Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Football’s worst penalty records: top 10 players with the most misses

October 20, 2025 Kris Isaksen

Scoring from the spot may seem simple, but even football’s greatest stars have faltered under pressure. From World Cup winners to league legends, here are the 10 players who've missed the most penalties in the 21st century—starting from number 10 and working our way up to the most error-prone taker of all.

10. Sergio Agüero – 14 penalties missed

Sergio Agüero had a strong record overall, scoring 48 of his 62 penalties with a 77.4% conversion rate. Still, one unforgettable miss came in his final Manchester City appearance when an attempted panenka was comfortably saved by Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy.

9. Antonio Di Natale – 14 penalties missed

Di Natale was a Serie A icon, winning the league’s top scorer award twice and becoming Udinese’s all-time leading scorer. Despite his reputation, he missed 14 of his 44 penalties, ending his career with a 75.8% success rate.

8. Edinson Cavani – 16 penalties missed

Cavani’s penalty-taking duties were mostly confined to his Napoli days, as he played second fiddle to other stars at PSG and Manchester United. The Uruguayan missed 16 penalties, though he still maintained a respectable 79.5% conversion rate.

7. Ronaldinho – 16 penalties missed

Better known for dazzling free kicks than penalties, Ronaldinho still took his share from the spot. Although he missed 16 penalties, only those taken after 2001 count here, placing him firmly on this list of high-profile misfires.

6. Zlatan Ibrahimović – 17 penalties missed

Zlatan was never one to shy away from the spotlight and took 104 penalties in his career. Scoring 87 of them, he posted an 83.6% conversion rate, though his 17 misses show even the confident Swede wasn’t immune to pressure.

5. Francesco Totti – 18 penalties missed

Despite being hailed as one of football’s finest penalty takers, Totti missed 18 spot-kicks over his career. Impressively, he went over four seasons without a single miss, ending his career at Roma with a conversion rate above 80%.

4. Ciro Immobile – 19 penalties missed

Lazio’s all-time top scorer and a Serie A legend, Immobile has missed 19 penalties to date. He still boasts an 80.3% conversion rate, a testament to his consistency from the spot over a long and successful career.

3. Neymar – 22 penalties missed

Known for his cool, composed approach to penalties, Neymar has scored 91 times from 12 yards but missed 22. With an 80.5% conversion rate, he’s handled penalty duties for Brazil, PSG, and Santos, but not always without slip-ups.

2. Lionel Messi – 32 penalties missed

Messi has faced his share of heartbreaks from the spot, including a painful miss in the 2016 Copa América final. While he’s converted 77.9% of his penalties, the sheer volume of attempts means he ranks second for most misses since 2001.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 35 penalties missed

Topping the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has missed more penalties than any other player in the 21st century. Despite a solid 83.5% conversion rate and many clutch goals, recent misses for Portugal and Al Nassr prove even legends can falter from the spot.