2024 Champions League final: How do penalty kick shoot-outs work?

Deciding the biggest game in club football with a penalty shootout isn’t ideal, but sometimes, there’s no alternative. Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid may well be hoping that tonight’s final at Wembley will be decided one way or another, within the 90 minutes - without having to go through the lottery of spot-kicks, and the stigma that comes if you miss.

Champions League finals that have been decided by a penalty shootout

Since the Champions League (formerly the European Cup) began in the mid-50s, a total of 11 finals have gone to extra-time then penalties.

The first final to be decided from the spot was almost exactly 40 years ago - the 1984 clash between Roma and Liverpool will be remembered, if for nothing else, for Bruce Grobbelaar’s ‘spaghetti legs’ routine as Francesco Graziani was placing the ball on the spot for his kick. It did the trick, as the Italian blazed his effort high over the bar.

Fast forward to the 1986 final between Steaua Bucharest and Barcelona which went to extra-time then pens after ending goalless. It looked like it could be a long night after the first four spot-kicks were saved. Out of the eight penalties taken, just two entered - Marius Lacatus and Gabi Balint converted while Barça missed all of theirs to see the Romanians crowned champions for the first time.

The last Champions League final to be decided on penalties was the 2015/16 derby final between Real Madrid and Atlético.

Two tense tiebreakers

Of the 11 finals that have been resolved from 12 yards, only two have gone to sudden death. PSV Eindhoven edged Benfica 6-5 in 1987/88 and the 2007/08 all-English final between Man United and Chelsea. John Terry’s slip taking the fifth kick was a reminder of how nerves can get to players when the pressure’s on.

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Can there be extra-time and penalties in the Champions League?

If the score is level when the ref blows for full-time, then yes. Since the tournament began, countless games and a total of 17 finals have been settled after the full 90 minutes - five of them in extra-time and 11 of them with a penalty shootout.

What happens if the game is still tied after extra-time? What is the penalty shoot-out procedure?

If the score is still level after extra-time, the winner will be determined via a penalty shoot-out, in accordance with IFAB Laws of the Game.

Both teams will take a minimum of five penalties each in a best-of-five series. The referee will toss a coin to determine the goal where the kicks will be taken. A second toss of the coin will decide which team takes the first kick and who will go second.

Each captain is responsible for selecting the first five players who will take the kicks and the order in which they take them. The penalty taker and both goalkeepers are the only ones allowed to remain near the goal area, all other players must remain in the centre-circle or behind the halfway line.

The penalties are taken alternately by each team until both have taken five kicks - or until it is no longer possible for one of the teams to win the best-of-five series (eg. if one team converts their first three penalties and the other misses their three, the shoot-out is technically over).

If, after both teams have taken five kicks, the scores are still level, the shootout will enter sudden death - ie. both teams will continue taking one penalty each until someone misses or their shot is saved. The winner will be the one who has scored the most goals after both teams have taken the same number of kicks.