Ranking the 10 greatest penalty takers of all time

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest penalty takers in the history of the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest penalty takers in the history of the game.

#5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates a goal for PSG
Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates a goal for PSG

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's stint with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was hugely successful. With 156 goals, the big Swede is the second-highest goalscorer in the club's all-time scoring list. However, he is also the most prolific penalty taker in Ligue 1 history, having scored 24 of his 27 spot-kick attempts in the league for the Parisians.

Ibrahimovic has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Manchester United and PSG.

Known for his immense self-confidence and charisma, Ibrahimovic has always been ready to step up and take key spot-kicks for his team. The Swedish forward has scored an impressive 84 penalties in his career, while he has failed with 16 attempts.


#4 Alan Shearer

Newcastle United's Alan Shearer takes a penalty against Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle United's Alan Shearer takes a penalty against Tottenham Hotspur.

It's no surprise that the Premier League's all-time leading scorer is also the most prolific penalty taker in the history of England's top flight. Alan Shearer, who netted an unbelievable 260 league goals for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, leads the Premier League's penalty-scoring list with 56 successful attempts.

Although there is some debate around his total attempts, notable stats expert Opta suggests Shearer missed 11 league penalties. Meanwhile, sources estimate that Shearer scored a staggering 72 penalties during his decorated career.

The England striker, who won the league title with Blackburn in 1996, led the Premier League in scoring three times in the 1990s. With 30 goals for his country, Shearer is the greatest centre-forward to have graced English football.


#3 Marco van Basten

Marco van Basten is one of the greatest players in football history.
Marco van Basten is one of the greatest players in football history.

Ajax, AC Milan and Dutch legend Marco van Basten is among the greatest players to have graced the game. The striker was a key part of one of AC Milan's most successful sides in the 1980s. However, he was forced to retire at the age of 28 after many knee injuries.

Known for his sensational scoring record and stunning volleyed goals, Marco van Basten scored 51 penalties in his career, missing only four times. That gives him a success rate of 94.4%, which is up there with Matt Le Tissier for the best ever.

Van Basten scored over 270 goals in around 370 combined appearances for AC Milan and Ajax. He also played 58 games for the Netherlands, netting 24 times.

He is best known for winning the Ballon d'Or award three times (1988,1989 and 1992), and scoring arguably the greatest goal in the history of the Euros. He played a key role in the Netherlands' triumph at Euro 1988, which remains their only major international trophy to date.

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