Anto Grgic's cool streak challenges Kane's penalty record
On a Thursday evening in the Conference League Playoffs, 29‑year‑old Anto Grgic stepped up and calmly slotted his 24th consecutive penalty, a feat that now puts the English striker Harry Kane’s long‑standing record under immediate scrutiny. The coolness of the moment, the flawless execution and the sheer rarity of a miss‑free run have ignited fresh debate about who truly dominates the art of the spot‑kick.
Typical conversion versus Grgic’s reality
Die typical success rate for a penalty sits at roughly 75 percent, a figure that defines the overall Trefferwahrscheinlichkeit for Elfmeter attempts. Anto Grgic’s personal numbers deviate sharply from that average, as he has turned every spot‑kick into a goal since his last miss in 2021. This contrast highlights how his conversion rate eclipses the league norm.
Three‑step penalty routine
Der routine that Grgic follows is always the same: three Schritte of Anlauf, a brief Verzögern, then directing the ball to the opposite side so the Goalie rushes into the wrong Ecke before he nets. The Luganese player has refined this Ablauf to such precision that each attempt feels inevitable, reinforcing his reputation for cool composure.
Playoff coolness on Thursday
Donnerstagabend saw Grgic deliver another Kostprobe of his Coolness during the Conference‑League‑Playoffs. In the Hinspiel against Maccabi Tel Aviv, he scored the Siegtor in the 54th Minute, sealing a 2‑1 victory and marking his 24th straight successful Elfmeter. The moment unfolded at the Penaltypunkt, underscoring his poise under pressure.
Seit his transfer from Sion to Lugano in 2023, Grgic has converted every one of his 17 penalty attempts for the Swiss club, extending his flawless streak to 24 in succession. The 29‑year‑old’s record‑breaking run began after he left Sion, and he has maintained it with a blend of bold Anlauf and precise placement.
Bei his last ten attempts, Grgic has consistently sent opposing Goalies into the wrong Ecke, a pattern that has persisted since Frühling 2025. Der consistency of this approach has made each new penalty feel like a guaranteed point, reinforcing his status as a specialist.
Sein letzter Fehlschuss dates back to 31 October 2021, when, playing for Sion, his sharp, placed shot was saved by André Moreira of GC. Since that miss, Grgic has recorded only Volltreffer, a run that has no parallel in the current Top‑20‑League landscape.
According to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), only five players rank ahead of Grgic, all bearing illustrious names, and penalty attempts in shootouts are excluded from those statistics. In the Super League and other top‑20 competitions worldwide, no other player currently matches his uninterrupted streak.
Trifft Grgic two more penalties, he will reach 26 straight conversions, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku as the second‑best run since the turn of the millennium. Only Harry Kane, who netted 31 consecutive penalties between 2022 and 2025 for Tottenham, Bayern and England before a cup defeat to Wiesbaden, would remain ahead of him.
Between Dezember 2020 and Oktober 2021, Grgic missed four of ten penalties, but since then he has added no Fehlschuss. His professional Bilanz now stands at 35 to 4, a 73 Prozent conversion rate that sits just below the average 75 Prozent for Elfmeter kicks, yet far above most contemporaries.