# PKs in Football/Soccer Shouldn't Count Towards the Goal Count for that Player **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-soccer-fifa\ **Created:** [July 6, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455 "2026-07-06T13:11:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455/61 "2026-07-07T19:53:02Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Yes the fact he’s missed half of his 8 in normal play kind of shows they ain’t easy! > [@RitterSport](#): > > And yet, the average is like 80%, vs. regular shots at 20%. Just because he’s the Shaq of PKs doesn’t make them comparable to regular-play goals. 8 shots isn’t much, statistically. It’s not too implausible that his “real” percentage is in fact close to 80%, and he just got unlucky on those 8. But it’s not like he only plays in the World Cup. What’s his overall career percentage of penalty kicks? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455/62 "2026-07-07T20:02:27Z")
Like 80%. The thing about Messi is that he’s so good at so many things. He’s an all-time great at: dribbling, shooting, and passing. And some of the things he’s amazing at feel like they should translate really really well into penalties. It’s shocking that he’s merely average. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455/63 "2026-07-07T20:03:03Z")
> [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](#): > > there’s not a single player who wouldn’t sacrifice a chance to win the Golden Boot if it meant winning the World Cup. I think it could be close for Ronaldo. It’s probably _juuust_ about the World Cup win, but not by much. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455/64 "2026-07-07T20:55:06Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > I think it could be close for Ronaldo. It’s probably _juuust_ about the World Cup win, but not by much. I know, I was thinking he was the weak link in my argument. Portuguese Ronaldo mind, not Ronaldo Ronaldo. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455/65 "2026-07-07T21:02:38Z")
A little lower than 80% percent (gift link): > **[Why does Lionel Messi keep missing penalties? Explaining the greatest...](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7384625/2026/06/22/lionel-messi-penalty-record-analysis/?unlocked_article_code=1.v1A.qau3.v4-voJ02pqde&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta)** > > Messi has both taken and missed the most penalties in World Cup history – it's a weakness that has plagued his career ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455/66 "2026-07-07T21:03:45Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > What happens if the goalie saves the penalty, and the taker puts the rebound in? Does it count or not? What if someone else scores the rebound? You didn’t ask this variation, but it’s worth mentioning. If the ball rebounds from the woodwork and the shooter puts it in, the result is a goal kick for the defending team. The shooter cannot touch the ball a second time without another player touching it. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455/67 "2026-07-08T05:35:46Z")
Oh yeh I know that, it’s the same principle as a free kick (or, for that matter, a corner or throw in) - the taker cannot touch the ball again before someone else can. My question was more about how the statistics would work, on the debate around penalty goals. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pks-in-football-soccer-shouldnt-count-towards-the-goal-count-for-that-player/1031455.md?page=3)