Two Israeli soccer teams, SC Dimona and Shimshon Tel Aviv, set a record last week for the world’s longest penalty shootout, clocking in at 56 kicks. 

The previous record was held by Washington and Bedlington. The two teams recorded 54 penalty kicks in March 2022 during a first-round tie of the Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup, open to teams in the 10th tier of the English soccer system. Washington eventually beat Bedlington 25:24. 

Last week’s kickoff was part of the Third Division promotion play-off match that went to penalties after the game finished in a tie. 

During the game, Dimona was trailing 1:0 until the very last minute of regular time, when Haim Bozaglo put one past Tel Aviv’s goalie to even the score. The match then went into the 30-minute extra time, where both teams shined, ending the game in a 2:2 draw.

Dimona won the penalty shootout 23:22 after each side took 28 kicks. Dimona, which hosted the game, missed five penalty kicks, while the visitors missed six.

The victory put Dimona within an inch of the Second Division promotion, requiring only one more win, but the Negev-based team lost 2:0 to MS Tira a few days later, dashing the hopes of their fans.