UQ Science

As the World Cup enters its knockout phase this week, winning dreams may potentially rest on a single kick. ⚽🥅

New research from UQ together with Unopar Universidade and University of Sydney analysed hundreds of elite international penalties and simulated millions of shootout scenarios.

Professor Robbie Wilson, from UQ’s School of the Environment, said the study showed the psychological situations players faced during the shootout had the most impact on the result.

The research found:

⚽If shooting first, order your penalty takers from best to worst.

⚽If shooting second place your strongest, most psychologically resilient takers in positions 4 and 5.

🔗Read more in the comments.

📸Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi.
(Photo credit: Li Ming/Xinhua/Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images )

🎖️Congratulations to Mansfield State High School graduate and 2024 UQ Science Ambassador, Doris Wei who has been named in the top 73 people controlling the future of Queensland Education.

After scoring a perfect 99.95 ATAR and awarded the Outstanding Academic Achiever award for the Class of 2025, Doris will be tackling a dual degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at The University of Queensland.

We can't wait to see what you achieve at UQ! 💫

UQ Engineering and Technology