Who are England’s best penalty takers before inevitable World Cup shoot-out?

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1 July 2026

England

prepare for the inevitability of a penalty shoot-out, the data suggests who Thomas Tuchel should trust as his takers…

Tuchel has spoken about the likelihood of needing to win at least one shoot-out if

are to achieve their aims at the

World Cup

The

Three Lions

had a wretched record in

shoot-outs before winning their first in 2018 against Colombia.

They also won their most recent showdown from the spot, beating Switzerland at Euro 2024, with Sir Gareth Southgate placing huge emphasis on what the

had to do to improve their fortunes.

England’s record at major finals is still ropey, having won three shootouts while losing seven since 1990.

So, Tuchel has followed Southgate’s lead and focused heavily on what

might need to do from the spot.

When he chooses his takers, Tuchel will doubtless have looked at his players’ individual records.

Here is how the

stars shape up, the players who have taken a minimum of three penalties for club or country, listed in order of conversion rate…

Well done, Reece, and all that. But no one can take a penalty from the treatment room.

Penalties taken:

Scored:

Missed:

On the basis of Anderson’s last penalty, for Forest to beat Leeds last November when he simply ran up and leathered it in the corner, we’d have the new City signing in the five.

Only Jordan Pickford has managed to save a Gordon penalty, which gives the

Barca

winger a purpose since he’s almost certainly blown his chances of starting.

Which actually makes him more likely to take a penalty. Gordon’s spot-kick against Costa Rica in the last warm-up friendly was emphatic enough to suggest he’s ready.

“I like to think I bring more than just penalties,” said Toney last week. Sure, Ivan. Just amuse yourself for 119 minutes and the boss will be right with you.

That’s a lot of penalties. The vast majority of which saw Kane succeed by wrapping his foot through/around the ball with none of the jiggery-pokery that saw him miss against Croatia before his reprieve. There’s a lesson there, Harry.

If Rashford retains his starting place, then it’s likely he’ll be back on the bench by the time penalties start.

Saka’s record is strong but, like Rashford, are any of us prepared for the consequences if he misses a second spot-kick at a major finals? And there’s no guarantee he would be fit enough to take one.

Bellingham took one in England’s last shoot-out, the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland, when all five of the Three Lions’ takers scored. Though Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold can’t help

now.

“I look at this group now, I don’t think there’s a better crop of penalty takers that

have probably ever had. I look at Harry, I look at Ivan, I look at Marcus, look at

Anthony Gordon

, Saka, I can take one, Jude…”

That’s pretty much the first five and one for sudden death, since we’re hardly likely to have Gordon and Rashford on the pitch at the same time.

Eze insists he would take a penalty for

at the

despite his Champions League final miss.

Just stop with the stutter nonsense, fella.

Konsa has probably exhausted all his luck around penalties with the one he didn’t concede against Ghana so it’s best we don’t push our luck.

Madueke has only taken one penalty in the last two and half years, which he missed for

Arsenal

against Portsmouth in the FA Cup.

For a bloke paid to score goals, that’s a wretched record. There’s a definite window for Watkins with

. He’s the first off the bench if

need a goal, and first back on it when Toney comes on in the 119th minute because they haven’t found one.

Better around the camp than on the spot. With lots of pointing, organising and cajoling required, Henderson might be better suited to overseeing the buddy system that Tuchel retained from the Southgate era.

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