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In football’s highest-pressure moments like the finals, semifinals or knockout games, scoring a penalty can make you immortal. But missing one can haunt careers and define legacies. Here are 10 unforgettable penalty misses by elite players whose shots sent shockwaves through the sport.
1. Andrea Pirlo: 2005 UEFA Champions League Final (25 May 2005)
In one of the most iconic matches ever, Liverpool vs AC Milan in Istanbul’s 2005 UCL final, AC Milan legend Andrea Pirlo had a chance in extra time that flew over the bar, a moment remembered before the dramatic shootout that followed. In the penalty shootout itself, Pirlo’s spot kick was saved by Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek, setting the tone for Milan’s defeat in what became the “Miracle of Istanbul.”
2. Cristiano Ronaldo: 2012 UCL Semifinal
While Cristiano Ronaldo is known for late, decisive goals, a rare crucial penalty miss came in the 2012 Champions League semifinal when Real Madrid were eliminated, a moment that underlined even the greats get it wrong when the pressure is highest. This miss helped pave the way for opponents to progress at Madrid’s expense.
3. Arjen Robben: 2012 UEFA Champions League Final (19 May 2012)
The Dutch winger, usually cool from the spot, saw his extra-time penalty saved by Chelsea keeper Petr Čech in the 2012 UCL final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Had he scored, Bayern would likely have sealed it, but the miss kept the game alive and Chelsea ultimately triumphed in the shootout.
4. David Trezeguet: 2006 FIFA World Cup Final (9 July 2006)
France vs Italy in Berlin reached penalties after a dramatic draw. David Trezeguet had the chance to level the shootout, but his kick hit the crossbar and rebounded out. With every other player scoring, France lost 5–3 to Italy, denying them the World Cup in a heart-breaking climax.
5. Andriy Shevchenko: 2005 UEFA Champions League Final (25 May 2005)
Already a Milan legend, Shevchenko stepped up for the decisive penalty in Istanbul, but his shot was comfortably saved by Dudek as Liverpool completed one of football’s greatest comebacks from 3–0 down. It was a cruel twist for a striker who had scored Milan’s winning penalty in 2003.
6. John Terry: 2008 UEFA Champions League Final (21 May 2008)
Chelsea’s veteran player slipped from the spot in a high-stakes shootout against Manchester United in Moscow. His miss, when the Blues were moments away from their first Champions League title saw the ball strike the post. Chelsea eventually lost the shootout 6–5. Teammate Claude Makelele suggests Terry wasn’t originally meant to take that spot kick, adding to the drama of that night.
7. Asamoah Gyan: 2010 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinal (2 July 2010)
Ghana’s talisman discovered the cruel side of destiny in Johannesburg. After Luis Suárez’s infamous handball denied a last-minute goal, Gyan stepped up to win the match but his penalty crashed off the crossbar. Uruguay would go on to lift Ghana in a penalty shootout, crushing hopes of Africa’s first World Cup semifinal.
8. Tammy Abraham: 2019 UEFA Super Cup Final (14 August 2019)
In the 2019 Super Cup against Liverpool, Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham had a chance from the penalty spot. His miss came in a high-profile final where every moment mattered.
9. Roberto Baggio: 1994 FIFA World Cup Final (17 July 1994)
Probably the most infamous miss in football history. In Pasadena, Italy faced Brazil in a shootout after a 0–0 draw. Baggio, one of the world’s greatest, blasted his penalty over the bar, handing Brazil the title. He later called it one of the worst moments of his career: a miss that still echoes decades later.
10. Brahim Díaz: 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final (18 January 2026)
In the dramatic AFCON final between Morocco and Senegal, Díaz was awarded a late penalty after a chaotic delay but his Panenka-style attempt was easily saved by Senegal’s Édouard Mendy. Morocco would go on to lose 1–0 after extra time, and Díaz’s miss was intensely felt by fans and pundits alike. He publicly apologised, acknowledging the emotional weight of the moment.
Misses prove that no matter a player’s pedigree, penalties are a perennial test of courage and composure. Often they define careers, haunt memories and remind us that even the greatest are human when the stakes are highest.
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