The best penalty taker in the world currently is Cristiano Ronaldo with the Manchester United star converting 144 penalties successfully so far.
Penalties often decide the outcome of a football game as it has the element of surprise. Both the penalty taker and the goalkeeper have their chances at that moment as a penalty spot could make everyone very nervous.
Best penalty takers in the history of football have dealt with this very efficiently, and scoring penalties has been fun for them. In big tournaments like FIFA World Cup or European Championship penalties, do play a very pivotal role as penalty takers as it could be a do-or-die thing for a country aiming for the ultimate glory.
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Sometimes players take various approaches at the time of a spot kick and in modern football even a defender can be a prolific penalty taker in a game. So, who are some of the best penalty takers in the world? Let’s find it out.
Best Penalty taker in the World: Top Five list of most successful penalty takers
| Player | Penalties Scored | Penalties Missed |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 144 | 29 |
| Matt Le Tissier | 49 | 1 |
| Marco van Basten | 51 | 4 |
| Alan Shearer | 72 | 5 |
| Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 84 | 17 |
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is an inevitable name on this list. The Portuguese superstar is regarded as one of the most elite penalty takers in football as he can blast the net with his powerful shot. He has had his stint in the English Premier League, La Liga and Serie-A and he has been the go to man every time his team earns a penalty.
His penalty conversion rate is close to 84% which is one of the best in this game. He has missed a couple of penalties in high octane situations like when he missed the spot kick for Manchester United against Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow.
Matt Le Tissier
Matt Le Tissier had a decorated football career in the English Premier League for a prolonged period. The England midfielder only missed a single penalty in his entire Southampton career as he had 49 attempts in the English top flight.
He has a brilliant penalty conversion rate of 98% which makes him a part of this prestigious list. His only miss came against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League in 1992-93. He is probably the greatest penalty taker in Premier League history.
Marco Van Basten
Marco Van Basten is part of the greatest penalty takers group. which has scored galore of penalties over the years. The former AC Milan striker displayed his penalty taking skills throughout his career and converted 51 penalties from the spot.
He went on to lead the Netherlands to the 1988 European Championship glory which later proved to be their only major international trophy so far.
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer is the Premier League’s record goal scorer as he still tops the chart in the English top flight. The former England international scored 260 goals in the Premier League for Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers and he was one of the most natural goal scorers the world football has ever seen.
The former striker netted over 70 goals from the penalty spot and he remains one of the most riveting penalty kick takers in football history.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
If taking penalties is an art Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the Picasso of it. The big Swede has always made it count on the football pitch and is still going strong. The former Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United forward has converted lots of penalties in his career and has been one of the most reliable names.
The AC Milan forward has a pretty viable penalty record as he has converted almost 84 spot kicks in his career so far.
FAQs
Who is the best penalty taker in the world in 2022?
Cristiano Ronaldo is the best penalty taker in 2022.
Who has the best penalty conversion rate?
Matt Le Tissier has the best penalty conversion rate in football history.
