Eberechi Eze is ready to take penalties in the 2026 World Cup

Eberechi Eze has insisted he would happily take a penalty in the 2026 World Cup knockout tie, and sees his missed chance in Arsenal's Champions League final as just "part of the journey" to improve himself. In the final, Eze was the one to take the second penalty but sent the ball out, contributing to a 4-3 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

Eze said he has no intention of changing his technique, but will use the experience as motivation. "If called, I will definitely take it," Eze said when asked about taking the penalty. "Why wouldn't I? Football is full of everything and you have to accept everything as it is, to enjoy it as much as possible. Playing in a Champions League final is where I want to be, that's what I want to do. We will try again next season, and if there is a penalty I will be there. All the great players have missed such important penalties, have experienced these moments.

"I received many messages from people talking about those moments. For me, it's not something I wish had never happened. I'm grateful that it happened. I will grow from it, learn from it and move forward."

When asked if this involved a change in technique, Eze replied: "No, I think I've been taking penalties for a long time and it's part of the journey. You have to keep improving, finding new ways to grow. I wouldn't worry too much because I know I'm in this position for a reason and all the training got me here."

Eze was also happy to practice in the sunshine in Kansas City, even though just a few hours later, a tornado warning was issued, advising people in his area to seek shelter as a tornado developed 9 miles away. The players will talk about it after training on Sunday evening UK time, but Eze generally reflects that the season has been very good.

He was especially happy to talk about the championship parade, saying this season had benefited him "a lot" and that he had grown "in a big way." "It was a great experience to have that with friends and family. It will live with me forever. Each year you gain another year of experience and there are different things that are important for the next stage. Winning gives you faith, confidence in yourself that you can go to the end. We will all use that for sure.

"It was a season of ups and downs, a lot of different things I had to overcome but it was an exciting season and something I want to experience every year. I want to continue to improve and get better and grow. That's where you want to be and experiencing them just makes you a bigger player and a bigger person. You can always come back to it." Eze also laughed when he said he had brought his own shoes, after some of England's kits and equipment were stolen while in Kansas.