Romário was one of the coolest finishers football has seen, and from the penalty spot he was about as dependable as they come.
He scored more than 1,000 career goals across all competitions, and a good number of them came from 12 yards. His method was not complicated. He picked a corner and hit it hard. The goalkeeper was usually looking at his feet before the ball had stopped moving.
Romário's spot kicks, club by club
He took penalties with the same accuracy wherever he played. At PSV, at Barcelona, at Flamengo, the routine barely changed. Look at the keeper, pick the spot, score. That calm under pressure made him one of the most feared penalty takers of the 1990s.
It helped that he was one of the best players in the world. In 1994 he won the World Cup with Brazil and was the best player at the tournament by a distance.
Why Romário is on the list
He never needed tricks. He simply looked at the goalkeeper, decided where the ball was going and put it there. Simple, effective and very hard to stop.
He had the mentality of a champion, and from the spot he was close to unbeatable.
Tomorrow: number 27.
