CORNERFLICK
Penalty conversion at the 2026 World Cup has fallen to its lowest level on record, with just 65% of spot-kicks ending in goals.
Across 60 penalties at the tournament, 21 have been missed, including penalties taken during matches and shoot-outs. It is the worst scoring rate recorded at a World Cup since Opta began tracking the competition in 1966.
The misses have already had a direct impact on the tournament. Davinson Sánchez, Quinten Timber and Jonathan Tah each failed from the spot, with those errors contributing to their teams' exits. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have also missed penalties at this World Cup.
The decline continues a downward trend that has been building since the 2014 World Cup. Analysts point to rising pressure, changes in run-up technique, new goalkeeper rules and improved opposition data work as reasons goalkeepers have gained the upper hand over takers. Whether that pattern holds through to the final remains to be seen.