Noah Atubolu Makes Bundesliga History with Five Consecutive Penalty Saves

Across Europe’s elite football leagues, records are often built by goal scorers but in Germany’s Bundesliga, a young Nigerian goalkeeper has achieved something just as remarkable by denying them.

Noah Atubolu, the 23-year-old goalkeeper for SC Freiburg, has made Bundesliga history after saving five consecutive penalties, a feat no goalkeeper had previously accomplished in Germany’s top flight.

The historic moment came during Matchday 4 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season when Freiburg travelled to face Werder Bremen. Freiburg were already 2–0 ahead when Bremen were awarded a penalty in the 59th minute, offering the home side a chance to get back into the game.

Midfielder Romano Schmid stepped up to take the kick but Atubolu stayed calm, read the moment perfectly, and dived low to his right to push the ball away. The save kept Freiburg firmly in control of the match, which they eventually won 3–0 but more importantly, it confirmed a remarkable record, the fifth Bundesliga penalty in a row that Atubolu had saved.

Penalty kicks usually favour the attacker, which makes the achievement even more impressive. Each save requires quick judgment, sharp reflexes, and careful preparation. Atubolu says much of the credit belongs to the work done with Freiburg’s goalkeeping team before every match.

“Saving a fifth consecutive penalty is crazy. I thank God because it’s not something you can take for granted,” he said after the game. “We always discuss penalties together before matches. I’m just the one carrying it out on the pitch.”

The Bremen save was especially important. Had Schmid scored, the match could have shifted quickly with the home crowd behind their team.

“It was a very important save. At 2–1 the game could have become really uncomfortable here in Bremen. Bundesliga matches are always very tight.”

Atubolu’s record streak has been building for months. Before stopping Schmid, he had already denied André Silva of Werder Bremen earlier in 2025, while Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin duo Kevin Volland and Josip Juranović had also seen their penalties saved by the Freiburg goalkeeper. Five attempts. Five saves. A new Bundesliga record.

This is not the first time Atubolu has entered Freiburg’s history books. During the previous season, he set a club record by going 576 minutes without conceding a goal, a run that stretched from Matchday 19 to Matchday 26.

For Freiburg supporters, his reliability in goal has become a key part of the team’s strength. For Nigerian football followers, his rise is another proud moment that shows the growing impact of Nigerian talent across Europe’s biggest leagues.

In the long history of the Bundesliga, Noah Atubolu stands alone as the goalkeeper who turned the penalty spot into his own territory.