History was made as Kylian Mbappe had his penalty shot saved by Yassine Bounou during the quarterfinals showdown between France and Morocco in Boston (Gillette Stadium). Not only did Mbappe join Karim Benzema on an unwanted World Cup list, but the Atlas Lions’ goalkeeper joined an exclusive group, too.
Long-standing records continue to be smashed left and right at the 2026 World Cup. This time, however, a feat was matched despite France and Morocco failing to score a goal in the first half of the opening quarterfinal.
As reported by Spanish statistician Mister Chip (@2010MisterChip on X), Bounou recorded his fourth penalty save (including shootouts) in World Cup history. With that total, he joined Harald Schumacher, Sergio Goycochea, Iker Casillas, and Dominik Livaković as the goalkeepers with the most penalty saves in World Cup history.
Bounou has mastered penalties
Bounou first burst onto the scene during the 2022 World Cup, when his heroics in a penalty shootout helped Morocco eliminate Spain in the Round of 16. Ever since, he’s become one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and penalties have been his magnum opus.
Yassine Bounou #1 of Morocco
At the 2026 World Cup, Bounou rose to the occasion once again, as the Atlas Lions eliminated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout in the Round of 32. The 6-foot-3 goalkeeper is so good at stopping shots from the spot that he gets inside opponents’ heads.
His frame and revolutionary technique consist of fully committing to one side, essentially turning every penalty into a 50-50 gamble. If he guesses correctly, chances are he will stop the shot no matter how accurately the ball is placed. Against Mbappe, however, Bounou steered away from his typical approach, and it paid dividends, regardless.
Bounou extends record lead
Bounou engages in mental battles with penalty takers, so it’s no mystery so many players have missed penalties against him even when he doesn’t make the save himself. According to Mister Chip, Bounou holds the record for the most missed penalties forced in World Cup history with a total of seven.
That means he’s saved four penalties and forced opponents to miss the target entirely three times. Simply put, Bounou gives his rivals a choice: they either play it too safe and he saves it, or they go for too much and miss the target. Either way, taking a penalty against Bono is basically choosing one’s poison.
Bounou’s penalty shots stats at World Cups
Although Bounou was on the roster for the 2018 World Cup, he didn’t play a single minute in his first tournament. Thus, across his first two active World Cup appearances (2022 and 2026), Bounou has faced a total of nine penalties. He has been beaten only twice, while saving four and seeing three miss the target.
His numbers translate to a whopping 44.4% save rate, with 77.7% of the penalties he’s faced ending without a goal, and only a 22.2% conversion rate for the penalty taker. While penalties heavily favor the shooters, against Bounou, a penalty is an ordeal rather than a blessing.
