Declan Rice backs England's penalty takers to outlast every rival at the World Cup

Declan Rice has claimed England have the best group of penalty takers at the 2026 World Cup, pointing to the exits of Netherlands and Germany on spot-kicks as evidence that no side can afford to be complacent from 12 yards.

The Arsenal midfielder named Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham as takers who give England a decisive edge in any shoot-out. “I look at this group now, I don’t think there’s a better crop of penalty takers that England have probably ever had,” Rice said. “We have real strong takers, and I feel like as the tournament goes on, you know that might come along the way. So we’re going to be fully prepared for that.”

Rice reserved particular praise for Kane’s meticulous preparation, describing how the Bayern Munich striker identifies his target spot the day before a match and never wavers from it. “With Harry, it is incredible repetition and his process before the game’s even played,” he said. “The day before he knows if he gets a penalty the next day, where he’s going — there’s no doubt in his mind.”

Rice also drew on his own experience in Arsenal’s Champions League final shoot-out defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest, a loss that nonetheless left him with a new sense of calm under pressure. “I’ve never been so confident for a penalty,” he said. “I studied the keeper, I knew where I was going to go. It was all about the mind games. I felt really calm — I’ve been nervous with penalties before, but I didn’t feel as nervous as I did in that final.”

He contrasted that composure with an earlier moment of anxiety against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, when he scored but felt far less settled. The progression, he suggested, reflects a broader shift in England’s mentality around penalties — a discipline that has historically haunted the national side at major tournaments.

With both Germany and the Netherlands already eliminated on spot-kicks in the round of 32, Rice’s confidence that England are equipped to go all the way carries added weight as the knockout rounds intensify.