England is back in a World Cup knockout game. That means penalties are coming. It’s practically a tradition at this point.
The semifinal against Argentina is next. And if history is any guide, this thing could easily go to a shootout. Thomas Tuchel knows it. He’s been preparing for it since before the tournament started.
“I have a penalty program that is so easy for me to just wait for people to tell me who the best shooters are,” Tuchel said. “We trained it. We have a process in place. So we are prepared.”
England’s history with shootouts is rough. Italia 90 against West Germany. Argentina in 1998. Portugal in 2006. The losing streak finally ended in 2018 when Gareth Southgate’s squad beat Colombia. Since then, they’ve won two more against Switzerland, in 2019 and 2024. But there was also that painful Euro 2020 final loss to Italy.
Tuchel has said he thinks England might need to win two shootouts to lift the trophy in North America. That hasn’t happened yet. But the preparation is there.
The Guys Who’ll Step Up
Harry Kane is taking the first one. No debate there. He’s England’s captain, and he’s scored 19 penalties this season between Bayern Munich and the national team. His record in shootouts is perfect: five attempts, five conversions. He mixes up his technique, sometimes stuttering in his run, sometimes just hitting it hard. That variety keeps goalkeepers guessing. He did miss that big one against France in Qatar four years ago, the one that went over the bar. But he went nearly three years after that without missing another one.
Ivan Toney is the specialist. His record is absurd: 62 taken, 58 scored, a 94% clip. That ice-cold stare he does before shooting, not even looking at the ball when he strikes it, is something else. He came off the bench to score in the shootout against Switzerland at Euro 2024, when England hit all five. He hasn’t played a single minute at this World Cup yet. But if a shootout happens, Tuchel is calling his number.
Bukayo Saka is an interesting case. He was one of the three guys who missed in the Euro 2020 final, along with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho. They got abused online for it, which was awful. But Saka bounced back. He scored in the shootout against Switzerland at Euro 2024. He’s only taken two penalties for Arsenal this season, but he buried both. Only one miss in three years.
Anthony Gordon takes them for Newcastle and has a good record: 17 taken, 16 scored. He converted one in a warm-up win over Costa Rica recently. The question is whether he’ll be on the pitch when the shootout starts. If not, Tuchel might sub him for someone else.
Marcus Rashford was another Euro 2020 miss. Southgate regretted bringing him on so late in that game, with almost no time to get into rhythm. Rashford’s record is solid though: he’s scored his last 14 penalties dating back to 2019. He’s only taken one this season, against Serbia in qualifying. But still.
Jude Bellingham doesn’t have a huge track record from the spot — he hasn’t taken one for Real Madrid in 18 months, since Mbappe handles those duties. But he’s the kind of guy who wants the ball in big moments. He converted in the shootout against Switzerland two summers ago. Declan Rice has talked up England’s penalty group, and he specifically mentioned Bellingham as a leading candidate.
Rice himself? Not great from the spot. Three taken, only one scored. He missed two of three for West Ham. But he did score in Arsenal’s Champions League final shootout loss to PSG. He’s also a leader on the field, and he’s said he’ll step up if asked.
Eberechi Eze could be an impact sub, but his penalty record is shaky. Missed one of four for Crystal Palace, and his only attempt for Arsenal in that Champions League final shootout was saved.
Ollie Watkins probably shouldn’t be near a penalty. His record is brutal: 13 taken, six scored, seven missed. He missed both of his last two for Aston Villa last year. That’s rough for a guy who scored that huge goal against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semifinals.
Elliot Anderson and Reece James are both perfect from the spot, one for one each in their careers. And if it goes deep into sudden death, Jordan Pickford is there. He can take one or save one. England has options. Tuchel says he’s ready. We’ll see soon enough.
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