Not a single one of the eight knockout matches so far at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was decided by penalties, a rare occurrence in modern football. That anomaly sparked our curiosity: how did penalties shape the 2024/25 season across Europe’s top leagues?
Sportingpedia‘s latest report dives deep into the data to uncover which clubs were awarded the most penalties, which sides suffered the most decisions against them, who maintained perfect conversion rates, and which teams posted the best, and worst net balance – the difference between penalties received and conceded.
One of the most curious revelations is that across the seven studied leagues, there have been 694 penalties awarded throughout the 2024/25 season with 563 converted into goals or 80.5% conversion rate. The most, 130, were awarded in the Spanish La Liga, while the lowest conversion rate was in the Bundesliga, where only 69% of the penalties were turned into goals. Real Madrid was the team with the most penalties awarded in their favour (14), while Saint Etienne had the most go against them (15). Another curious finding is that there was not a single penalty awarded in Dutch side Almere City games during the past Eredivisie season.
Penalty conversion rates in Europe’s top 7 leagues in 2024/25 season
Data Source: Transfermarkt
Conversion rates across the seven leagues which fell under our focus varied notably. Eredivisie boasted the highest success rate from the penalty spot at 87.5%, well ahead of Portugal and England, both slightly above 83%. France and Spain were almost level at around 81.5%, while Italy’s Serie A stood out with a relatively poor 76.92%. However, the Bundesliga lagged significantly behind all others, as just 69.23% of penalties were scored in Germany’s top flight — the only league below the 70% mark.
The team involved in the most penalties last season was Alaves in La Liga, with a total of 22 – 11 in their favour and 11 against. Saint-Etienne in France conceded the most penalties of any club, with 15 awarded against them, while also receiving just 4. Venezia and Nacional followed with 11 conceded each.
Teams with the most penalties in their matches during 2024/25 season
Data Source: Transfermarkt
Looking only at penalties received, Real Madrid topped the charts with 14, while Portuguese sides Sporting Lisbon and Benfica ranked next with 13 and 12, respectively. Alaves and Porto also featured in the top 5, underlining the dominance of Spanish and Portuguese teams in this regard. Altogether, 11 teams received 10 or more penalties during the season.
When it came to converting penalties into goals, Sporting Lisbon led the way with a flawless 13 from 13. They were one of 19 teams across the seven leagues that had 5 or more penalties and managed a perfect 100% conversion rate. Liverpool and Osasuna both scored 9 from 9, while other perfect teams included Roma (8/8), Brighton (7/7), Juventus (6/6), and Feyenoord (6/6), among others.
At the other end of the spectrum, Almere City from Eredivisie had a bizarre campaign with zero penalties either for or against – the only team in the dataset without any penalty action. Everton also featured at the bottom, with just 2 received and 2 conceded. However, what stands out most is that Everton were the only team to see both penalties awarded against them missed, a unique distinction across all 7 leagues. These two clubs were the only ones with fewer than 5 total penalties in their matches throughout the season.
Among teams with at least five awarded penalties, Stuttgart had the worst conversion rate, scoring just two of six for a 33.33% success rate. Athletic Bilbao and Aston Villa were next, both with just 50% conversion from six attempts.
Saint-Etienne not only received few penalties but also had the most awarded against them. Following them were Alaves, Venezia, Nacional, and Brest — all with double-digit conceded totals. In contrast, teams that managed to keep opponents from scoring even when penalties were awarded include St. Pauli, who conceded 5 penalties but only allowed 1 goal (20% scored against). Union Berlin (33.33%) and Torino (42.86%) also showed strong defensive or goalkeeping performances from the spot.
On the opposite end, several teams saw every single penalty against them end in a goal, marking them as the “unluckiest” or most porous in this metric. Alaves, Heidenheim, Ipswich, Waalkwijk, and Moreirense all registered a 100% rate of penalties scored against.
Teams with the biggest differences in Net penalties for 2024/25 season
Data Source: Transfermarkt
When it comes to net penalties – the difference between penalties received and those conceded – Real Madrid lead the way with a +11 balance. Real Madrid were awarded 14 penalties and had just 3 against them, followed by Sporting Lisbon (+9), who converted all 13 awarded and conceded 4. Benfica followed closely with a +8 margin, having received 12 and conceded 4. Bayern Munich and Liverpool round out the top 5 with a +8 and +7 balance respectively, both also benefitting from high conversion and low concession.
At the opposite end, Saint-Etienne ended the campaign with the worst net penalty count at -11, earning just 4 while conceding 15. Nacional and Venezia were both at -6, followed by Montpellier and Udinese with -5 each. These teams consistently found themselves on the wrong side of penalty decisions, either due to defensive instability or attacking inefficiency in drawing fouls inside the box.
This dataset illustrates sharp contrasts between leagues and clubs in terms of both volume and effectiveness from the spot. While teams like Sporting Lisbon, Osasuna, and Liverpool were clinical when it mattered, others like Freiburg, Stuttgart and Athletic Bilbao struggled to take advantage. Meanwhile, the Bundesliga stands out as the most unpredictable league in terms of penalties, not only with the lowest conversion but also with several teams on either end of the fortune spectrum.
Detailed Data
Team | Penalties Received | Goals Scored | Penalties Conceded | Goals Conceded | Scored For | Scored Against | Total Penalties | Net Penaltie |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Real Madrid | 14 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 71.43% | 100.00% | 17 | 11 |
Sporting Lisbon | 13 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 17 | 9 |
Ajax | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 66.67% | N/A | 9 | 9 |
Benfica | 12 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 91.67% | 50.00% | 16 | 8 |
Bayern Munich | 10 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 90.00% | 50.00% | 12 | 8 |
Lyon | 10 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 80.00% | 100.00% | 13 | 7 |
Liverpool | 9 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 100.00% | 50.00% | 11 | 7 |
Betis | 10 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 70.00% | 100.00% | 14 | 6 |
Lille | 10 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 70.00% | 100.00% | 14 | 6 |
Milan | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 50.00% | 50.00% | 10 | 6 |
Celta | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 88.89% | 75.00% | 13 | 5 |
Inter | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 88.89% | 75.00% | 13 | 5 |
Fiorentina | 8 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 75.00% | 33.33% | 11 | 5 |
Atalanta | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 71.43% | 100.00% | 9 | 5 |
Twente | 7 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 9 | 5 |
Brentford | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 83.33% | 100.00% | 7 | 5 |
Marseille | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 80.00% | 50.00% | 16 | 4 |
Le Havre | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 90.00% | 83.33% | 16 | 4 |
Barcelona | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 87.50% | 100.00% | 12 | 4 |
Roma | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 12 | 4 |
Bologna | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 85.71% | 66.67% | 10 | 4 |
Monaco | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 85.71% | 100.00% | 10 | 4 |
PSG | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 85.71% | 100.00% | 10 | 4 |
Newcastle | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 83.33% | 50.00% | 8 | 4 |
Porto | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 81.82% | 75.00% | 19 | 3 |
Bournemouth | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 85.71% | 100.00% | 11 | 3 |
Lazio | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 85.71% | 100.00% | 11 | 3 |
Aston Villa | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 50.00% | 66.67% | 9 | 3 |
Stuttgart | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 33.33% | 66.67% | 9 | 3 |
Nice | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 100.00% | 66.67% | 9 | 3 |
Braga | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 83.33% | 100.00% | 9 | 3 |
Feyenoord | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 100.00% | 66.67% | 9 | 3 |
Osasuna | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 16 | 2 |
Rennes | 8 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 62.50% | 50.00% | 14 | 2 |
Atletico Madrid | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 85.71% | 100.00% | 12 | 2 |
Parma | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 85.71% | 100.00% | 12 | 2 |
Bayer Leverkusen | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 50.00% | 100.00% | 10 | 2 |
Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 83.33% | 100.00% | 10 | 2 |
Fortuna Sittard | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 66.67% | 75.00% | 10 | 2 |
Heerenveen | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 83.33% | 100.00% | 10 | 2 |
Mallorca | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 80.00% | 100.00% | 8 | 2 |
Eintracht Frankfurt | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 60.00% | 33.33% | 8 | 2 |
Werder Bremen | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 60.00% | 100.00% | 8 | 2 |
Wolfsburg | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 80.00% | 66.67% | 8 | 2 |
Crystal Palace | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 75.00% | 50.00% | 6 | 2 |
Toulouse | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 75.00% | 50.00% | 6 | 2 |
PSV | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 50.00% | 100.00% | 6 | 2 |
Boavista | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 13 | 1 |
Athletic Bilbao | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 50.00% | 60.00% | 11 | 1 |
Juventus | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 11 | 1 |
Angers | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 83.33% | 80.00% | 11 | 1 |
Famalicao | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 83.33% | 80.00% | 11 | 1 |
Napoli | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 80.00% | 25.00% | 9 | 1 |
Avs Futebol | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 80.00% | 75.00% | 9 | 1 |
Tottenham | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 75.00% | 100.00% | 7 | 1 |
RB Leipzig | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 75.00% | 66.67% | 7 | 1 |
Rio Ave | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 75.00% | 100.00% | 7 | 1 |
NEC Nijmegen | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 5 | 1 |
Alaves | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 81.82% | 100.00% | 22 | 0 |
Arouca | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 66.67% | 100.00% | 18 | 0 |
Estoril | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 75.00% | 87.50% | 16 | 0 |
Groningen | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 83.33% | 83.33% | 12 | 0 |
Moreirense | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 10 | 0 |
Manchester City | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 75.00% | 100.00% | 8 | 0 |
Fulham | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 75.00% | 75.00% | 8 | 0 |
Manchester United | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 100.00% | 75.00% | 8 | 0 |
Freiburg | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0.00% | 50.00% | 8 | 0 |
Nottingham Forest | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 6 | 0 |
West Ham | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 6 | 0 |
Empoli | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 66.67% | 33.33% | 6 | 0 |
Everton | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100.00% | 0.00% | 4 | 0 |
Almere | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 |
Brest | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 77.78% | 80.00% | 19 | -1 |
Leganes | 7 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 71.43% | 87.50% | 15 | -1 |
Villarreal | 7 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 71.43% | 87.50% | 15 | -1 |
Chelsea | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 80.00% | 83.33% | 11 | -1 |
Girona | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 80.00% | 50.00% | 11 | -1 |
Espanyol | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 100.00% | 66.67% | 11 | -1 |
Heidenheim | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 11 | -1 |
Heracles | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 11 | -1 |
Mainz | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 100.00% | 80.00% | 9 | -1 |
Leicester | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 66.67% | 75.00% | 7 | -1 |
Monza | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 100.00% | 50.00% | 7 | -1 |
Arsenal | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 5 | -1 |
AZ | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 100.00% | 33.33% | 5 | -1 |
Brighton | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 16 | -2 |
Valladolid | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 12 | -2 |
Holstein Kiel | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 80.00% | 85.71% | 12 | -2 |
Santa Clara | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 50.00% | 66.67% | 10 | -2 |
Verona | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 100.00% | 50.00% | 6 | -2 |
Go Ahead Eagles | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 6 | -2 |
Utrecht | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 6 | -2 |
Borussia Monchengladbach | 5 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 80.00% | 87.50% | 13 | -3 |
Auxerre | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 80.00% | 75.00% | 13 | -3 |
Nantes | 5 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 100.00% | 87.50% | 13 | -3 |
Real Sociedad | 4 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 100.00% | 71.43% | 11 | -3 |
Torino | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 50.00% | 42.86% | 11 | -3 |
Estela Amadora | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 50.00% | 71.43% | 11 | -3 |
Gil Vicente | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 100.00% | 85.71% | 11 | -3 |
Sevilla | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 66.67% | 83.33% | 9 | -3 |
Cagliari | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 9 | -3 |
Bochum | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 33.33% | 50.00% | 9 | -3 |
Hoffenheim | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 100.00% | 50.00% | 9 | -3 |
Union Berlin | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 100.00% | 33.33% | 9 | -3 |
Zwolle | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 100.00% | 50.00% | 9 | -3 |
Willem II | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 9 | -3 |
Augsburg | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 50.00% | 100.00% | 7 | -3 |
St. Pauli | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 50.00% | 20.00% | 7 | -3 |
Reims | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 50.00% | 80.00% | 7 | -3 |
Sparta Rotterdam | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 100.00% | 80.00% | 7 | -3 |
Getafe | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 100.00% | 88.89% | 14 | -4 |
Valencia | 5 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 100.00% | 66.67% | 14 | -4 |
Lens | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 100.00% | 88.89% | 14 | -4 |
Udinese | 4 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 50.00% | 87.50% | 12 | -4 |
Casa Pia | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 100.00% | 87.50% | 12 | -4 |
Vitoria Guimaraes | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 100.00% | 71.43% | 10 | -4 |
NAC Breda | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 10 | -4 |
Ipswich | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 8 | -4 |
Montpellier | 4 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 75.00% | 88.89% | 13 | -5 |
Farense | 3 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 66.67% | 75.00% | 11 | -5 |
Waalkwijk | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 11 | -5 |
Como | 2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0.00% | 100.00% | 9 | -5 |
Venezia | 5 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 80.00% | 90.91% | 16 | -6 |
Nacional | 5 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 60.00% | 81.82% | 16 | -6 |
Las Palmas | 4 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 75.00% | 50.00% | 14 | -6 |
Lecce | 4 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 75.00% | 80.00% | 14 | -6 |
Genoa | 2 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 0.00% | 75.00% | 10 | -6 |
Southampton | 2 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0.00% | 77.78% | 11 | -7 |
Strasbourg | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 100.00% | 88.89% | 11 | -7 |
Rayo Vallecano | 1 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 0.00% | 75.00% | 9 | -7 |
Wolverhampton | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | N/A | 77.78% | 9 | -9 |
Saint-Etienne | 4 | 3 | 15 | 13 | 75.00% | 86.67% | 19 | -11 |
Data Source: Transfermarkt