England Faces Penalty Test in World Cup Quarter-Finals

England prepares for another high-stakes challenge as they reach the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup. A quarter-final clash with Norway brings the familiar, nerve-wracking prospect of a penalty shootout.

Historically, England’s relationship with shootouts remained difficult for years. The team suffered exits against West Germany in 1990, Argentina in 1998, and Portugal in 2006. The tide finally turned in 2018 when Gareth Southgate’s preparation led to England’s first-ever World Cup shootout victory, against Colombia in the round of 16.

Since that breakthrough, England has secured two shootout wins against Switzerland in 2019 and 2024, though these occurred alongside a painful Euro 2020 final defeat against Italy.

Thomas Tuchel believes that if England hopes to win the World Cup in North America, the squad likely needs to survive two penalty shootouts along the way. With roughly a quarter of knockout matches decided by spot-kicks, Tuchel emphasized his commitment to the process.

Tuchel vowed to pick up where Southgate’s regime left off. “I have – on the highest level, since years and years – a penalty programme that is so easy (for me to) just wait for people to tell me who are the best shooters. We trained it. We have a process in place. So we are prepared.”

He added, “This has become such an important part, a very special part of football now, that you can prepare and do the best to be prepared, which we did. We have assistant coaches, we have background staff who just set one of the best programmes in place that I have witnessed. So we know exactly what is going to happen. And the platform is there.”

Key Penalty Candidates

Harry Kane
123 taken, 109 scored (89%)
As captain, Kane takes the lead. He has already converted 19 penalties this season for Bayern Munich and England. He utilizes a mix of techniques, alternating between stuttered run-ups and powerful strikes. Although Kane cleared the bar with his penalty against France during the 2022 World Cup, he has never missed in a shootout.

Ivan Toney
62 taken, 58 scored (94%)
Toney remains a specialist for this role. Known for his “ice-cool” technique, he often stares down the goalkeeper and shoots without looking at the ball. Tuchel will likely call upon him if a match goes to penalties.

Bukayo Saka
16 taken, 14 scored (88%)
Saka has recovered well since the Euro 2020 final, scoring in the Euro 2024 shootout against Switzerland. He has missed only once in the last three years.

Marcus Rashford
20 taken, 18 scored (90%)
Rashford boasts an impressive record, having converted his last 14 consecutive penalties. However, his involvement depends on whether he is on the pitch during the final minutes of extra time.

Anthony Gordon
17 taken, 16 scored (94%)
If Rashford is unavailable, Gordon serves as a reliable option. He has scored 12 penalties for Newcastle since joining the club and converted during a warm-up win over Costa Rica.

Jude Bellingham
5 taken, 4 scored (80%)
While he rarely takes them for Real Madrid, Bellingham remains a confident leader who converted a penalty during the Euro 2024 shootout against Switzerland.

Declan Rice
3 taken, 1 scored (33%)
Despite limited experience, Rice remains a candidate. He scored during a recent Champions League shootout and continues to show leadership within the group.

England’s likely five penalty takers: Kane, Toney, Saka, Rashford/Gordon, Bellingham.