England will hope not to face the lottery of a penalty shootout when they meet Argentina in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals tonight. The Three Lions have yet to need spot-kicks this summer, but will be putting more stock than usual into practising from 12 yards ahead of their showdown with the reigning champions in Atlanta.
England's Penalty History
England have a historic habit of cracking under the pressure in a shootout – they have won just four of the 11 they have faced at major tournaments, though three of those four victories have come since 2018. Argentina habitually leave it late to decide matches, so England’s chances of settling their World Cup fate from the spot are higher than ever.
Key Penalty Takers
England brought a star-studded attack into this tournament, and the squad is flush with some clinical penalty takers. Captain Harry Kane is the usual first choice when on the pitch, but, on paper, he is not necessarily England’s finest. The Bayern Munich marksman boasts a superb record from 12 yards, scoring 106 of the 120 open-play penalties he has attempted. There are some glaring misses on his highlight reel, too, the most notable coming against France as England were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup at the quarter-final stage. He also missed one earlier this summer in a group stage meeting with Croatia, but scored at the second time of asking after being handed a retake.
Many suspect Ivan Toney was named in this squad for the express purpose of taking penalties. Dubbed the best penalty taker in the world by former manager Thomas Frank, the Al-Ahli man has scored 57 of the 61 penalties he has taken in his career. Elsewhere, Anthony Gordon and Jude Bellingham have both only failed to convert one penalty in their careers, having attempted 18 and eight, respectively. The same is true of Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, who both missed as Italy beat England in the final of Euro 2020.
Other Contenders
The odds of Eberechi Eze being named among England’s top five takers may have been hurt after he missed one in the Champions League final. Declan Rice did score there, though his strike was not enough to secure victory for Arsenal over Paris Saint-Germain. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has come up with some big penalty saves in his England career and also scored the one spot-kick he has attempted in his career, against Switzerland in 2019.
Who Will Be England’s Five Penalty Takers?
England’s five penalty takers will not be confirmed until it comes time for one of their matches to be settled by a shootout. Tuchel will, of course, have an idea of his five takers already, but will keep his cards close to his chest. He will have to choose from the eleven players on the pitch at full-time, with those substituted off ineligible.
Experts have weighed in to explain who they’d like to see. Speaking exclusively to Standard Sport, BetFair ambassador Alan Shearer named his picks. He said: “Given an ideal world, in no particular order, it would be Harry Kane, it would be Anthony Gordon, it would be Saka, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham – if those five are on the pitch. Without a doubt, Ivan Toney will be in the conversation if he is on the pitch. That was one of the reasons Tuchel took him.”
