Shocking! The Unexpected Nation Cursed by the Worst World Cup Penalty Record—And How It Could Seal Their Fate

When thinking about penalty shootout heartache, it would be easy to immediately picture England.

The Three Lions' penalty curse was widely discussed before their cathartic shootout win over Colombia in the Round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup.

You might also think of Netherlands, which has a comparable reputation for struggling with the nerve-wracking test of spot kicks. Perhaps it's Italy and Roberto Baggio's iconic blazed effort at USA '94 that comes to mind. Or maybe your first thought turns to France—the only country to lose more than one World Cup final via shootout.

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Somewhat surprisingly, it is actually Spain who lead the way in penalty shootout losses at men's World Cups, with four.

Spain Holders of Surprising Record

La Roja—justifiably—are among this summer's leading contenders, yet they have not actually won a knockout match at a World Cup since claiming the title back in 2010.

In 2014, the reigning champions failed to advance from the group stage, suffering a stunning 5–1 thrashing by Netherlands and a 2–0 loss to Chile. Since that point, it has been nothing but agonizing penalty drama.

In 2018, Fernando Hierro's side were eliminated by host nation Russia in the last 16—with Koke and Iago Aspas both missing in the shootout defeat. Four years later in Qatar, history repeated itself, only more painfully. Spain fell 3–0 on penalties to surprise outfit Morocco, with Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets all failing to convert.

Penalty Record at World Cups

Penalty misery has become an unwanted pattern for La Roja, with no nation 'boasting' more shootout defeats than Spain's four since the format was introduced to the World Cup in 1978.

Alongside the losses to Morocco (2022) and Russia (2018), Spain were also knocked out by Belgium in the 1986 quarterfinals and by South Korea at the same stage in 2002.

Spain's only ever penalty shootout victory also came in 2002, in the preceding round, when they defeated the Republic of Ireland 3–2 on spot kicks. Although Hierro, Rubén Baraja and Gaizka Mendieta all scored that day, misses from Juanfran and Juan Carlos Valerón meant goalkeeper Iker Casillas had to step up as the hero, making two crucial saves.

Behind Spain in the standings are England, France, Italy and Netherlands—each with three shootout defeats.

By contrast, Argentina—who defeated France in the 2022 final—hold the record for the most World Cup shootout victories, with six from seven attempts.

Could Penalties Play a Factor for Spain This Summer?

Notably, Spain's penalty woes stretch beyond the World Cup. Luis de la Fuente's side lost the UEFA Nations League final to Portugal last year, with the shootout ending 7–5 against them after the game finished 2–2 following extra time.

While they claimed the previous Nations League final against Croatia on penalties in 2023, Spain also suffered a semifinal shootout exit at Euro 2020 to eventual champions Italy.

Álvaro Morata missed decisive kicks in both defeats, but has not been named in the squad for this World Cup.

First-choice goalkeeper Unai Simon boasts a 17.8% penalty save rate for club and country, yet has only managed to stop a single spot kick while representing the national side.

The possibility of matches going the distance this summer will undoubtedly be on De la Fuente's radar, with marginal gains remaining a crucial consideration for elite international coaches. As England can confirm, the habit of losing shootouts is a difficult one to shake.

The Three Lions' efforts to overcome their penalty demons are well-documented, with Gareth Southgate investing heavily in technical preparation and mental conditioning ahead of the 2018 World Cup, challenging the national belief that a shootout is simply a matter of luck.

Ultimately, Spain may not need to navigate a shootout to lift the World Cup—only four of the 13 champions since 1978 have had to—but why leave anything to chance?