World Cup 2026 quarter-finals: A guide to penalty shootouts
It’s just not possible to measure exactly who goes into the penalty shootout.
However, if we consider the outfield players who entered the game in the last five minutes of stoppage time, there are only seven (five of them have come since 2022) and only three of them have scored.
This summer two penalty takers came on in stoppage time at the end of extra time and remained untouched before the final whistle.
Fabian Balbuena had the penalty saved by Germany’s Manuel Neuer, but Paraguay won the last 32 penalties.
Mahmoud Saber scored the first penalty in Egypt’s last 32 win over Australia against the goalkeeper who did not touch the ball.
Paulo Dybala scored after the 120th minute in Argentina’s penalty shoot-out victory over France at the end of the 2022 final.
In Morocco’s last 16 win over Spain that year, both sides introduced players Badr Benoun and Pablo Sarabia in the final two minutes, both of whom missed.
England’s Jamie Carragher came on with two minutes left in the 2006 quarter-final against Portugal and his shot was saved by Ricardo, who initially found goal but was ordered to kick again as the whistle had not been blown.
The first player to enter the game in the last five minutes of extra time and score a goal in the penalty shootout was West German Pierre Littbarski, who beat Mexico in the quarter-finals in 1986.
In the closing stages of a World Cup match, two goalkeepers came into play considering penalties.
Dutchman Tim Krul came on in the 121st minute against Costa Rica in the 2014 quarter-final and saved two penalties in the victory.
He remained an unused substitute in the next round – again when it went to penalties – and Netherlands were eliminated, with Jasper Cillessen failing to save.
It was Mat Ryan’s turn for Australia this summer but it was to no avail as Egypt kicked all four penalties.
Although Krul knew of the plan in advance, Ryan was told a few minutes beforehand that he would be substituted if the match went to a penalty shoot-out.
