When Mohamed Salah calmly dinked his penalty down the middle to help Egypt to victory over Australia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32, he not only secured the Pharaohs a maiden knockout-stage win, but he also added to a story which begun 16 years before he was born.
Many people with brilliant ideas have been accused of madness, and there is certainly a fine line to tread. The legend Pele described Czechoslovakia midfielder Antonin Panenka as “either a genius or a madman” after he scored the decisive penalty in the UEFA EURO 1976 final in such a unique way.
Salah is the latest to join the list of geniuses at the World Cup who showed no fear, kept their nerves when the moment of truth came, and followed in Panenka’s footsteps, tricking the goalkeeper into expecting a thunderous shot, only to scoop the ball up, allowing it to gently land in the goal.
Here are the details of the other mavericks who risked it all from the spot.
1990 – Bilek follows in his countryman’s footsteps, but…
The first player to decide to carry Panenka’s legacy from the EURO to the World Cup was his compatriot Michal Bilek, doing so in Czechoslovakia’s opening matches at 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy.
They were four goals up against USA when the 25-year-old midfielder had the opportunity to recreate Panenka’s feat, but he did not fool American keeper Tony Meola, who calmly stood his ground and stopped the ball. That was the first and only Panenka attempt at a World Cup in the 20th century.
2006 – The Panenka comes back with a bang in Germany
Diego Maradona in Napoli in 1990, Stuart Pearce’s miss against West Germany the next day, Roberto Baggio’s heartbreak in the 1994 final. There have been some famous penalties in FIFA World Cup history, but none more so than the one Zinedine Zidane almost missed against legendary keeper Gianluigi Buffon in the Germany 2006 final.
In his final match before retirement, in the most pressurised of situations, 'Zizou' kept his calm and brought the Panenka back to the World Cup, striking the ball against the underside of the crossbar and just behind the line. It was not, however, enough to win the match for his country, and his performance in the match will be remembered more for the red card he received after that controversial moment with Marco Materazzi whose Italy side would go on to be crowned champions, depriving Zidane of the dream ending to his career.
Zidane was not the first player to successfully attempt a Panenka at Germany 2006. Earlier in the tournament, Ukraine faced Switzerland and goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuhler, who had not concede a goal in the tournament. Even after extra time, the match remained 0-0, so it was to be decided by a penalty shootout. Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko missed the first, but substitute Artem Milevskyi shook off the pressure and scored with a Panenka, helping his side reach the quarter-finals.
2010 – Sebastian 'Loco' Abreu pours salt in Ghana wounds
The first thing to come to mind about Uruguay v Ghana at South Africa 2010 might be Asamoah Gyan’s penalty miss after Luis Suarez’s handball on the line, but it was Sebastian Abreu’s shootout goal that proved decisive.
The striker, known as ‘Loco’, replaced Edinson Cavani midway through the second half, and was later given the task of scoring the crucial spot-kick. He stepped up and cooly scooped the ball hom, quickly becoming a fan favourite and proving again that the line between genius and madness is wafer-thin.
2018 – A Panenka ends hosts' run
At 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, it came as a surprise to many when the hosts reached the last eight, and would face Croatia once there.
Substitute Fyodor Smolov certainly won’t have fond memories of that night in Sochi. Taking the very first penalty in the shootout, he attempted a Panenka only for it to be saved by Danijel Subasic. It was a sign of things to come, as Russia’s Mario Fernandes also missed his penalty, and Croatia qualified for the semi-finals at the hosts’ expense.
2022 – Hakimi makes history
While Morocco didn't host the 2022 finals, the atmosphere in Qatar felt like it could've been Rabat or Casablanca when the Atlas Lions took on Spain, one of the tournament favourites. After 120 minutes of each side fighting for every ball, the match ended 0-0.
Spain then missed their first three, while Abdelhamid Sabiri and Hakim Ziyech made it two from three for Morocco. As seemed befitting of the narrative, it fell to Achraf Hakimi, who was born in Madrid, to take the decisive kick. He struck a Panenka goal-ward and sent the Atlas Lions through to their first quarter-finals.
2026 – Egyptian King strikes gold
Further history was made by a north African nation at the 2026 finals. After a breathless draw with Australia, penalties would decide which of the two would advance from a knockout match for the first time.
Harry Souttar's miss ensured Egypt headed into their third kick with the chance to put Egypt on the brink of victory. That crucial moment fell to national icon Salah, who bolted up to the ball with his trademark run up, before slowing caressing the ball beyond a hapless Mathew Ryan.
Courtesy: FIFA