Every Team in Euro 2024 Last 16 Ranked by How Good They Are At Penalties

Penalty taking is a huge, and potentially detrimental, factor of major international tournament football. It’s either sink or swim for those who are tasked with converting from 12 yards out and, at Euro 2024, scoring or missing one in regulation time could be the difference between elation and heartbreak.

Taking a penalty, under copious amount of pressure, is not as easy as it looks – especially with the weight of a whole nation on your shoulders and, as such, only the most potent are trusted with the responsibility of tucking one home from the spot.

Three years following England’s misery at Euro 2020, where Gareth Southgate and Co lost the final on penalties, betting experts, AceOdds, have revealed the best penalty-taking squads at this summer’s 17th edition of the European Championships.

How did they analyse each squad’s penalty-taking nous? Well, they’ve taken all the FC24 ratings of players selected by their nations in the last 16 of Euro 2024 in order to assign each competing nation an average penalty score from 1 to 100, hence ranking them from best to worst.

Best Penalty-Taking Squads at Euro 2024

Belgium top the list, followed closely by Crotia

Overall, the Belgian squad take the crown for being the all-round best penalty-taking squad at Euro 2024, with the Red Devils boasting an average penalty-taking ability of 57.16 out of 100. Their leading talisman, Kevin De Bruyne (83) and Romelu Lukaku (89), bump up their squad-wide rating.

Close behind Belgium are Spain. Boasting an average penalty-taking ability of 56.36, per FC24’s ratings, Luis da le Fuente’s men pip the likes of Germany (55.96), Italy (55.92) and Portugal (55.04) and France (55.48) to second place. By virtue of the analysis, in terms of penalty-taking ability, England have the 7th highest-rated squad at this summer’s Round of 10 contestants, sporting an average squad rating of 54.69.

Despite the Three Lions being blessed with the joint best-rated penalty takers in the competition – Harry Kane and Ivan Toney (92/100) – Southgate’s men are not expected to be as fruitful as some from the spot, as showcased by their final defeat to Italy three years ago.

Turkey, Netherlands, Switzerland follow in 8th, 9th and 10th, respectively, with 54.15, 54.05 and 54.00, Slovakia (53.52) and while Denmark (52.85), whose penalties are taken by midfield technician Christian Eriksen, round off the top 12 teams in the knockout rounds.

Kicking off the bottom quartet of Euro 2024 sides are Romania. Boasting a team average of 52.81, they are sharply followed by Slovenia (50.74). Euro 2024’s underdogs, Austria, who are led by former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick, then come in 15th with an average rating of 50.08.

Georgia may be ranked in the penultimate spot of penalty-taking squads – but the very fact that Georges Mikautadze – a player in the Euro 2024 Team of the Group Stage – has already scored one (the joint-most in the competition) may mean that they should be higher up.

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Best Penalty Takers at Euro 2024

English duo Harry Kane and Ivan Toney lead the way

Bayern Munich and England star, Kane, who is yet to take a penalty this summer, and Ivan Toney – a striker widely considered to be one of the Premier League’s deadliest threats from the spot, were found to be the joint best-rated penalty takers at Euro 2024 as they both boast a penalty rating ability of 92 out of 100 on FC24.

The former has not endured the best Euro 2024 campaign thus far, scoring just one tap-in in three outings, but when it comes to his prowess from the spot, he is as potent as they come.

Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of Portugal’s star men and, throughout the tournament, will be relied upon in a penalty-taking scenario. And one glance at their same rating of 90 – the joint-second at Euro 2024 – proves they are worthy of such high praise when it comes to converting from the spot.

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Belgium’s Lukaku and Jorginho of Italy are the third highest-rated penalty takers, with them boasting an FC24 rating of 89. The former has been one of the most disappointing players at Euro 2024 thus far, having missed a host of big chances, but will become reliable should his nation be offered the chance to convert from 12 yards out.

Concluding the top 10 are Olivier Giroud and Joselu, who boast ratings of 88 and 87, respectively. Neither striker have been Euro 2024 regulars at the time of writing, but given their reliability from the spot, the AC Milan and Real Madrid stars could get more game time heading into the knockout rounds.