31st Jul, 2025 @ 11:53 pm
Which Goalkeepers Are the Best at Saving Penalties?
Real Madrid headed to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as the favorites to win the tournament. However, their opening game against Al Hilal was ultimately a major disappointment. After having watched the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich begin the tournament with massive victories, Los Blancos would have fancied their chances of following in kind.
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Unfortunately for them, the Saudi club had other ideas. The Spanish side did take the lead through Gonzalo Garcia, only for Portuguese international Ruben Neves to equalize from the penalty spot ten minutes later. Deep into injury time, Real were handed a gilt-edged opportunity to secure the victory after being awarded a soft penalty, but captain Federico Valverde was denied by Al Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bonou, who managed to save the spot kick and secure his side a precious point.
Following the draw, online betting sites have lengthened the odds of Los Blancos winning the tournament. With the popular Bovada betting site, they are no longer the tournament favorites, having been pushed all the way out to 6/1, with PSG installed as the 5/2 frontrunners.
But anyone watching on as Valverde ran up to take that 92nd-minute penalty will have done so with bated breath, especially Real supporters. Bonou, the Al Hilal goalkeeper, is no stranger to saving penalties, and he proved once again that he is one of the best at defending his goal from 12 yards. But who else is considered the best in the world at saving penalty kicks? Let's find out.
Yassine Bounou
We may as well begin with the man of the hour, Yassine Bounou. The Moroccan goalkeeper developed a reputation for saving penalties back in 2021 when he saved three spot kicks in the space of a year. However, it was the 2022 FIFA World Cup that was his true coming-out party.
His Atlas Lions were the surprise package in Qatar that year, surprisingly topping a difficult group ahead of Croatia and Belgium to set up a testing Round of 16 clash against Spain. The game finished goalless and was decided by a penalty shootout, and Bonou would become a national hero. He wasn't beaten a single time in the shootout, saving spot kicks from both Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets before Pablo Sarabia struck the post.
His exploits secured him a big-money move to Saudi Arabia, and throughout the 2024/25 campaign, Bonou once again displayed just how good he is at denying opposition strikers from the spot. Heading into the Club World Cup, he had already saved two penalties this term, firstly from Konstantinos Fortounis and then, crucially, denying Franck Kessié in the AFC Champions League Elite final.
Now, he has saved from Valverde and denied Real Madrid an opening-day win. One thing that is for certain is that no one will be looking forward to facing the Moroccan from the penalty spot in the future.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Perhaps the only person better than the aforementioned Bonou at saving spot kicks is Paris Saint-Germain's giant goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Standing 6ft 5in tall, the former AC Milan man’s size alone gives him a huge advantage, but his success stems from much more than his towering presence. In the moment, he remains calm, spreading his arms wide and making the goal appear minuscule for opposing strikers looking to beat him.
Across his career, Gigio has faced 103 penalties and saved 24, achieving an impressive 23.3% save rate. However, it's the fact that he constantly delivers such exploits on the big stage that cements his legacy as the very best in the modern game. And his ability under the harshest pressure was never more on display than at the one-year-postponed UEFA Euro 2020.
Just 22 years of age at the time and starting in his first major tournament following the retirement of long-time number one Gianluigi Buffon, Donnarumma proved that the Italian number one shirt is his and his alone. The Azzurri went on to win the tournament against all odds, and they had to win not one but two penalty shootouts in order to claim the trophy. The first of those came in the semifinal against Spain, and then once again in the final, with their giant goalkeeper saving from both Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka to ensure the title went to Rome.
Since then, further spot kicks have been faced and further spot kicks have been saved. Donnarumma's exploits were on display throughout PSG's run to UEFA Champions League glory this term, with the big man famously saving from both Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez to help his side eliminate Liverpool. Now, he has the reputation of a boogeyman, and no one on the planet ever wants to face him one-on-one from the spot.
Emiliano Martinez
If there’s one goalkeeper who has mastered the art of mental warfare, it’s Emiliano Martínez. The Argentinian keeper is a master of getting into his opponent’s head. Whether it’s dancing on the line, making pointed gestures, or engaging in not-so-subtle verbal exchanges, his psychological tactics often unnerve even the steeliest players.
His exploits in the 2021 Copa America became legendary when he saved three penalties against Colombia in the semifinal. In the World Cup 18 months later, he was up to his old tricks once again.
Much like Italy at Euro 2020, Martinez and Argentina had to win two penalty shootouts en route to glory in Qatar. The first of those came in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands, with Emi saving from both Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis to ensure his side progressed. The final against France was also decided from the spot, and Martinez once again proved reliable, saving from Kingsley Coman and forcing Aurélien Tchouaméni to shoot wide to secure the title for his captain, Lionel Messi.
