Most Penalty Shootouts of Argentina Team: FIFA World Cup Records and Statistics
Which teams have recorded the maximum number of penalty shootouts at the different FIFA World Cup matches that are played.
Image Credit: twitter.com/@Kuffiyateam
Few football-related events are as tense as a penalty shootout. The strain increases even further when World Cup advancement stakes are considered. However, Argentina is one of the select few teams that has navigated the complexities of FIFA World Cup penalty shootouts, having participated in five of them, the most of any team.
Despite having a perfect record, only Germany has won that many tiebreakers, with Argentina taking four of those five. Additionally, it defeated the Netherlands, which it will face in the 2022 tournament’s quarterfinals, 4-2 in 2014. Following are all the penalty shootouts in which Argentina has participated:
1990 – Argentina vs Yugoslavia
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In the quarterfinal of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, Argentina met Yugoslavia, and the game went scoreless after 120 minutes of play. This was Argentina’s first experience with a shootout.
After 12 minutes of the encounter against the Soviets, Sergio Goycochea became a legend. He is shown below in action against Yugoslavia and seated by his jubilant teammates after saving a critical penalty against Italy. And back home, following the World Cup, the Argentine goalie is almost as well-liked as Diego Maradona.
Sergio Goycochea, an Argentine, saved Yugoslavia’s final two penalties, allowing Diego Maradona to win the shootout despite missing his penalty.
1990 – Argentina vs Italy
Argentina didn’t have to wait long to experience another penalty shootout as it played host Italy to a 1-1 draw in the tournament’s semifinal round. The four unstoppable penalties the Argentine shooters hammered in were made with laser-like precision. Italy maintained its lead until Roberto Donadoni’s fourth attempt, which Goycochea stopped. Goycochea then duplicated the manoeuvre against Aldo Serena in the ensuing kick to help his team escape a second straight penalty.
1998 – Argentina vs England
Eight years later, against England in Round 16, Argentina won its third straight penalty shootout. The game included:
- Each team scored four goals.
- David Beckham received a red card.
- A late Sol Campbell goal is being ruled out.
Carlos Roa of Argentina moves to his right to block David Batty of England’s penalty kick. Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals thanks to THE SAVE… AND THE CELEBRATION: After a job well done, a jubilant Roa celebrates. On his left, a forlorn Batty stands.
Argentina eventually prevailed in the penalty shootout, condemning England to another penalty loss. Hernan Crespo missed Argentina’s second attempt, but Carlos Roa stopped attempts from David Batty and Paul Ince to advance the South Americans.
2006 – Argentina vs Germany
Argentina‘s lone loss in a FIFA World Cup shootout was in 2006 against Germany, who were shootout pros. German players react after goaltender Jens Lehmann’s (1) save to keep Germany ahead of Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinal shootout. To outwit Argentina, German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann employed every stratagem in the book (even a crumpled piece of paper with extensive statistics on Argentine shooters’ penalty attempts). Germany maintained its perfect record in World Cup shootouts despite errors from Roberto Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso.
2014 – Argentina vs Netherlands
In the 2014 World Cup semi-final shootout against the Netherlands, Argentina got back to victory. After Argentina and the Netherlands’ World Cup semi-final game ended in a shootout, Argentina’s Sergio Romero saved a penalty shot from Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands. Sergio Romero saved penalties from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder to help Argentina advance to the championship game, where it eventually lost to Germany.
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