The strategy of bringing on players specifically for penalty shootouts in the World Cup is not new, but its success rate is varied. Historical data reveals that while some substitutes have scored crucial penalties, others have missed, with the overall impact difficult to predict in advance.
In the lead-up to penalty shootouts, teams have sometimes introduced outfield players in the final moments of extra time. Since 2022, seven such players have entered the game in the final five minutes of stoppage time, with only three successfully converting their penalties. This summer, two players came on in stoppage time and did not touch the ball before the final whistle.
A notable instance occurred during the 2022 World Cup final, where Paulo Dybala was substituted in after the 120-minute mark and scored his penalty in Argentina's shootout victory over France. Conversely, in Morocco's Round of 16 win against Spain that same year, both sides brought on players in the final two minutes, Badr Benoun and Pablo Sarabia, who both ultimately missed their spot-kicks.
England's Jamie Carragher experienced a similar situation in the 2006 quarter-final against Portugal. He entered the game with two minutes remaining and, despite initially scoring, was ordered to retake his penalty because the whistle had not been blown. His subsequent attempt was saved by Portugal's goalkeeper Ricardo. The first recorded instance of a substitute scoring in a shootout after coming on in the final five minutes of extra time was West Germany's Pierre Littbarski in a 1986 quarter-final against Mexico.
Goalkeepers have also been utilized as specialists in penalty shootouts. The Netherlands' Tim Krul famously came on in the 121st minute of the 2014 quarter-final against Costa Rica and saved two penalties to secure his team's progression. However, in the subsequent round, where penalties were again required, Krul remained an unused substitute, and the Netherlands were eliminated with Jasper Cillessen unable to save any opposition penalties.
More recently, Australia's Mat Ryan was brought on with a few minutes remaining in extra time during a match this summer, with the intention of him participating in a potential shootout. However, this tactic did not yield the desired results, as Egypt scored all four of their penalties against him.
While goalkeeping substitutions like Krul's were often planned in advance, other instances, such as Ryan's introduction, were communicated to the player shortly before their substitution, indicating varying levels of strategic preparation and execution across different tournaments and matches.