DALLAS -- Since the first World Cup penalty shootout in Spain in 1982, 39 knockout ties have been decided from the spot. Five semifinals and three finals have been won on penalties. There have been four shootouts already this summer, with wins by Paraguay, Morocco, Egypt and Switzerland.
Preparing for penalties will be part of the buildup for 2026 semifinalists France, Spain, England and Argentina as they look to reach Sunday's final in New York. For the players involved, it will be one of the most nerve-racking situations in careers already full of high-pressure moments.
Historically, Argentina have had the edge. No team has faced more World Cup penalty shootouts than their seven. Of those, they've won six, including two on their way to lifting the trophy in Qatar four years ago.
- Preview: What you need to know about World Cup semifinals
- Hate extra time, penalties? Meet the man trying to replace them
- Connelly: How the four semifinalists score their goals
Lionel Messi holds the joint-record for the most shootout penalties scored with three (in 2014 and twice in 2022) next to Roberto Baggio and Luka Modric. Messi has, though, already missed two in normal time at this tournament.
Spain, meanwhile, will perhaps not feel particularly confident if their semifinal against France goes to penalties. Alongside the Netherlands, they hold the record for most penalty exits with four and they've been knocked out of the last two World Cups after shootouts -- against Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022.
Argentina (86%) are the only 2026 semifinalist with a shootout success rate above 50%. France (won two and lost three) stand at 40% while England (won one and lost three) are at 25%. Spain (won one, lost four) have won just 20% of their World Cup shootouts.
Only the U.S. seem to be immune to penalty pain. They've played a record eight World Cup knockout matches without ever facing a shootout. Croatia have been involved in four (two each in 2018 and 2022) without ever losing.
The chances of winning the World Cup without having to suffer through at least one shootout is about 50-50. There have been 11 editions since the 1982 tournament with five eventual champions having to face at least one shootout in the knockout rounds.
Spain, France, England and Argentina have all made it to the last four without needing penalties. But as the semifinals approach, team analysts and staff will be working with goalkeepers Unai Simón, Mike Maignan, Jordan Pickford and Emi Martinez to ensure they're ready for any eventuality. And how each individual prepares in the coming days will be different depending on how much -- or how little -- information they want ahead of the game.
"It varies with goalkeepers and it depends on how the coaches and analysts want to set it up," Manchester United and England goalkeeper Tom Heaton told ESPN. "Sometimes it's completely down to the goalkeeper. It's just a feel in the moment for what the goalkeeper does. That's rare these days, but it still happens.
"The opposite end of the spectrum would be looking at a taker's previous penalties and the data around those penalties. What foot they take with, where they go, what they've done when they've missed one. Is there any pattern? It goes very in depth. Often the footage dates back to youth team levels.
"There's a lot of information that's available and different people use it in different ways. For me, it's more about understanding what style of taker they are. That will all happen in the lead-up to a game -- two days before and the day before. Sometimes on the day, but not often.
"If the game goes to a shootout after the final whistle, you generally have a little look at the work that's been done. Sometimes it's on a water bottle or the goalkeeper coach has a sheet that you can take with you. That's just a little revamp of what you're thinking for each taker."
When West Germany and France took part in the first World Cup penalty shootout in 44 years ago, goalkeepers Toni Schumacher and Jean-Luc Ettori relied heavily on how they felt in the moment before deciding which way to dive. These days, there's endless information on almost every taker, and the data suggests that knowledge is power for goalkeepers.
In 1982, 1986 and 1990, the shootout success rate for takers was above 70%. Since 2018, it's dropped below 67%. So far in 2026, only 25 of the 40 shootout penalties have been scored -- a success rate of 63%. If either of the 2026 semifinals go to penalties, it will be down to Simon, Maignan, Pickford and Martinez to decide whether to trust the data or go with their gut.
"My personal view would be to have a little bit of information," said Heaton, who was part of England's staff at Euro 2024. "What foot they take with, where they've gone in the past and what style they prefer. So you put all that in the pot.
"After that, I like to make my decision purely in the moment. I don't think there's a better way than taking ownership and making your own decision because then, you fully commit to it. If someone is telling you where to dive, timing that with full commitment isn't as easy. I think having the information but allowing your goalkeeper the space to make their own decision at the time is the best way forward."
While goalkeepers face plenty of decisions before choosing what to do, so do the takers.
Kylian Mbappé and Bruno Guimarães have faced criticism for missing penalties after employing a stuttered run-up -- a tactic designed to force the goalkeeper to move early. But if the keeper is bold enough to stand up for as long as possible, the taker can reach the ball with very little momentum and no way of generating power. It's something Mbappé found out to his cost when Morocco's Yassine Bounou made a relatively comfortable save from his spot kick in the quarterfinals.
"The stutter run-up makes it difficult for goalkeepers," said Heaton. "Just on the basis that the conventional method of running up and hitting it would allow a goalkeeper to move early. With the stutter run-up, the taker is generally looking for goalkeeper movement, so you have to wait for longer.
"I think in the last couple of years you've seen goalkeepers dealing with the stutter run-up a lot better than when it first started. What's toughest, though, is when you've got a taker who stutters, but also does it conventionally, so you don't know if they're going to stutter or take a more conventional penalty.
"If you can prepare for a stutter and he doesn't do it, then your timing is off. On the other side, if you can prepare for a conventional penalty and they stutter, the goalkeeper can go early and the taker will see it in plenty of time. The most difficult part from a goalkeeper's perspective is when a player mixes between the two."
While the data and preparation is one thing in penalty shootouts, the pressure is another. It's also something that even extensive modern technology cannot measure.
Having the hopes of a nation resting on one kick of a ball from 12 yards out is a tricky thing for any player to manage. For some -- particularly at this stage of a World Cup -- it can be career-defining. For any penalty taker in the semifinals, the onus will be on them to score. Goalkeepers, though, are not immune from the weight of expectation.
Ahead of Australia's shootout against Egypt in the round of 32, first-choice keeper Patrick Beach was replaced with Mat Ryan specifically for penalties. But Ryan didn't get near any of Egypt's attempts and Australia went out. It was a gamble that didn't pay off.
"Generally speaking, the pressure is on the player taking it," said Heaton. "But the longer it goes with goals consistently going in, the pressure can start to revert back onto the goalkeeper feeling like they need to make a save.
"At the outset, I'd say the pressure is on the taker to score. But as the shootout goes on and depending on what's happening, it can start to come back onto the goalkeeper."
World Cup semifinals make heroes and villains -- especially if it comes down to penalties. Spain, France, Argentina and England are all facing the nail-biting prospect as they prepare to battle for a place in the final. For takers and goalkeepers, there's no pressure quite like it.