The clubs that received the most penalties in 2025
Penalty kicks remain a golden opportunity for any team to score goals and breach the opponents' net. Each season, clubs that excel at capitalizing on these opportunities emerge, especially given the ongoing debate surrounding refereeing decisions and the impact of Video Assistant Referee ( VAR ) technology in modern football. A recent report published by the global website Transfermarkt revealed the ranking of clubs awarded the most penalties in 2025, with Benfica of Portugal topping the list, while Real Madrid surpassed their arch-rivals Barcelona in this statistical battle. The report confirmed that Benfica led the list, having been awarded 26 penalties across various competitions throughout the year, five more than their closest competitor. They successfully converted 23 of these penalties, demonstrating their impressive effectiveness from the penalty spot . Real Madrid came in second among clubs awarded the most penalties in 2025, with 21, ahead of their arch-rivals Barcelona, who ranked tenth with only 14. This reignited the usual debate in the Spanish media regarding refereeing decisions involving the two Spanish giants . Galatasaray of Turkey came in third, having been awarded 16 penalties and converting 15 of them, a remarkable success rate. Bayern Munich of Germany and Paris Saint-Germain of France occupied fourth and fifth place respectively, also with 16 penalties awarded, but with lower success rates of 88% and 75% respectively. The report indicated that penalties remain one of the easiest ways to score, with statistics showing that around 80% of penalties are converted. This percentage is even higher among the greatest penalty takers in football history, which explains the intense controversy surrounding refereeing decisions inside the penalty area, especially with the widespread use of VAR technology . The report clearly reflects the growing role of refereeing technology in changing the character of matches, along with its direct impact on the attacking statistics and results of teams throughout the season.
