Defenders Struggle with Penalties as World Cup 2026 Hits Lowest Conversion Rate Since 1966

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup advances to the quarterfinals starting Thursday, an unusual trend has emerged involving defenders and penalty kicks. So far, 59 penalties have been taken throughout the tournament, including shootouts, but only 39 have resulted in goals, yielding a success rate of just 66.1 percent. This is the lowest penalty conversion rate recorded in a World Cup since 1966.

Defenders have been particularly ineffective from the penalty spot. Of the 10 defenders who have taken penalties, six have missed, with five failing to even hit the target. Notable defenders who missed include Manuel Akanji, Harry Souttar, Jonathan Tah, Davinson Sánchez, Lucas Harrington, and Fabian Balbuena.

Additionally, Lionel Messi has set an unwanted record for the tournament. The Argentine captain has scored four out of eight penalty attempts in World Cup history, with his four misses marking the highest number of missed penalties by any player in the tournament's history.

This penalty struggle highlights a significant challenge for defensive players in high-pressure moments during the 2026 World Cup, contributing to an overall historic low in penalty success rates.