Football
Football’s Longest Penalty Shootout: How Many Kicks?
Introduced to football in 1970, a penalty shootout is used to determine the winner in a knock-out football match if teams are tied even after extra time.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal//Getty Images
Penalties have always played a big role in football. A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits a direct foul inside their penalty area.
Penalty shootouts have also played a massive role in the biggest matches in football history. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final between France and Argentina was also decided via a penalty shootout, with Lionel Messi’s Argentina prevailing at the end and lifting the trophy.
Introduced to football in 1970, a penalty shootout is used to determine the winner in a knockout football match if teams are tied even after extra time.
A penalty shootout starts with two coin tosses. The first one is to determine the side of the field where the kicks will be taken from and the second is to determine which team takes the first kick of the penalty shootout.
In a penalty shootout, both teams take turns shooting at the goal from the penalty spot, with the goal defended only by the opposing team's goalkeeper. Each team has five shots which must be taken by different players; the team that makes the most successful kicks is declared as the winner. If the team taking the first kick successfully converts their first three penalties while the opposition misses all of theirs, the shootout ends then and there in a 3-0 victory.
If the teams are tied at the end of the initial five kicks, it moves to a knockout format, with each team getting one more kick at a time, going forward until a winner is decided.
Penalty shootouts are considered separate to match results and are used only to determine which team progresses in the competition. Also, penalty shootout goals do not count towards a player’s or the team’s tally.
The longest penalty shootouts in football history
| Rank | Penalty Shootout scoreline | Total Penalties |
| 1 | SC Dimona 23-22 Shimshon Tel Aviv | 56 penalties |
| 2 | Washington 25-24 Bedlington | 54 penalties |
| 3 | KK Palace 17-16 Civics | 48 penalties |
| 4 | Old Wulfrunians 19-18 Lane Head | 44 penalties |
| 5 | Preston 16-15 Fulham | 34 penalties |
| 6 | Netherlands U21s 13-12 England U21s | 32 penalties |
| 7 | Worcester City 13-14 Scunthorpe | 32 penalties |
| 8 | Olympiacos 15-14 AEK Athens | 30 penalties |
| 9 | Liverpool 14-13 Middlesbrough | 30 penalties |
| 10 | Brockenhurst 15-14 Andover | 30 penalties |
10. Brockenhurst 15-14 Andover (30 penalties)
The Hampshire Senior Cup match between Brockenhurst and Andover finished 0-0 after extra time and went to spot-kicks. After this, fans witnessed one of the best penalty shootouts in history as a total of 29 consecutive penalties were scored, setting a new English record
9. Liverpool 14-13 Middlesbrough (30 penalties)
The Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup tie between Liverpool and Middlesbrough in 2014 was an instant classic. The Liverpool side was managed by Brendan Rodgers and featured the likes of Kolo Toure, Jordan Rossiter, Raheem Sterling, Lazar Markovic and Rickie Lambert. Meanwhile, the Middlesbrough side featured a young Ryan Fredericks.
Patrick Bamford scored in extra time to take the game to penalties. 30 penalties later, Albert Adomah missed the final penalty, helping Liverpool qualify for the fourth round of the competition.
8. Olympiacos 15-14 AEK Athens (30 penalties)
The Greek Cup final in 2009 between Olympiacos and AEK Athens was one for the ages. The final scoreline ended at 4-4 after extra time, leading the game into a penalty shootout. After an incredible 15-14 penalty scoreline, goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis scored the winning penalty, handing Olympiacos the Greek Cup trophy.
7. Worcester City 13-14 Scunthorpe (32 penalties)
The FA Cup has always been home to late drama, extra time and penalty shootouts. During the second round of the FA Cup in 2014, Worcester City faced Scunthorpe. The match between non-league side Worcester and League One Scunthorpe ended in a 1-1 stalemate after extra time.
Scunthorpe prevailed at the end of the 32-kick shootout, with Miguel Llera scoring the winning penalty after initially missing the opening spot kick. This shoutout remains the longest one ever recorded in the FA Cup’s long and illustrious history.
6. Netherlands U21s 13-12 England U21s (32 penalties)
The sixth-longest penalty shootouts in football history took place during the U21 European Championship in 2007. Netherlands faced England in the semi-final of the competition. James Milner, Ashley Young, Mark Noble and Scott Carson are just some of the names that played for England on that day.
The match entered the penalty shootout stage after a 1-1 scoreline at the end of extra time. Anton Ferdinand of England missed the decisive penalty at the end and Netherlands ended the tournament lifting the trophy at the end of it.
5. Preston 16-15 Fulham (34 penalties)
A fairly recent match on the list is the Carabao Cup 2023-24 third-round clash between EFL Championship side Preston and Premier League side Fulham. The match ended 1-1 at the end of extra time and went into a penalty shootout.
Fulham were handed defeat at the end of an incredible 34 penalties, Preston’s Ryan Ledson scored the winning penalty. Timothy Castagne was one of three players who missed from the penalty spot.
4. Old Wulfrunians 19-18 Lane Head (44 penalties)
Two lower-level Midlands football teams set a new English shootout record in 2021. Old Wulfrunians faced Lane Head in a JW Hunt Cup first-round tie. The match ended 3-3 after extra time.
After an intense penalty shootout that lasted for nearly half an hour, Old Wulfrunians won the shootout with a scoreline of 19-18.
3. KK Palace 17-16 Civics (48 penalties)
In 2005, during the Namibian Cup final, KK Palace faced Civics. The match produced plenty of fireworks as the match ended 2-2. But the key part of the match was yet to come. KK Palace ended up winning the shootout after a 17-16 scoreline. But an incredible 49 penalties were attempted on the day, with 15 of them being missed or saved.
2. Washington 25-24 Bedlington (54 penalties)
In 2022, during an Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup encounter, the new record for the longest penalty shootout was set.
The crowd of approximately 40 were treated to a dramatic 3-3 draw as Washington faced Bedlington. The first-round cup tie at the Ford Quarry Football Hub in Sunderland saw an incredible 52 penalties, with Washington winning and qualifying for the next round.
1. SC Dimona 23-22 Shimshon Tel Aviv (56 penalties)
Just two years after the record was set in 2022, it was overtaken and broken in 2024. In May 2024, Israeli sides SC Dimona and Shimshon faced off in the semi-final promotion playoff match in the third tier. An incredible 28 kicks were taken in the shoutout before the tie was settled.
There were a few misses along the way but both teams converted most of the penalties, with SC Dimona prevailing at the end after a 23-22 scoreline.
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