10 Most Famous World Cup Penalty Misses
8. Zico (1986)
Had things turned out differently, the Brazil side of 1986 could have gone all the way and won the tournament. The team made short work of their group stage opponents and didn't concede a single goal on their way to a quarter final clash with France.
The real turning point of this clash, and Brazil's World Cup campaign as a whole, came in the late stages of the second half. Brazil's midfield mastermind Zico had just come on and almost instantly won his side a penalty, which he stepped up to take. As one of the best goalscorers in Brazil's history, Zico was expected to bury the strike and give his team a potentially game-winning lead.
Instead, he sent a rather tame effort just to the right of the keeper, who guessed well and punched it away. Zico's onrushing teammates tried to atone for his error but the French defended well and saw out the game. The Brazilian redeemed himself by scoring in the penalty shootout, but two of his teammates missed and Brazil were knocked out.