Why the Panenka, the original and first copies, remain a delight to watch

6 min readUpdated: Jul 4, 2026 07:17 PM IST

Egypt's Mohamed Salah (10) scores a penalty in a shootout in the World Cup round of 32 soccer match against Egypt in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

If Antonin Panenka had his way, Mo Salah would have paid royalty to the former Czech midfielder, the inventor of the chip-shot penalty named after him.

Panenka’s original, the last of the five spot-kicks taken by Czechoslovakia, won his country the Euro 1976 title against West Germany. Panenka even tried to get his creation patented. But officials didn’t entertain him, he said on the 50th anniversary of the deceptive spot-kick.

Plenty of high-quality Panenkas have come in crunch moments. Egypt won their first-ever knockout game at a FIFA World Cup, beating Australia 4-2 on penalties with Salah scoring the third one with a Panenka.

Australia brought on their penalty expert Matt Ryan to go where Mohamed Salah normally puts his penalties.

But Mohamed Salah had different ideas with the panenka. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/anN8fZ9Qo4

— Samuel (@SamueILFC) July 4, 2026

When Salah prepared to strike in the shootout after the game was tied 1-1 after extra time, he seemed to be going for a full-blooded shot into one of the corners. The Liverpool legend took a few steps to his right and then ran in from a short distance at an angle. But instead of unleashing power, he chipped the ball with his left foot in the middle of the net, where Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan would have stood if he hadn’t dived to his left.

The original

Now, watch footage of the first Panenka. Antonin didn’t amble in but ran in full speed from a few metres before chipping the ball towards the centre.

“I wasn’t 100 percent confident I would score. I was 1,000 percent confident,” he told The Guardian on the 50th anniversary of his audacious attempt.

German goalkeeper Sepp Maier didn’t talk to Panenka for over three decades.

It helped that in those days of limited TV footage, the Panenka was a novelty outside Czechoslovakia. And to think that he came up with it because of a bet during club practice sessions with the goalie. If the goalkeeper stopped one of the five shots, Panenka bought him beer and chocolates.

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Pirlo’s classic

Salah’s kick, however, wasn’t as floaty as Antonin’s or Andrea Pirlo’s chip.

The Italian midfield maestro’s shot came with the game on the line in the quarterfinal of Euro 2012 against England. This after teammate Riccardo Montolivo had sent the previous effort wide. Pirlo’s Panenka took an eternity to land in the back of the net. England goalkeeper Joe Hart was waving his arms and was too jumpy on the line but ended up helplessly trying to reach for the ball with his extended left foot while on the ground. Montolivo’s focus was affected by Hart’s jack-in-the-box tactics, but nothing got to Pirlo’s ice-cool veins.

Like Pirlo, Salah also decided to go with the feint at the very last moment.

“I decided I had to do it at the last minute. If somebody was going to do it, it would be me,” Salah told the BBC post match.

June 24, 2012

"Why did I take a Panenka against Hart? I saw him moving oddly, so I chose that shot."

— Pirlo pic.twitter.com/pIuSzPto7o

— The Extreme Football Enthusiast (@ExtremeFootbal4) June 23, 2026

Pirlo, in his biography ‘I Think Therefore I Play’ recalled how his teammates asked him after the shootout: “Are you mad, Andrea?” But in his mind, the Panenka was the ‘safest’ and ‘most productive option’.

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“I made my decision right at the last second, when I saw Joe Hart, the England goalie, doing all sorts on his line. As I began my run-up, I still hadn’t decided what I was going to do. And then, he moved and my mind was made up. It was all impromptu…The only way I could see pushing my chances of scoring close to 100 percent. There was absolutely no showboating about it,” Pirlo says in the book.

Zinedine Zidane’s Panenka when France was awarded a penalty in the seventh minute of the 2006 World Cup final against Italy was a way of exerting psychological pressure on the best goalkeeper in the world, Gianluigi Buffon. Unlike Salah’s or Pirlo’s, Zidane’s Panenka wasn’t straight but to the left of Buffon. He was fortunate that the ball landed just inside the goal line after hitting the bottom of the crossbar.

Le Panenka de Zidane en finale de la Coupe du monde contre Buffon était l'un des penalties les plus emblématiques où le ballon a touché les filets sans s'y arrêter. pic.twitter.com/BS0JYMCV8j

— Universal Football_⚽️♟️ (@UniversalFo2ea) July 3, 2026

Others have not been so lucky. Even the great Lionel Messi hit the crossbar in the Copa America quarterfinal against Ecuador two years ago. Recently, in the Africa Cup of Nations final, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz chipped the ball to Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. The moment would have been Diaz’s cross to bear if the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had not overturned Senegal’s 1-0 extra time win as punishment for the team’s walkout during the match.

There is an element of risk in executing the Panenka. Miss the target with a full-blooded shot and detractors will put it down to nerves or misfortune. But botch a Panenka and risk being labeled too cheeky, clever by half, over smart or even selfish. But when it comes off, it’s magic.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Nihal Koshie is an Associate Editor and sports writer at The Indian Express. He is best known for his in-depth reporting and investigative work that often explores the intersection of sports and social issues. He is also a key member of the sports desk, which is based out of The Indian Express' office in Noida.

Professional Background

Role: Associate Editor (Sports) at The Indian Express.

Key Achievements: He is a two-time winner of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. He won the RNG award for 'Sports Journalism' for 2019 for his exclusive interview and follow up stories with sprinter Dutee Chand, who became the first Indian athlete to say she was in a same-sex relationship. He won his second RNG award in the 'Investigative Reporting' for 2023 for a series of exclusive stories related to sexual harassment charges levelled against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by the country's top women wrestlers.

Expertise: While he covers major sports, he is particularly recognized for his extensive reporting on Athletics, investigative stories and long-form news features.

Recent Notable Topics & Articles (Late 2025)

Nihal Koshie’s recent work reflects a focus on investigative and human-interest stories

Recent investigative pieces: He recently wrote a profile of an Indian teenager serving a jail sentence in Kenya after being embroiled in a doping scandal while chasing "Olympic dreams."

Wrestling: He continues to track the political and social fallout of the Indian wrestling protests, including the recent public appearances of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the political career of wrestler Vinesh Phogat.

Recent long-form features: The story of the rise of Kranti Gaud, the young fast bowler who was a key member of the ICC women's World Cup-winning team; The physics and science behind modern cricket bats

Podcast Presence

He is a guest and contributor to the "Game Time" podcast by The Indian Express, where he provides technical and social analysis of current sporting events.

Experience: 24+ years

Previous experience: Times of India (2001-2005), Daily News and Analysis (2005 to 2010)

Nihal joined The Indian Express in May, 2010

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