Italy are one of the most successful teams in international football, with a long history of competing at the business end of major tournaments.
They have competed in their fair share of penalty shootouts along the way and have even had to make the dreaded walk in two World Cup finals.
Goal brings you all the details about Italy's penalty shootout record, who they have won and lost against, and when.
What is Italy's overall penalty shootout record?
Italy have been in 11 penalty shootouts at major tournaments and they have won five of them, losing six.
Of the 11 shootouts they have contested, seven of them have come at the European Championship and four at the World Cup.
Two of their penalty shootouts have come in the World Cup final - they lost to Brazil in 1994 and won against France in 2006.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tournament stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 1980 | Czechoslovakia | 9-8 loss | Euro 80 third-place play-off |
| Jul 3, 1990 | Argentina | 4-3 loss | World Cup 90 semi-final |
| Jul 17, 1994 | Brazil | 3-2 loss | World Cup 94 final |
| Jul 3, 1998 | France | 4-3 loss | World Cup 98 quarter-final |
| Jun 29, 2000 | Netherlands | 3-1 win | Euro 2000 semi-final |
| Jul 9, 2006 | France | 5-3 win | World Cup 2006 final |
| Jun 22, 2008 | Spain | 4-2 loss | Euro 2008 quarter-final |
| Jun 24, 2012 | England | 4-2 win | Euro 2012 quarter-final |
| Jul 2, 2016 | Germany | 6-5 loss | Euro 2016 quarter-final |
| Jul 6, 2021 | Spain | 4-2 win | Euro 2020 semi-final |
| Jul 11, 2021 | England | 3-2 win | Euro 2020 final |
Interestingly, Italy lost the first four penalty shootouts they were involved in, suffering defeat at the hands of Czechoslovakia, Argentina, Brazil and France.
Their first penalty shootout victory came at Euro 2000, when they beat the Netherlands in the semi-final. Since then, their record in shootouts has been good, winning four more times in six contests.
While it would be glib to suggest that Italy have become uniquely adept at winning penalty shootouts, with five wins from seven since the turn of the century, they win two times out of three.
There is no doubt that they know how to navigate them, regularly producing players who seem at ease with the pressure of taking penalties.
They scored all of their penalties in the 2006 World Cup final victory against France, for example, while Andrea Pirlo's Panenka penalty against Joe Hart at Euro 2012 is a classic moment.
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Similarly, the demeanour of Giorgio Chiellini ahead of the semi-final penalty shootout against Spain at Euro 2020 was remarked upon as an indicator of Italy's comfort with the pressure of the 12-yard showdown.
The legendary defender was full of smiles and laughs with Spain captain Jordi Alba during the coin-toss to determine which team went first, but denied that he was engaged in 'mind games'.
"I always have a smile on my face but have the utmost respect for my opponents," Chiellini explained.
"I will hug them, smile or have a laugh but that’s something that I have always done. I have done that in these games and even more so in this European Championship.
"I am trying to really enjoy every single moment."