Shoot-out records: the long and the short of it

An extraordinary record was set on Thursday 15 August 2024 as Ajax and Panathinaikos participated in the longest penalty shoot-out in UEFA history, the Dutch side eventually triumphing 13-12.

After the two sides had drawn 1-1 on aggregate following extra time in their Europa League third qualifying round tie, it took an amazing 34 attempts to separate the pair in a marathon shoot-out that lasted over 28 minutes. Ajax defender Anton Gaaei finally converted the winning spot-kick with his team's 17th attempt.

The dramatic shoot-out breaks the record previously set in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-final between the Netherlands and England, where there were 32 attempts before the Dutch hosts prevailed 13-12.

Ajax vs Panathinaikos may have been the longest shoot-out in UEFA competition history, but it was not, in fact, the highest-scoring. Here's a look at the most notable penalties-related stats.

Origin

• FIFA adopted the shoot-out on 27 June 1970, as proposed by Israel Football Association (IFA) president Michael Almog after seeing his national team lose a 1968 Olympic quarter-final on the drawing of lots.

First

• The first shoot-out in UEFA competition came on 30 September 1970 when Budapest Honvéd beat Aberdeen 5-4 in the European Cup Winners' Cup first round.

• That November, Everton eliminated Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-3 by the same method in the European Cup second round.

Epics

• Longest in UEFA competition: The 2024/25 Europa League third qualifying round between Ajax and Panathinaikos, which required a total of 34 attempts before Ajax triumphed.

• Highest-scoring in UEFA competition: Malta's Gżira United beat Glentoran 14-13 on penalties in a 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round decider in Belfast. The first 27 penalties were successfully converted.

Prior to this game, the highest-scoring shoot-outs in UEFA competition history ran to 21 conversions. Latvia's Skonto overcame Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia 11-10 in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League preliminary round, and Villarreal beat Manchester United 11-10 in the 2021 UEFA Europa League final.

Shortest

• The fewest penalties scored in a major shoot-out occurred on a showpiece occasion, Steaua București edging Barcelona 2-0 in the 1986 European Cup final, with Helmut Duckadam keeping out all four of the Spanish side's attempts.

EURO

• Czechoslovakia saw off West Germany 5-3 with Antonín Panenka's famous chip to win the 1976 UEFA European Championship, the first time the final of the senior competition had gone to penalties. The now-defunct golden goal rule was used in 1996 and 2000. Italy became just the second side to win a EURO on penalties when they beat final hosts England 3-2 in the EURO 2020 decider.

In major UEFA club finals

European Cup final shoot-outs
1984: Liverpool 4-2 Roma
1986: Steaua Bucureşti 2-0 Barcelona
1988: PSV Eindhoven 6-5 Benfica
1991: Crvena zvezda 5-3 Marseille
1996: Juventus 4-2 Ajax
2001: Bayern München 5-4 Valencia
2003: AC Milan 3-2 Juventus
2005: Liverpool 3-2 AC Milan
2008: Manchester United 6-5 Chelsea
2012: Chelsea 4-3 Bayern München
2016: Real Madrid 5-3 Atlético de Madrid

UEFA Cup/Europa League final shoot-outs
1984: Tottenham 4-3 Anderlecht
1988: Leverkusen 3-2 Espanyol
1997: Schalke 4-1 Inter Milan
2000: Galatasaray 4-1 Arsenal
2007: Sevilla 3-1 Espanyol
2014: Sevilla 4-2 Benfica
2021: Villarreal 11-10 Manchester United
2022: Eintracht Frankfurt 5-4 Rangers
2023: Sevilla 4-1 Roma

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final shoot-outs
1980: Valencia 5-4 Arsenal