Penalties in football: how to be decisive without forgetting the team
Penalties in football may look like the most individual moment in the game, but they never happen in isolation: before that moment, team-mates have run, defended, resisted and kept the team alive. Day 17 of the 2026 World Cup produced two major surprises, with Paraguay knocking out Germany and Morocco eliminating the Netherlands in penalty shoot-outs. For a teenage player, the lesson is clear: you can be decisive without believing you are more important than the group.
Penalties in football: even the hero needs the team
Paraguay eliminated Germany on penalties after a 1–1 draw, with Orlando Gill emerging as one of the major figures of the shoot-out after making two decisive saves. Morocco also progressed on penalties against the Netherlands after another 1–1 draw, on a day that saw two historic European teams knocked out. (Sportsnet.ca)
For you, as a teenage player, what matters is not only who scored or who saved.
What matters is understanding what happens in those moments.
In a shoot-out, everything seems to come down to one taker and one goalkeeper. But that penalty only exists because the team stayed alive long enough to reach that point.
Penalties in football do not erase the previous 90 minutes.
If you are the goalkeeper and make the save, somebody defended alongside you beforehand.
If you score, somebody ran for you earlier.
If you miss, the team should still support you.
The hero of the moment is not above the group. They are simply the most visible part of a collective effort.
Unity can overcome a bigger opponent
After knocking Germany out, Gustavo Gómez did not focus his message on individual merit.
He spoke about unity and the strength of the group to face any situation. (Mundo Deportivo)
That message is worth far more than an exaggerated celebration.
Because in youth football you will also face opponents who seem better: stronger, faster, more famous, with a better record or with more attention surrounding them.
If you go into the match thinking only about the opponent’s name, you are already putting yourself at a disadvantage.
Unity does not guarantee victory every time, but it changes the way a team competes.
A united team makes one more run, covers better, encourages after a mistake and does not fall apart when the match becomes difficult.
In penalties in football, that matters.
The taker needs to feel they are not alone, and the player who misses needs to know they still belong to the team.
A young player should not wait for a World Cup shoot-out to develop that unity.
You build it in every training session: through the way you speak, help others, accept correction and react when a team-mate makes a mistake.
Being the hero does not make you more important than everyone else
A goalkeeper who saves two penalties can become the face of the match.
That is normal.
But maturity is shown by what you do with that attention.
You can use it to separate yourself from the group or to recognise the group.
You can celebrate as though everything belongs to you, or understand that you only reached that moment because others kept the team in the match.
Marcet’s source material emphasises precisely this idea: even when you are the hero, continuing to think about the team shows that you truly understand football.
For a teenage player, this is essential.
If one day you score the decisive penalty, enjoy it.
If one day you make the save that sends your team through, celebrate it.
But do not turn that moment into an excuse to look down on everyone else.
Penalties in football may put the spotlight on one person, but football still belongs to everyone.
A good player learns how to receive recognition without losing humility.
What you do can move many people
After Paraguay’s historic qualification, president Santiago Peña declared a national holiday following the victory over Germany. (El Debate)
You may still be playing youth matches, local tournaments or academy competitions.
But do not underestimate what one match can mean to other people.
A goal can move your family.
A save can lift your team.
Your attitude can inspire a team-mate who was thinking about giving up.
You do not need to play in front of millions of people to play with responsibility.
Sometimes it is enough to remember that somebody is making an effort for you to be there: a mother, father, sibling, coach or team-mate.
Penalties in football teach one powerful lesson: there are moments when one individual action can affect many people.
That is why it is important to prepare properly, but also to experience the moment with respect.
How to prepare for a shoot-out without losing your head
First, train a routine.
Before taking a penalty or trying to save one, you need an order: breathe, look, decide and execute.
Do not improvise everything at the moment of maximum pressure.
Second, accept that feeling nervous is normal.
It does not mean you are unprepared.
It means the moment matters.
The key is not to feel nothing, but to know what to do even when you feel pressure.
Third, do not turn the penalty into a test of your worth.
A penalty may go in or it may not.
Your value as a player does not depend on one strike of the ball.
It depends on your process, habits and ability to learn.
Fourth, support your team-mates.
If somebody misses, do not leave them alone.
If somebody scores, celebrate with them.
If you are the goalkeeper, encourage the group before every kick.
In penalties in football, the language of the team also competes.
Fifth, if you have to be decisive, simplify.
Do not think about headlines, social media or criticism.
Think about your action: run-up, strike, direction, reading and reaction.
Scientific basis: penalties are trained technically and mentally
Penalty preparation is not simply a matter of “being lucky”.
Reuters reported analysis from football psychology specialists highlighting the importance of routines, visualisation, self-talk and mechanisms for managing anxiety under pressure. (Reuters)
There is also experimental research on penalty performance.
A study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences analysed how a high-pressure protocol affected penalty-taking performance alongside players’ psychological and psychophysiological responses. (PubMed)
The collective dimension matters too.
A classic meta-analysis on cohesion and performance in sport found a significant relationship between team cohesion and sporting performance. (Human Kinetics Journals)
Translated into your day-to-day football: penalties in football are trained through technique, but also through mindset and team support.
It is not enough to take penalties after training with no pressure.
You need to practise routines, make clear decisions, simulate some tension and build a team that supports both taker and goalkeeper whatever happens.
At Marcet, a decisive action is not trained as an isolated gesture.
It is understood within the game, the emotional context and the team.
Making good decisions under pressure is also part of learning football.
Common mistakes in a penalty shoot-out
The first mistake is thinking everything depends on luck.
Luck exists, but preparation does too.
A clear routine does not guarantee you will score, but it helps you compete better.
The second mistake is trying to become the hero before executing the action.
If you think too much about the celebration, you lose focus on what you need to do.
The third mistake is collapsing if you miss.
Missing hurts, but it does not make you a worse team-mate or erase all your previous work.
The fourth mistake is leaving the player who misses alone.
That is where you recognise a real team: in the way it supports the person who has been exposed.
The fifth mistake is celebrating as though all the credit belongs to you.
In penalties in football, the spotlight may be individual, but qualification always belongs to the group.
Expert quote
A penalty may look like an individual action, but it belongs to a collective story. Whoever takes it, saves it or misses it should understand that the team brought them to that moment and will still support them afterwards. The “we” does not disappear at the penalty spot.
— José Ignacio Marcet · Marcet Research Institute · 2026 World Cup Development Observatory · Code 202603182024
Frequently asked questions
How can I handle penalties in football if I get very nervous?
Use a simple routine: breathe, decide before beginning your run-up and focus on the execution.
Nerves are normal.
What matters is making sure they do not have more control than your preparation.
Does missing a penalty define me as a player?
No.
A missed penalty is an important action, but it does not summarise your value.
What does say something about you is how you respond, how you support the team and how you return to training.
How can I help if I am not taking a penalty?
Encourage, support and keep the group together.
Not taking a penalty does not mean you are outside the shoot-out.
Your attitude can help another team-mate feel more confident.
What should a goalkeeper do before a shoot-out?
Maintain a routine, observe details about the taker and support the team’s confidence.
You do not need to guess correctly every time.
You need to be prepared for every shot.
How should I celebrate if I score the decisive penalty?
Enjoy the moment, but remember the team.
Running towards your team-mates shows that you understand that the goal did not begin only with your strike.
Practical conclusion
Day 17 of the 2026 World Cup left one major lesson for any teenage player: penalties in football can make you the protagonist, but they should never separate you from the group.
Paraguay and Morocco showed that a shoot-out can change history when a team stays united.
If one day you have to take a penalty, save one or support from the sidelines, remember this:
The moment may be individual, but the journey is always collective.
Prepare, compete and share the credit.
Keep learning with Marcet Knowledge
At Marcet Knowledge, you can continue understanding football from the inside: how to manage pressure, how to compete in decisive moments and how to develop as a player without losing your sense of team.
