Record Market Values for Football Players - Who Were the Top Investments and When
Who’s most valuable player in the world in a way reveals who is the best. Or best investment. So here are the record market values for football players ever!
Called a game of chance by those wanting to put more uncertainty in the moment when the game of football comes down to two people - the goalkeeper and the penalty taker. Yet, penalty-taking is actually as skill-based as any other aspect of the beautiful sport. As proven by these football players who have never missed a penalty in their careers.
The fact there are only a few names on this list is a testament to how difficult this achievement in itself is.
For comparison, it’s important to look at the best penalty takers in the world right now in terms of percentages. Even Cristiano Ronaldo has missed over 15% of the penalties he took. Erling Haaland has had four misses out of 45 attempts!
Of course, this list of football players who have never missed a penalty doesn’t include players who have taken only a single attempt. The cut-off is five scored penalties at least.
But before we get into the players with the perfect records, we have to give out honourable mentions to Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, who scored 48 of the 49 penalties he took! The Englishman with one of the most recognizable playing styles ever transferred his nonchalant technical approach to spot kick taking seamlessly.
*All the numbers have been double-checked on both Fbref and Transfermarkt. Old players or those from low leagues whose records couldn’t be checked on at least two sources weren’t included.
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The 35-time capped Greece international scored his five goals in the Bundesliga, all while representing Eintracht Frankfurt. Leaving his striking days behind in 2011, Amanatidis spent his career in Germany and took this one respectful record with him to retirement.
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Retired Iranian right wing player Mehdi Mahdavikia scored five penalties without missing one, all in the Bundesliga. One penalty he scored for Bochum, and four for HSV. The now 46-year-old retired back in 2013.
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Briefly a wonderkid of the time, Adnan Januzaj didn't reach history in many stats as it was hoped by some fans. His time at Real Sociedad remains his best and the current Sevilla representative scored all of his five penalties in La Liga. But all for Real Sociedad.
One of the least hyped English youth players is turning out to be one of the very best in the generation. Cole Palmer isn't built like a typical winger, with his height of 189 - and he's been playing all over the pitch, so his usability was constantly questioned. One thing is sure, the Englishman has been immaculate from the spot - taking five penalties in the 2023/2024 season and scoring all of them.
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Perhaps a bit forgotten Arsenal player, Jeremie Aliadiere was even a penalty-taker for the Gunners, albeit in the League Cup back in 2006. Four of his other six came for Lorient in Ligue 1. The French centre-forward moved to Qatar afterwards and scored one of his penalties there. He retired in 2017.
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Another representative of Bundesliga clubs, who scored five of his in the German top flight, one for Wolfsburg and four for Mainz. The Turkey international put one past Bern Leno, while also scoring from the penalty in Mainz's rare European outing. Malli is currently with Konyaspor but the last penalty he took was in 2018.
Two penalties in the Premier League with Crystal Palace, two in Bundesliga with Mainz, and two in Ligue 2 and the play-off to avoid it. Jean-Philippe Mateta has one of the most impressive checks on his penalty-taker career - scoring against Alisson. Palace's CF has a contract until 2026 and is currently on penalty duty for the side from Selhurst Park. He can improve his standing on this list of football players who never missed a penalty, or lose his eligibility.
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Another Lorient representative amongst football players who have never missed a penalty and Arnold Mvuemba scored all of his six penalties for the French side. Scoring five times in the top French division, beating Ligue 1 stalwarts Steve Mandanda, Stephane Ruffier, and Cedric Carrasso. All as a defensive midfielder.
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The former Aston Villa player bagged six Premier League penalties and one in the League Cup. With several top-notch goalkeepers beaten in one-on-one - Kepa, Rui Patricio, and Ederson. With Sam Johnstone conceding two of the total seven penalties the two-times capped Netherland's international scored. The 28-year-old is currently without a club but can surely be of use if for nothing else but for taking the penalties.
For all the wasted talent the 27-year-old Dele Alli is often rightfully criticized, yet one aspect of his game remained flawless - penalty taking. Although he hasn't been the busiest with taking them - playing with the best English player will do that - Alli has scored all seven for Tottenham. Although only three in the Premier League - beating one of the tallest players in the game Fraser Forster on one occasion - while the rest happened in the Europa League and Conference League.
The Argentinian deep-lying midfielder is known for his precise passes and thunderous shots. He utilized his abilities in the penalty-taking department as well. Scoring twice for Zenit in the Russian Premier League, twice for Argentina in international friendlies, and three times for his current side Roma in Serie A.
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Still active, the attacking midfielder Pablo de Blasis has scored his fair share of penalties, half of them for Mainz in the Bundesliga, beating Lukas Hradecky and Peter Gulasci in the process amongst others. The Argentinian also put in work from the white spot in his native Argentina, in Spain across two tiers, and in the Europa League for Asteras Tripolis.
Still active at 37, yet Slovan Bratislava's Juraj Kucka has been off penalty duty ever since he left Parma. The club for which he scored seven of the eight penalties, all in Serie A. The Czech central midfielder also represented Sparta Prague and scored one penalty goal for them.
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Not only has the 27-year-old Boulaye Dia scored eight penalties, he has scored all of them in the top five leagues, six in Ligue 1 and two in Serie A. The former Stade Reims player is now Salernitnaa's centre-forward and scored past Simone Scuffet, Alban Lafont, and Pietro Terracciano.
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The 11-times capped Spanish central midfielder Sergio scored all of his nine penalties for Deportivo La Coruna. A team which he represented 370 times. All but one penalty goals were scored in La Liga, with the Copa del Rey being the other shooting range. Sergio retired in 2011 and is 47 in 2024, mentioning his perfect record at every fiesta.
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The 31-year-old winger is still playing in Brazil, representing Sao Paulo, for which he already scored two penalty kicks. The Brazilian was on penalty duty for Paris Saint-Germain where he scored six of his total nine, four of them in Ligue 1, and two in French cups. He also banged one in past Hugo Lloris in a friendly between France and Brazil.
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The former Norway representative has scored 10 penalties, six for Hannover 96, three for Norway, and one for Skeid Oslo. Abdellaoue has two big "scalps" on his record, scoring past Petr Cech and Manuel Neuer! Abdellaoue scored five of his penalties in the Bundesliga and two in international friendlies. The now 38-year-old has left his job as a striker back in 2018.
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A surprising name on the list, yet Junior Stanislas earned his spot in the top levels of football, scoring five of his total 10 in the Premier League, three in the Championship, and once in both FA and League Cups. Nine out of his 10 were scored for Bornsmouth and one for West Ham. With the toughest duelist being Kasper Schmeichel. The 34-year-old winger is already retired and his record is safe.
One of the few players on this list that actually has a solid chance of topping the #1 most secure penalty kick-taker in recorded history. As Romain Del Castillo is only 27 but is consistently converting penalty kicks for his current side Stade Brestois. Eight of his 10 came for Brestois, all in the last two seasons. Prior to that, Del Castillo scored from the spot for Stade Rennais, also in Ligue 1, and for Football Bourg-en-Bresse Peronnas 01 in Ligue 2.
Retired since 2009, Antoine Sibierski hasn't been forgotten as he did have a great statistical return for an attacking midfielder - 111 goals in 539 matches. Meaning that he scored 100 goals from open play. Ligue 1 saw seven penalty kicks, to the joy of Nantes, Lens, Auxerre, and Lille's fans. While in the Premier League, Man City and Wigan fans rejoiced at his calmness from the spot.
Scoring five of his total 12 penalties for his country of Ghana, Jordan Ayew was the country's star player in this department as well. Ayew used to take spot kicks across the clubs he represented - Marseille, Lorient, Aston Villa, and Swansea. Wojciech Szczesny is the most sound name he beat, followed by West Ham's former keeper Adrian, who he bested twice. The 32-year-old is still going strong but hasn't been on club penalty duty since 2018!
The 31-year-old Pablo Sarabia isn't the first thought on anyone's mind when it comes to secure penalty takers, yet the Spaniard is amongst the best active penalty takers. With six goals scored for Sporting, four for Sevilla, and one each for Spain and Wolves, Sarabia has been consistently good. With most goals scored in the Portuguese league, Andre Onana is the biggest name of his direct penalty opponents.
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Claudio Beauvue has a respectable score in this regard yet he is not a threat to those ahead of him, despite being an active player. The reason is that the Guadeloupe international is not playing high-level football anymore. The last time he scored a penalty in the second division was in 2020, and it was in 2018 when he last scored in Ligue 1. Eight of his total 13 came in the French top flight, one in the Europa League, one in the cup, and three in the French and Spanish second divisions. Lyon’s GK and a rare active one-club phenomenon Anthony Lopes is the biggest goalkeeper he faced.
A young penalty-taker in general, let alone for someone who is this confidently accurate from the spot. Joao Pedro is still only 22 years old, yet the Brighton & Hove Albion striker has bagged 13 penalties, never missing once. Three of these have come in the Championship with Watford, while the rest were scored in Brighton's name across the Europa League (4), Premier League (3), and the FA Cup (2). Interestingly, Pedro scored penalty braces in three games already, beating Vicario, Ivo Grbic, and Cican Stankovic twice in 90 minutes. While Stankovic has conceded three penalties overall to him.
All of Javi de Pedro's 15 successful penalties gave joy to Real Sociedad fans, as the left midfielder played 324 games for the club and only a handful (8) for three different clubs, it's not surprising. The 12-times capped Spanish international is enjoying his retirement since 2007 and sprucing it up by bragging about how he beat Victor Valdes and Vitor Baia both in an eye-to-eye duel.
The famed Premier League midfielder has had a number of characteristics that made him such a memorable and cherished player. Strong in a duel, sound technical ability, leadership, great shot, but also immaculate from the spot.
The Ivory Coast national team member scored 15 total career penalties - all he ever took. Just one coming for his country.
Of the 14 penalties he scored for City, 10 have happened in the games City ended up winning by a goal difference of three or more! He scored a penalty brace that turned into a hat-trick from in-play against Fulham in a 5:0 during the 2013/2014 campaign.
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Australia's retired defensive midfielder was a cult figure in the Premier League, where he played 90 games for Crystal Palace. He almost played all the possible games of the 2013/2014 season but a late injury robbed him of that feat with 30 minutes remaining.
Jedinak's penalty record is a different story, however. As the current Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager bagged 16 out of 16 penalties he took. Most of them for Australia, his national team. As a captain for both Australia and Crystal Palace, he provided the extra security and leadership with his perfect penalty-taking.
With a captain's armband on, Jedinak scored two penalties at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In addition to eight other penalties, he scored for Australia. Other than that, the defensive midfielder has been recorded with four successful penalties for the London side. Jedinak, 39, has retired from playing in 2020 as well.
As for other articles about football players who have never missed a penalty, they are often either outdated or more concerned with myth and hearsay.
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