5 football stars who have missed the most penalties in the 21st century
In retrospect, a penalty appears to be the simplest way to get on the scoresheet. Beating the keeper from 12 yards out can be considered a piece of cake, especially for the world’s best scorers.
When you consider the weight of expectations and the brilliance of goalkeepers, the situation becomes much more complicated.
Even the best in the business have failed to convert from the spot on numerous occasions, and this list will only serve to emphasize the point.
Here are 5 football stars who have missed the most penalties in the 21st century
5 Antonio Di Natale – 14 penalties missed
In retrospect, a penalty appears to be the simplest way to get on the scoresheet. Beating the keeper from 12 yards out can be considered a piece of cake, especially for the world’s best scorers.
When you consider the weight of expectations and the brilliance of goalkeepers, the situation becomes much more complicated.
Even the best in the business have failed to convert from the spot on numerous occasions, and this list will only serve to emphasize the point.
He possessed a powerful right foot, impressive off-the-ball movements, and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. To top it all off, he was extremely loyal to Udinese, turning down offers from other top Serie A clubs multiple times during his career.
Di Natale scored 191 goals for Udinese in the Italian Serie A, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer. Di Natale is also the sixth-highest goalscorer in Serie A history.
Happy 41st birthday to the legendary Antonio Di Natale.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 13, 2018
🇮🇹 445 Serie A game
⚽️ 209 Serie A goals
6th on the all-time top-scorers list. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/qw8ILS0H8v
In his career, the former Italy international took 55 penalties, scoring 41 and missing 14. He announced his retirement from football in the summer of 2016.
4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 16 penalties missed
Love him or despise him, there is no avoiding Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s enigmatic and undeniably entertaining presence. The Swedish sharpshooter has played for many of Europe’s top clubs and continues to dominate the field with AC Milan to this day.
He is currently the only 40-year-old striker who plays regularly for a top-tier European club. This season, the Swede has made 11 appearances for Milan, scoring seven goals.
Aside from his outrageously arrogant interviews, Zlatan Ibrahimovic brings a lot more to the table. He is an excellent ball striker, can easily win aerial and ground duels, and is often surprisingly unselfish in the final third.
“Mbappe is a reminder of Ronaldo the Fenômeno. … In Haaland I see this intelligence, he just wants to score goals.”@Ibra_official reveals the two young stars he admires most. 🌟
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 16, 2021
Watch the full sit down with @oeste: Sunday at 2pm ET on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+. pic.twitter.com/oYwCQKSqVQ
He doesn’t go for many acrobatic goals these days because he’s in his 40s, but he’s scored quite a few in his illustrious career.
As one might expect, Zlatan has always been his team’s primary spot-kick taker. Throughout his career, he has taken 100 penalties, scoring 84 of them.
