Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated soccer over the last two decades. They have created countless records, won all possible trophies in club soccer, and scored a bucketload of goals, including penalties. Combined, the two superstars scored bagged 200 goals from the penalty spot before they bid Europe goodbye in 2023.
Continue reading to know how many goals Messi and Ronaldo each scored from the penalty spot, and meet eight others who accompany the two aliens on this list of most penalties scored for clubs playing in the top five European leagues since 2000.
#10 Wissam Ben Yedder – 47 Penalty Goals
In 10th, we have AS Monaco center-forward, Wissam Ben Yedder. The 33-year-old has stepped up to take 53 spot-kicks in his career, all for clubs in the top five European leagues. He has successfully put away 47 of them and missed six.
The former French international scored thrice in 19 games in international soccer. However, none of his goals came from the spot.
#9 Frank Lampard – 50 Penalty Goals
Scoring 50 penalty goals for Chelsea (49) and West Ham United (1), Premier League icon Frank Lampard has secured the ninth place in the rankings.
Lampard, who is Chelsea’s all-time top-scorer — 211 goals in 648 games — took 70 penalty kicks before calling it a day in February 2017. He successfully put away 60 and missed 10.
#8 Domenico Berardi – 51 Penalty Goals
Only 29, Domenico Berardi has already established himself as a club legend at Sassuolo. He has played 369 games in all competitions, scoring 142 times and providing 94 assists. A whopping 51 of his club goals have come from the spot, reflecting his proficiency as the team’s designated penalty-kick taker.
Overall, Berardi has taken 62 penalties in his career, scoring 54 and missing only eight. If he keeps this up, he will have no issues climbing higher up the rankings in the coming years.
#7 Edinson Cavani – 52 Penalty Goals
Paris Saint-Germain legend Edinson Cavani has claimed the seventh spot, having scored 52 penalty goals for clubs plying their trade in the top five European leagues since 2000.
The Uruguayan, who now represents Boca Juniors, has taken 75 penalty kicks in his career, scoring 61 and missing 14. The former Uruguay international’s last penalty came in Boca Junior’s 5-2 win over CA Talleres in October 2023.
#6 Ciro Immobile – 60 Penalty Goals
One of the best Italian strikers the game has ever seen, Ciro Immobile has scored 60 penalty goals in the top five European leagues and their associated competitions. Across his illustrious career, the 33-year-old has taken 91 penalty kicks, scoring 75 and missing 16.
Immobile, who is set to remain with Lazio until June 2026, missed his last penalty in a 4-0 win over Spezia on October 2, 2022. He has since converted all the eight penalties he has taken.
#5 Robert Lewandowski – 62 Penalty Goals
Barcelona ace Robert Lewandowski has scored 62 goals from the penalty spot since joining his first top-five European club — Borussia Dortmund — in July 2010. Overall, the Polish superstar has 86 spot kicks, dispatching 77 of those and missing just nine.
Lewandowski’s last penalty miss came for Poland at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. His miss proved to be decisive as Poland were held to a goalless draw by Mexico. At Barcelona, he has taken five penalties, scoring four and missing one.
#4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 69 Penalty Goals
Former Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), AC Milan, and Manchester United superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the fourth name on the list. The Sweden icon scored an impressive 69 penalties for clubs belonging to the top five European leagues before hanging up his boots in July 2023.
Ibrahimovic, who spent two years at LA Galaxy after leaving Manchester United in March 2018, took 102 penalty kicks in total. He scored 85 of those and missed 17.
#3 Francesco Totti – 73 Penalty Goals
AS Roma’s most iconic soccer player, Francesco Totti was a penalty-kick expert. The legendary Second Striker scored a whopping 73 penalties for I Giallorossi across competitions between 2000 and 2017. In total, the one-club man scored 307 goals and claimed 210 assists in 783 games for the Serie A outfit.
According to Transfermarkt, Totti took 106 penalties in his career. He scored 86 of them and missed 20.
#2 Lionel Messi – 84 Penalty Goals
Barcelona legend and former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi scored 84 penalty goals for the two clubs before moving to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami in the summer of 2023. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner does not necessarily have the best record when it comes to penalties, but he has a knack for stepping up when the time comes. The most recent instance of it took place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, during which he scored two penalties — one in regular time and one during the shootout — to propel Argentina to a win over France.
Messi has taken 140 penalties in his career, scoring 109 and missing 31.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – 129 Penalty Goals
Scoring 129 penalty goals across the top five European leagues and associated competitions since 2000, Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed the top spot by a landslide. The Portuguese superstar, who scored a massive 54 goals for Al-Nassr and Portugal in 2023, is arguably the best penalty-kick taker the game has ever seen, and he has numbers to show for it.
Throughout his illustrious career, Ronaldo has taken a whopping 189 penalties. He has scored 160 and missed just 29. His last miss came at Manchester United in an FA Cup defeat to Middlesbrough back in February 2022. He has taken 17 penalties since, scoring all of them.
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