AUGUSTA – Other than the superstar attackers turning up and the Fifa president doing everything to preserve his existing reputation amongst sensible football supporters, the theme of this World Cup has been missed penalties.
In total, 60 penalties have been taken so far – including during shootouts. The conversion rate is just 65 per cent, lower than at any World Cup since 1938. You wouldn’t think that it has got any more difficult for an elite footballer to kick the ball hard into a corner. So what has happened?
Goalkeeper research
It is abundantly clear that the amount of video data available to footballers and coaching staff has risen exponentially. Goalkeepers at international level will have a full breakdown of where every likely taker shoots as their first preference and may look for physiological tics in the run-up and approach to the ball.
But that data has been around a while, right? Well yes, and the data bears that out. Although 2026 has the lowest conversion percentage since 1938, the conversion percentage has actually been dropping ever since the 2014 World Cup. That correlates with the research theory; they’re getting harder to score.
