Netherlands Ronald Koeman Jr, son of former Dutch player and coach Ronald Koeman, scored both goals from the penalty spot to help Telstar draw 2-2 with Cambuur in the Dutch National Championship (Eredivisie).
At Sportpark Schoonenberg's home field on September 6, Telstar played without players from the 20th minute and was led by two goals by Cambuur after an hour of play. But Koeman Jr. became Telstar's hero when he scored from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute to shorten the gap to 1-2, before successfully converting the second penalty in the 11th minute of injury time, sealing the score at 2-2. Thanks to that, Koeman Jr. became the first goalkeeper to score two goals in one match in the Eredivise.
"I am simply the leader of the penalty taker list right now. I can take penalties well and am confident in my abilities. I have no doubts," Koeman Jr. said after the match.
The 31-year-old goalkeeper said he was chosen to take the penalty kick due to his ability and confidence, and was not affected by provocations from the Cambuur player.
Both successful penalties were scored by Koeman Jr. into the bottom right corner. He admitted that he could change direction the next time, but said that the most important thing is that the shot is strong enough that the opponent's goalkeeper cannot block it.
Koeman Jr. was born into a family with a football tradition. He is the son of former Dutch player and coach Ronald Koeman, grandson of former Dutch player Erwin Koeman and grandson of former player Martin Koeman.
His father, Ronald Koeman, was also famous for his ability to score goals despite playing mainly in defense. The former captain of Barca and the Netherlands scored a total of 239 goals in his career, including 115 goals from 131 penalty kicks.
Goalkeepers scoring goals are rare in football, usually only happening when a team gets a corner kick in the last minute and the goalkeeper rises up. But Koeman Jr. has repeatedly proven that he is no stranger to scoring goals.
In May 2026, in the final round of the Eredivisie away at Volendam Stadium, he also kicked a penalty and scored in the 88th minute, thereby helping Telstar avoid having to play in the relegation play-off. That day, even though the two top scorers Jochem Ritmeester van de Kamp and Patrick Brouwer were both on the field, Koeman Jr. was still the one who stepped up to take the penalty kick and did it successfully, sealing a 2-1 victory for Telstar in the 89th minute.
Coach Anthony Correia even suggested building a statue of Koeman Jr. after that moment. "He deserves a statue," Correia said, according to TNT Sports. "It's great that he did that. Goalkeeper Volendam could have leaned towards the corner, but the ball went into the net. He shot so well. Normally I'm not someone who drinks a lot, but today I will drink a small beer."
Correia also likened that victory to a championship: "They did very well. This feels like we just won the championship. I didn't think we could win 37 points."
It's rare for a goalkeeper to be tasked with taking on set-piece situations, but it's not unprecedented.
Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni specialized in taking free kicks and penalties for Sao Paulo in the period 1997-2015. He scored 129 goals, often rising high when the home team received a free kick near the opponent's penalty area and many times sending the ball into the top corner of the goal.
Ceni currently holds the Guinness record for most goals scored by a goalkeeper. Another South American goalkeeper, Rene Higuita, also scored 43 goals in his career, including 35 goals from penalties.
Paraguay also owns a goalkeeper famous for his scoring ability, Jose Luis Chilavert, who has more than 60 goals, including a record of 8 goals for the national team. German goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt also scored 26 goals in the Bundesliga with penalty kicks while playing for Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen.
