Defenders Struggle with Penalties as World Cup 2026 Sets Historic Low Conversion Rate

As the 2026 World Cup reaches the quarterfinal stage, a notable trend has emerged regarding penalty kicks, particularly among defenders. 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%. This is the lowest penalty conversion rate recorded in a World Cup since 1966.

Defenders have been especially 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 players who missed include Manuel Akanji, Harry Souttar, Jonathan Tah, Davinson Sánchez, Lucas Harrington, and Fabian Balbuena.

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

The quarterfinals begin on Thursday, with these penalty struggles highlighting an unusual and challenging aspect of this World Cup's defensive players and star performers alike.