One of World Cup history’s most memorable penalty misses occurred at this year’s tournament. With England trailing 2-1 to France in stoppage time and needing a goal, Harry Kane stepped up to take a penalty for England.
Kane struck his penalty straight over Hugo Lloris and missed the target. The miss sent shockwaves across the football world and cost England dearly as they lost the match 2-1.
However, this penalty miss was not the only high-profile one at the World Cup finals. This article looks at other notable misses that have changed the course of the competition.
David Trezeguet (France vs Italy, 2006)
David Trezeguet can’t be blamed for missing his penalty kick in the 2006 World Cup final. After all, he was just one of 11 players taking part in the shootout, and his team had been playing for 120 minutes before that.
But one person does have to bear the burden of a failed penalty kick: the shooter. And in this case, it was David Trezeguet.
The cruelty of penalties is that one person must bear the brunt of failure and reap all the glory if they succeed. In this case, Trzequet had to score his penalty to level out the shootout and give France an equal chance at winning.
But instead of scoring, it hit the crossbar and rebounded back into play, allowing Fabio Grosso to score Italy’s final penalty and win their fourth World Cup title.
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana vs Uruguay, 2010)
Asamoah Gyan’s penalty miss against Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup is one of the most shocking moments in football history.
The Ghanaian striker was poised to send his country through to the next stage of the tournament and even score a dramatic last-minute winner. But Gyan’s kick was so badly misjudged that he hit the post instead of a goal.
The miss was so bad it became known as “the worst penalty ever taken” and has been replayed thousands of times on YouTube. It also sparked a global debate about how much pressure there is on players who take penalties.
Roberto Baggio (Italy vs Brazil, 1994)
Roberto Baggio will forever be remembered for his penalty miss against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup.
Baggio was at the peak of his powers in the USA. He had scored five goals to lead Italy to the finals, where they faced an in-form Brazil outfit. Neither side could find a goal after 120 minutes, meaning it would all come down to penalties.
Baggio stepped up to level the scores, but he skied his shot high and wide, giving Brazil the win and leaving him with a record that will haunt him forever.
