World Cup 2026 quarter-finals: penalty kicks guide

It’s impossible to guess exactly who came for the penalty kick alone.

But if we count the away players coming on for the final five minutes of stoppage time, there are only seven (five from 2022) – and only three of those have been counted.

Two penalties this summer came in extra time and did not meet before the final whistle.

Fabian Balbuena saw off Germany’s Manuel Neuer, although Paraguay won the penalty.

Mahmoud Saber scores Egypt’s first free-kick in the last-32 win over Australia – over a goalkeeper who didn’t touch the ball (more on that soon).

In the 2022 final, Paulo Dybala crossed the 120-minute mark to score in Argentina’s win over France.

That same year, when Morocco beat Spain in the last 16, the two teams brought on players in the last two minutes, Bader Benon and Pablo Sarabian, but both were absent.

In the 2006 quarter-final against Portugal, England’s Jamie Carragher made a first-time strike from Ricardo with 2 minutes to go, but the whistle was not blown and he was ordered to take it again.

The first player to score in the last five minutes of extra time with a penalty shot was West Germany’s Pierre Littbarski in the 1986 quarter-final win over Mexico.

Two goalkeepers have come to the end of a World Cup match considering penalties.

Netherlands’ Tim Krul saved two free kicks in the 121st minute of the 2014 quarter-final against Costa Rica.

He remained an unused substitute in the next round – again going into the penalty shoot-out – and the Netherlands went out, with Jasper Cillessen making no saves.

It was Matt Ryan’s turn for Australia this summer – with Egypt scoring all four of their penalties.

Although Krul already knew about the plan, Ryan was told that he would come if the game went into overdrive with a few minutes to go.