Penalty Gaffes: 5 biggest misses from the spot in FIFA World Cup history

It is the simplest shot in football a stationery target and a set ball against a goalkeeper who is forced to decide which way the ball might travel, even before it has been touched. As much as the penalty has offered instant release for teams, it has also been the one that has sunk players and teams into unspeakable pain and grief.For all the abruptness and bravado, the penalty shootout as a decisive play is a relatively young measure, especially in the World Cup. Games were decided by extra time two halves of 15 minutes each and in the rare instance when that wasn't enough, knock out games were replayed.But the advent of television and the desire for a decisive outcome at the end of play hastened the arrival of the penalties only at 1978 World Cup. Incidentally though, they did not need to resort to penalties to decide any games in that edition.Penalties eventually took life and form in the semifinals of the 1982 World Cup between the erstwhile West Germany and France. In this feature, we look at some of the most painfully expensive misses from the modern history of the event. The feature does not intend to rank these misses, for each of them is as painful as the next one.

#5 France - Italy, Quarterfinals, World Cup 1998

Luigi Di Biagio - The match between France and Italy from the 1998 is significant for many reasons. France was yet to win a World Cup and they were playing under immense pressure at home. The French only managed a narrow victory over Paraguay in the round of 16, with a 113th minute goal, deep inside extra time.

In the quarterfinals neither team could get past the defenses of the other, despite playing engaging football for over 120 minutes. There was palpable tension around the Stade de France, as it fell to a penalty shootout to determine who might progress to the last four.

Bixente Lizarazu missed the second shot for the French. But there was to be no damage, as Dimetrio Albertini returned the favour to the French on the very next shot. Thierry Henry and Christian Vieri converted to keep the teams level at 3-3.

Laurent Blanc took the fifth shot for the French and ensured there was no slip, despite the mounting tension. Eventually, the sword hung on Luigi Di Biagio – he had to convert to force sudden death. The sight of Di Biagio collapsing in a heap soon as the ball struck the cross bar will remain etched in the memory of the Italians, as much as it might for the French.

It was a victory that gave the French their final dose of confidence as they coasted to the title – their very first and it came on their own soil. It is this bit of history that makes our other slide containing the 2006 final equally poignant.