In the world of football, where passion flows like rivers and every goal breathes new life into the game, myths rise from the whispers of the crowds and echo in the hearts of fans. One such tale, spun with the fervor of belief, is that kicking first in a penalty shootout grants an undeniable advantage. But just as the sun rises to burn away the fog of early morning, truth has a way of clearing the air, too.
Today, I invite you to walk with me through the reality of this claim, to peel back the layers of opinion and reveal the light of evidence beneath.
Myth of the First Kick: A Football Fable
In the tender heart of Medellín, the night pulsed with hope as their beloved team faced Lanús in the semifinals of the Copa Sudamericana. The game, as fierce as the passion of those who watched, reached the bitter dance of penalties. As the first player stepped up, a familiar phrase fluttered through the air: “The team that kicks first always has the edge.”
The voice that carried these words belonged to an Argentine TV narrator, certain in his belief. His conviction rippled across social media, where fans and pundits alike took up the chorus, criticizing the Medellín team for daring to choose second. It was as if the choice alone had sealed their fate. But is there any truth to this claim, or is it just another of football’s fables?
The Truth Behind the Numbers: No Clear Advantage for the First Kicker
We live in a world overflowing with stories, but facts are the roots that hold us steady. A deeper look reveals a truth that does not bend to myth. Professor Ricardo M. Sánchez of Trinity University, after years of meticulous study, cast his light upon this question. Analyzing 663 penalty shootouts from the world’s grandest tournaments since 1970, he found that 50.8% of the teams who kicked first won, while 49.2% of those who kicked second triumphed. A difference, yes—but not enough to write the story of an advantage.
“First mover advantage is a phantom,” Sánchez observed. “The pressure doesn’t cling to the second kicker as tightly as people believe.” His study spanned from 1970 to 2003, when FIFA’s rules mandated that the team winning the coin toss would shoot first. During that era, 51.4% of teams who kicked first won, a slight edge that shrank after the rules changed. Since 2003, the difference in victories is negligible: just 50.4% for the first kickers.
In a World Cup setting, 34 penalty shootouts stand as testament to this balance: 17 were won by the team kicking first, and 17 by those who shot second. The myth, it seems, crumbles when placed in the hands of cold, unflinching data.
The Heart of the Game: More Than Just Numbers
Yet, football is not just a game of statistics. It is a game of spirit, a world where the hearts of players beat in time with the hopes of millions. Consider the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Morocco’s victory over Spain in the knockout rounds was part of a surprising trend: seven consecutive penalty shootouts were won by the team that began by defending, not attacking. In four of those cases, the goalkeeper stopped the first penalty, shaking the rhythm of the game in favor of those who waited. And when the first player missed the mark, only two teams managed to recover and seize victory.
So, while the data may suggest a delicate balance, the unpredictable nature of each player’s resolve—the pulse of the crowd, the weight of a nation’s hope—often proves to be the real deciding factor.
Daniel Kahneman’s Wisdom: Fast and Slow Thinking on the Pitch
Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel laureate, once mused on the nature of human thought, explaining that our minds move in two speeds: fast and slow. Fast thinking leads us to swift conclusions, often without the careful consideration they deserve. Slow thinking, on the other hand, takes time, allowing us to see beyond our initial impressions. When we hear, “The team that kicks first has the advantage,” it appeals to our fast thinking—it feels right, instinctive. But slow thinking, grounded in research and evidence, whispers a different truth: in the end, it is not the order of the kicks, but the players who take them, that determine a team’s fate.
A Myth Laid Bare: Kicking First Offers No Certainty
The myth that shooting first in penalty shootouts provides a clear advantage is much like a dream that vanishes with the dawn. Football, in all its beauty, is too complex to be defined by such simple truths. Whether you stand first at the penalty line or wait in the shadows for your turn, the outcome remains in the hands of those brave enough to face the goalkeeper’s gaze.
In the end, football is more than just statistics. It is the poetry of effort, the dance of anticipation, and the heart-stopping moment when the ball takes flight. Let us honor the game, not by clinging to myths, but by embracing its ever-changing, unpredictable soul.
