germany four.

Brazil took the lead in the first half with a stunning free-kick from Neymar, but Germany equalized in the second half through a well-timed volley by Max Meyer. The game remained tied after 120 minutes, and the final went to a penalty shootout, the first of its kind since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Each team scored in their first four penalties, but it was Neymar who sealed the victory by converting the fifth and final penalty for Brazil. This historic goal earned Brazil their first Olympic gold in football, marking a milestone achievement for the country.