How many World Cup finals have been determined via a penalty shootout?

OddsChecker, which provides football odds and offers, had made his Argentina side the second favourites for glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. That prediction looked a million miles off the point as the Albiceleste lost their opening group game to Saudi Arabia but, of course, that would all change as the tournament progressed. 

The early defeat left Lionel Scaloni’s side down, but not out. They reeled off five consecutive wins to reach a second World Cup final in eight years. And their showdown with France in the Lusail Iconic Stadium showpiece will go down as not just the greatest World Cup final of all time, but perhaps the greatest football match ever played. 

Argentina raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of an early Messi penalty and a brilliant sweeping team goal finished off by Juventus winger Angel Di Maria. France - aiming to become the first nation to successfully retain the trophy since Brazil some 60 years ago - looked dead and buried as the game entered its final stanza. But out of nowhere, the majestic Kylian Mbappe netted twice in an unbelievable 97 seconds to take the tie to extra time. 

Messi would once again give his side the lead in the additional period, only for Mbappe to level the game up from the penalty spot to complete his hat trick and take the tie to penalties. 

In the end, it was Argentine keeper Emiliano Martinez who made himself the hero. His - for want of a better word - sh*thousery forced misses from both Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni and took the famous gold trophy to the streets of Buenos Aires for the first time since the days of Diego Maradona. 

Football fans are always excited to watch the FIFA World Cup, especially when it comes to nail-biting penalty shootouts. Penalty shootouts have been the deciding factor in several world cups, culminating in the winning team being announced in dramatic fashion. Here is the history of the dreaded shootout, and which finals have been decided from the penalty spot. 

Origins 

At the end of the 19th century, the newly formed Football Association in England made the first attempts to introduce a method of deciding a winner in matches that remained tied after 90 minutes. It was proposed that each team take five penalty kicks from 12 yards out, which would be alternated between teams until one had scored more than the other.

However, this idea was initially met with criticism. Some felt that it would put too much pressure on the players. The Football Association soon decided to scrap the idea and instead created the coin toss as a way to decide tied matches.

In the early 1950s, the Dutch Football Association introduced the penalty shootout as a way of deciding tied cup matches. The format that was used was the same as the one proposed by the FA decades before. It was met with hesitance, but the Dutch persisted, and it soon became a popular way of deciding ties in Dutch cup games.

In 1970, FIFA finally accepted the penalty shootout as a legitimate way of deciding ties, and it was first used in the World Cup that year. The rest, as they say, is history!

Which finals were decided from the spot? 

While a number of World Cup finals have gone to extra time, just three, including the final in Qatar, have gone all the way to a penalty shootout. The most memorable penalty shootout by far was in the 1994 final between Brazil and Italy. 

The Azzurri’s Roberto Baggio was undoubtedly one of the players of the tournament in the United States that year. He scored five goals on Italy’s march to the final. However, it was his penalty kick that sailed over the crossbar and handed Brazil the trophy.

Italy were also involved in the second ever World Cup final that was decided from the penalty spot. This time, however, they came out on top. The 2006 World Cup  saw the Italians, who had been left heartbroken following their penalty shootout loss 12 years prior, up against France in the final. The French initially took the lead when Zinedine Zidane slotted home from the spot with a delicious panenka penalty. The Italians would bounce back when Inter Milan centre-half Marco Materazzi powered home a header from Andrea Pirlo’s corner. 

The teams couldn’t be separated after 90 minutes, which saw the game head to extra time, at which point Zidane’s career would end with a moment of madness. Following an argument with the opposition, he planted his head firmly into the chest of the aforementioned Materazzi and received his marching orders in what would be his final game. Had the Real Madrid icon remained on the pitch, the trophy may have headed back to Paris for the second time. And although the Azzurri couldn't take full advantage during extra time, they would do exactly that in the subsequent shootout. 

Les Bleus’ David Trezeguet was the unlucky player from 12 yards. His penalty cannoned back off Gianluigi Buffon’s crossbar, allowing Italian fullback Fabio Grosso the chance to hand his nation the famous gold trophy for the fourth time in their history. He wouldn’t squander that chance, burying his penalty in the top corner and leaving the Italians celebrating long into the Berlin night. 

All in all, penalties can often be a nerve-wracking way to decide a World Cup match – but they do add to the drama and excitement of the tournament. There's no doubt that we'll see more penalty shootouts in future editions, and fans will be watching with bated breath to see who comes out on top. Who knows, maybe one of these shootouts could be the deciding factor in a World Cup final again, adding to the three already in the history books.