How World Cup Penalty Shootouts Actually Work

Germany and Paraguay just gave us the first shootout of the 2026 tournament after 120 goalless minutes in Boston. With an expanded format and more knockout rounds than ever, here's the exact procedure that decides which team goes home.

The Numbers That Matter

• Extra time duration30 minutes
• Penalties in standard round5 per team
• Coin tosses before shootout2
• World Cup finals decided by shootout3 (1994, 2006, 2022)

The Procedure, Step by Step

The moment the final whistle blows after extra time with scores still level, the referee pulls out a coin. This is where many fans get it wrong: there are actually two coin tosses, not one.

The first toss decides which team shoots first. The second determines which end of the pitch the penalties are taken from—often influenced by where each team's fans are sitting, or which goal has better conditions. FIFA has proposed consolidating this into a single toss where the winner picks one factor and the loser gets the other, but that change isn't happening during this tournament.

Once that's settled, five players from each side step up. Teams alternate kicks, and crucially, only players who were on the pitch when the extra-time whistle blew can take a penalty. That late substitution decision suddenly carries enormous weight.

If both teams score the same number out of five, it goes to sudden death. From that point on, each team takes one penalty at a time, alternating, until someone misses and their opponents score. There's no limit—matches have been decided on the eighth, ninth, even tenth round of sudden death kicks.

The Fine Print That Changes Everything

Goalkeepers must have both feet on the goal line when the kick is taken. Move too early and the referee can order a retake if the save is made. It's a rule that's been tightened over the years and now gets forensically reviewed.

No rebounds. If the ball hits the post, crossbar, or keeper and bounces back into play, it doesn't matter if a striker follows it in—the kick is over the moment the ball's initial trajectory is complete. That's different from a regular penalty during the match, where you can pounce on the rebound.

Penalty shootouts were introduced at the 1978 World Cup, replacing the previous methods of replays or coin tosses to decide knockout ties. Since then, they've become the sport's most concentrated theatre—entire tournaments hinging on a dozen kicks from twelve yards.

How It Played Out: Germany vs Paraguay

• 90' Match ends 1-1 after regulation
• 90'-120' Extra time played, no goals scored
• 120'+ Referee conducts two coin tosses
• Shootout Germany wins on penalties, first shootout of 2026 World Cup

Why This Tournament Will See More Shootouts

The 2026 World Cup is the first with 48 teams, which means an extra knockout round—the round of 32—before the traditional last 16. More knockout matches statistically means more shootouts, and teams will need deeper penalty-taking squads to navigate the extended format.

Historically, winning a World Cup almost always requires surviving at least one shootout. It's rare for a champion to avoid them entirely. The pressure is different from any other penalty in football: the global audience, the finality, the fact that your nation's World Cup dream dies if you miss.

Three Finals Decided From the Spot

1994: Brazil beat Italy (Rose Bowl, Pasadena)

Roberto Baggio's skied penalty gave Brazil their fourth World Cup. The match finished 0-0 after extra time—the only goalless World Cup final.

2006: Italy beat France (Olympiastadion, Berlin)

Zinedine Zidane's last match ended with a red card for a headbutt, and Italy's David Trezeguet hit the bar in the shootout. Italy won 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

2022: Argentina beat France (Lusail Stadium, Qatar)

The wildest final in decades: 3-3 after Mbappé's hat-trick, then Emiliano Martínez's saves sealed Argentina's third World Cup. Messi finally got his trophy.

FAQ

Yes, once all five designated takers have shot and it goes to sudden death, players cycle back through. You'll often see the first or second kicker step up again in the sixth or seventh round.

It can't happen under the current rules—only players on the pitch at the end of extra time can take penalties, and you'll always have at least eleven available (including the goalkeeper). But if a team had players sent off, the other side must match the number of kickers in sudden death rounds.

No. Shootout goals don't count in official scoring records. The match is recorded as a draw for statistical purposes, with the shootout winner advancing. So a Golden Boot race is never decided by penalty kicks.

Absolutely. Several have done it in World Cup shootouts. As long as the goalkeeper was on the pitch when extra time ended, they're eligible—and some coaches use them as confident last-round kickers.