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This hit-and-miss penalty technique can make the World Cup's best players look cool — or silly
By Steve Douglas and The Associated Press at KTSM 9 News (NBC)
· July 9, 2026
· 1 min read
It’s theatrical. It can be maddening. It makes the world’s top soccer players look very cool — or very silly. The stutter-step penalty has been a feature of this World Cup, with the leading adopters of the technique being superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and N...
Key takeaway The stutter-step penalty has been a feature of this World Cup, with the leading adopters of the technique being superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Neymar.
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About this story
Original reporting by KTSM 9 News (NBC) . The El Paso surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
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Category: local ·
Published: July 9, 2026 ·
Source: KTSM 9 News (NBC) ·
Reading time: 1 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? It’s theatrical. It can be maddening. It makes the world’s top soccer players look very cool — or very silly. The stutter-step penalty has been a feature of this World Cup, with the leading adopters of the technique being superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and N...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 9, 2026 by KTSM 9 News (NBC) and curated for The El Paso readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Steve Douglas and The Associated Press at KTSM 9 News (NBC). To learn more about how The El Paso selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The El Paso, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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