10 footballers with the most penalties scored since 2000

November 10, 2025 Kris Isaksen

Penalties can define matches, careers, and entire tournaments. Some players thrive in those nerve-wracking moments, becoming trusted penalty takers for both club and country. Here are the ten players who have scored the most penalties since the year 2000—counted from the fewest to the most.

Dušan Tadić – 85 penalties

Dusan Tadic — Orange Pictures / Shutterstock.com

Dušan Tadić kicks off the list with 85 penalties scored. Impressively, 33% of his 259 career goals have come from the spot—the highest percentage of any player featured here.

Ciro Immobile – 86 penalties

Photo: Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com

Ciro Immobile has netted 86 times from the spot, making up 24% of his 365 career goals. Known for his consistency in front of goal, he remains a key figure in Italian football even into his mid-thirties.

Francesco Totti – 86 penalties

Francesco Totti matches Immobile's tally with 86 penalties, but his came during a one-club career at Roma. With 27% of his 572 goals coming from the spot, he was a reliable and iconic penalty taker.

Zlatan Ibrahimović – 87 penalties

Zlatan Ibrahimović converted 87 penalties during a career filled with goals, drama, and charisma. Those spot-kicks accounted for 15% of his total 572 goals, scored across Europe’s top leagues.

Robert Lewandowski – 88 penalties

Robert Lewandowski edges ahead with 88 penalties, just 13% of his staggering 701-goal haul. That low percentage speaks to his dominance in open play over nearly two decades.

Neymar – 91 penalties

Neymar has converted 91 penalties, making up 20% of his 445 total career goals. Despite sharing the pitch with superstars, he was often the designated penalty taker at both club and international level.

Harry Kane – 96 penalties

Harry Kane has scored 96 penalties, a key part of his 491-goal tally. With 20% of his goals coming from the spot, the Englishman has built a reputation for composure and precision in high-pressure moments.

Lionel Messi – 114 penalties

Lionel Messi has scored 114 penalties, despite taking fewer than many might expect for someone with 892 goals. Only 13% of his strikes came from the spot—an impressive stat given his all-around scoring ability.

Hulk – 119 penalties

Hulk sits in second place with 119 penalties—an impressive 27% of his 447 goals. Though he never featured in Europe’s elite leagues, his penalty-taking record has been consistently outstanding across continents.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 179 penalties

Cristiano Ronaldo leads the list with a jaw-dropping 179 penalties scored. That’s just 19% of his record-setting 952 career goals, proving he’s as prolific from open play as he is from the spot.