Penalty is considered to be the easiest way for any player to score a goal in football. However, this is one of the most confusing things about the game. From the outside, it seems that a player only needs to put the ball into the 7.320 meter wide goal post, but inside, it is one of the most difficult tasks.

Top 10 Players with Most Penalty Misses in the 21st Century

Penalty is considered to be the easiest way for any player to score a goal in football. However, this is one of the most confusing things about the game. From the outside, it seems that a player only needs to put the ball into the 7.320 meter wide goal post, but inside, it is one of the most difficult tasks. Penalty is more than just a skill. They need a strong mental state to succeed under pressure. Even the greats of the game have succumbed to the pressure penalty.

Scoring from the spot is a difficult art that many players have mastered. But today we are going to take a look at the top 10 players who have missed the most penalties in the 21st century.

10. Sergio Aguero – 12

Sergio Aguero is Manchester City’s biggest icon and one of the most dominant strikers of the 21st century. Sadly, he retired last year due to heart problems. However, for 10 years, Aguero wore the City jersey and scored breathtaking goals. He is the top goalscorer for the club and also has many achievements in the Premier League. However, he did not have a great record when it came to converting from that spot, as Aguero missed 12 Penalties of his 61 attempts.

9. Frank Lampard – 13

Frank Lampard is one of the highest goalscoring midfielders of all time. The goal-scoring numbers posted season after season introduced a new dimension to midfielders around the world. Apart from being an elite goalscorer, he was also a top penalty taker. However, Frank Lampard also missed 13 of his 80 penalties in his career.

8. Ronaldinho – 13

Ronaldinho is a household name in the world of football. Her magical abilities and beauty made her a fan favorite. Be it a free kick or a long ranger, he was a clutch player and capable of scoring from anywhere. However, his penalty record was not impeccable. Ronaldinho missed 13 of 68 penalties to register himself in the list.

7. Wayne Rooney – 13

Rooney is Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer and the greatest English striker since Alan Shearer. Throughout his career, the English striker set several goalscoring records. Despite this, he struggled to score from the spot or Penalty. He looked more cautious in the matter of penalty. Rooney missed 13 penalties out of 53 chances.

6. Edinson Cavani – 14

Edinson Cavani is another prolific striker who made a huge impact on the clubs he played for and Uruguay. He has proved himself in European leagues like Serie A, Ligue 1 and Premier League and now we will see him in the Spanish league as well. Although Cavani is a deadly striker, he doesn’t have the best penalty kick. Cavani missed 14 of 73 penalties.

5. Antonio Di Natale – 15

Antonio Di Natale is a former Italian striker and Serie A veteran. He spent his entire club career playing Italian football, scoring 258 goals in 606 appearances. With his incredible physical presence in the box, Natale was a predator. However, he struggled with penalties and had a poor record. In the 21st century, Antonio Di Natalemissed 15 of 58 penalties.

4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic- 16

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the self-proclaimed ‘Lion‘ of world football. It’s been a long road for him as he has defied expectations throughout his career, and he is still not fulfilled at 40 years old. He has played in almost every top league in the world and can be considered a journeyman of the game. Although the forward had a reputation for ruthlessness, he did not have good penalty numbers. In 92 occasions where he was on the spot  or Penalty and Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed 16 times.

3. Francesco Totti – 19

Francesco Totti’s name is a symbol of loyalty. He was a dangerous forward who won many games on his own for AS Roma and Italy. He scored 250 club goals during his 25-year career before retiring in 2017. However, Francesco Totti missed 19 penalties in his entire career, earning him a place on this list.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 29

Ronaldo is one of the biggest stars in the game, and everyone knows what he has accomplished on the field. For his teams, he has always been a definite marksman in pressure situations, especially when it comes to taking penalties. He has always been the leading penalty taker for any team he plays for. However, more opportunities also bring more misses, and Ronaldo was no exception. Ronaldo missed a total of 29 penalties in 172 attempts.

1. Lionel Messi – 32

Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi is also one of the biggest stars of football. He is regarded as one of the greatest of all time (G.O A.T) and has backed up these claims with flawless performances. The Argentine player is a complete player who has all the attributes of his game. However, Messi’s most important quality is his ability to crumble under pressure. He has found himself in hot water several times for missing crucial penalties. The PSG Striker Lionel Messi has taken 140 penalties (as of December 13), scoring 108 and missing 32.