After the first seventeen World Cup matches, it was counted that referees awarded as many as ten penalties.
This means that if referees continue to penalize athletes so strictly in the competition, the record for penalties in a single tournament - 18 penalties throughout the tournament (in 1990 and 2002) - will be broken. It is predicted that as many as 38 penalties will be awarded in Russia at this rate.
The memorable achievement should also be significantly influenced by the VAR system - with the help of video assistants, players have already had the opportunity to take four penalties from the 11-meter mark.
However, in these championships, another record will not be set - 100% conversion rate of penalties (not in shootouts). This happened in 1994 in the USA, when players disappointed opponents' goalkeepers in all 15 attempts.
Lionel Messi and Christian Cueva have not managed to shine in these championships.
In the World Cup, three goalkeepers can boast of saving two penalties each - Jan Tomaszewski, Brad Friedel, and Iker Casillas.
Overall statistics of all time: 228 penalties taken, 183 goals scored, goalkeepers caught the ball 27 times, and 18 attempts missed the target.
