Fluminense's penalty woes: 8 missed since 2025, taker undecided | OneFootball

Fluminense’s defeat to Flamengo in the final of the Campeonato Carioca, on Sunday night at Maracanã, brought back a recurring problem for the team: penalty kicks. After a 0-0 draw in regular time, Tricolor was beaten 5-4 in the shootout, with misses from Guga and Otávio.

According to a survey by Espião Estatístico from the ge website, Fluminense’s penalty conversion rate between 2025 and 2026 is 68%. There were 25 penalties taken during this period, considering both decisive shootouts and penalties during matches: 17 converted and eight missed.

Among the players in the squad, Everaldo and Canobbio are the ones who missed the most penalties in this period. See the missed penalties during this time:

*Penalties taken during regular time.

The topic was addressed by coach Luis Zubeldía in the press conference after losing the title. The coach acknowledged the difficulty and said he intends to appoint a fixed penalty taker for the team.

— We’ll find one, we’ll find one (a fixed penalty taker). It’s certain that if Paulo (Ganso) or Savarino are on the field, they are players who can take the penalties. Lucho could be another option. But certainly, we’ll find one — he said.

The problem is that the names mentioned by the coach are not always among the starters. Lucho Acosta started the match against Flamengo but was substituted in the second half and did not take part in the shootout. Ganso, who has a good record with penalties and is the player in the squad with the most penalties converted, has been used less frequently.

The Carioca final also marked the second time Fluminense has been eliminated on penalties under Zubeldía’s command. In December 2025, Tricolor was knocked out in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil by Vasco, after another penalty shootout, when John Kennedy and Canobbio missed their kicks.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.