A penalty shootout might not feel like the fairest way to decide a football match. But it’s the only option when both teams are tied after extra time. Introduced in 1970, spot kicks were first used to settle World Cup games in 1982. Since then, more than 30 games in the competition have gone into a shootout. From boring, goalless draws to exciting deadlocks with many goals, here’s a list of World Cup matches that were decided on penalties.
World Cup Games Ending in Penalties
1982: West Germany vs France (5-4)
The first penalty shootout in World Cup history happened in the semi-final game between West Germany and France in 1982. The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and went into extra time. West Germany then scored twice in quick succession, making the score 3-1, then France equalized before 120 minutes. In the shootout, Uli Stielike missed the third penalty for West Germany. But Two French players, Didier Six and Maxime Bossis, also failed to score from the spot, with the match ending 5-4 in favour of West Germany.
1986: France vs Brazil (4-3), West Germany vs Mexico (4-1), Belgium vs Spain (5-4).
The 1986 World Cup in Mexico also produced a lot of penalty drama, as three out of the four quarter-final matches featured a shootout. France defeated Brazil 4-3 on penalties after a thrilling 1-1 draw, with Sócrates and Júlio César missing their spot kicks for Brazil. The match between Belgium and Spain also went into a penalty shootout, which ended in a 5-4 victory for the Belgians. For the second time, West Germany eliminated their opponent by penalty, beating Mexico 4-1 after a goalless draw.
1990: The Republic of Ireland vs Romania (5-4), Argentina vs Yugoslavia (3-2), Argentina vs Italy (4-3), West Germany vs England (4-3)
Four games went into a shootout in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. The Republic of Ireland and Romania were the first to battle it out from the spot in their Round of 16 fixture. Daniel Timofte missed the fifth penalty for Romania, while David O’Leary scored his own to make the result 5-4, sending Ireland to their first-ever quarter-final. Argentina also beat Yugoslavia 3-2 on penalties in the quarter-final. In the semi-final, Argentina faced another penalty battle against Italy, which they won 4-3. The semi-final match between West Germany and England also resulted in a penalty shootout, and the Germans won again, 4-3, for the third time in a row.
1994: Bulgaria vs Mexico (3-1), Sweden vs Romania (5-4), Brazil vs Italy (3-2)
Three matches, including the final, of the 1994 World Cup were decided by a shootout. Bulgaria beat Mexico 3-1 on penalties in their Round of 16 tie. In the quarter-final, Sweden and Romania also played a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes of football. The game then went into a shootout, which Sweden won 5-4 to reach their first-ever semi-final in the competition. There was nothing to separate Brazil and Italy in the final, as the match ended 0-0 after extra time. However, Italy’s Franco Baresi and Roberto Baggio missed their penalty kicks, giving Brazil the chance to lift their fourth World Cup title.
1998: Argentina vs England (4-3), France vs Italy (4-3), Brazil vs Netherlands (4-2)
The 1998 World Cup in France also featured three shootouts. In the Round of 16, Argentina beat England 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, with Paul Ince and David Batty missing their spot kicks. France and Italy also held themselves to a 0-0 draw in their quarter-final match. But Italy’s penalty woes continued as they lost the shootout 3-4 to France. In the semi-final, Brazil and Netherlands also drew 1-1 after 120 minutes of action. Brazil’s goalkeeper, Cláudio Taffarel, saved two Netherland penalties, while Ronaldo scored to make the result 4-2, sending Brazil into their second consecutive final.
2002: Spain vs Republic of Ireland (3-2), South Korea vs Spain (5-3)
Only two shootouts took place in the 2002 World Cup. The first was in the Round of 16 match between Spain and Republic of Ireland, which ended 1-1 after extra time. Iker Casillas was Spain’s hero that night, saving two spot kicks from Ireland’s David Connolly and Kevin Kilbane to help his team win 3-2. Spain was involved in another penalty in their quarter-final match against South Korea. But they were unlucky this time, losing 3-5 to the Korean team thanks to Joaquín’s penalty miss.
2006: Ukraine vs Switzerland (3-0), Germany vs Argentina (4-2), Portugal vs England (3-1), Italy vs France (5-3)
Four knockout games in the 2006 World Cup were resolved by penalties. Ukraine and Switzerland played a goalless draw in their Round of 16 match. Switzerland then missed all their first three penalties in the shootout to give Ukraine a 3-0 victory. In the quarter-finals, Germany beat Argentina 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, while Portugal defeated England 3-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. The final between Italy and France also ended in a 1-1 draw and went into a shootout, which Italy won 5-3.
2010: Paraguay vs Japan (5-4), Uruguay vs Ghana (4-2)
There were two shootouts in 2010 World Cup games in South Africa. The Round of 16 tie between Paraguay and Japan was settled from the penalty spot as the game remained goalless after extra time. Paraguay won the shootout 5-4, with Japanese defender Yuichi Komano missing his kick. In the quarter-finals, Uruguay held Ghana to a 1-1 draw in a dramatic match that saw Luis Suarez dismissed for a handball on the goal line. Ghana missed the consequent penalty and ended up losing the shootout 2-4 to Uruguay, with John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah missing their spot kicks for the Black Stars.
2014: Brazil vs Chile (3-2), Costa Rica vs Greece (5-3), Netherlands vs Costa Rica (4-3), Argentina vs Netherlands (4-2)
No less than four shootouts were played in the 2014 World Cup. In the Round of 16, Brazil beat Chile 3-2 on penalties, while Costa Rica defeated Greece 5-3 also on penalties. Costa Rica was involved in another shootout in the quarter-final, but this time, they were beaten 4-3 by a more experienced Netherlands side. In the semi-final, Netherlands also played a shootout with Argentina after a 0-0 draw. Argentina’s goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved two Netherlands penalties to make the score 4-2 and send his team into the final.
2018: Russia vs Spain (4-3), Croatia vs Denmark (3-2), England vs Colombia (4-3), Croatia vs Russia (4-3)
The 2018 World Cup also had four games that ended in a shootout. In the Round of 16, Russia eliminated Spain 4-3 on penalties after holding them to a 1-1 draw. Croatia also drew 1-1 with Denmark and went on to win the shootout 3-2 with the last penalty scored by Ivan Rakitic. In the quarter-finals, England and Colombia settled for a 1-1 draw, with Yerry Mina scoring in the 93rd minute to cancel out Harry Kane’s goal. England won the penalty shootout 4-3 as Mateus Uribe and Carlos Bacca missed their kicks for Colombia. The quarter-final match between Croatia and Russia also ended 2-2 after extra time, with Croatia securing a 4-3 victory on penalties.
2022: Croatia vs Japan (3-1), Morocco vs Spain (3-0), Croatia vs Brazil (4-2), Argentina vs Netherlands (4-3), Argentina vs France (4-2)
No World Cup tournament has produced more shootouts than Qatar 2022. Five knockout World Cup games were decided by spot kicks. In the Round of 16, Croatia beat Japan 3-1 on penalties, while Morocco won 3-0 in a shootout against Spain after a goalless draw. In the quarter-final, Croatia defeated Brazil 4-2 on penalties, while Argentina beat Netherlands 4-2 on penalties to secure a place in the final. The final match between Argentina and France ended 3-3 after 120 minutes. Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni missed their penalties for France, while Argentina scored all their penalties to win the World Cup trophy for the third time.
Conclusion
A total of 35 World Cup matches, including three finals, have been decided by penalties. These games offered punters—many of whom were already excited about the rewards they got as part of their welcome offer for signing up with a new gambling platform—unforgettable thrills. If you love watching and betting on penalties, get ready for a lot of them in the 2026 World Cup, as FIFA is considering introducing shootouts into the group stages.