Ante Budimir took one of the worst penalties in football history, producing a shocking miss for a 97th-minute penalty during Osasuna's 1-0 La Liga defeat against Valencia on Monday. The striker has been in fine form this season, but his last-gasp blunder denied his side a point.

A draw would have lifted the club into the top half of the La Liga table, but they now remain in 11th place after falling to defeat at home. Valencia took the lead as Andre Almeida netted in the 18th minute of the encounter.

The hosts had the better of the game overall, registering more shots than the opponents and enjoying the lion's share of the possession, but they couldn't get the ball in the back of the net despite being handed a golden opportunity in the dying moments. Budimir is a man in great goalscoring form this season, and the entire stadium was expecting the ball to ripple the net - but the attacker fluffed his lines instead.

Budimir's 'Worst Penalty Ever' Contender

His stuttered run-up went horribly wrong

The Croatian forward was handed the opportunity to secure his side a valuable point in the last minute of the game as the referee pointed to the spot. Budimir stepped up to the plate, but his unusual run-up technique appeared to throw him off before striking the ball.

He attempted to stutter during his approach to the ball, although he seemed to mistime his steps and, as a result, he hardly made contact with his effort. The 32-year-old eventually rolled the ball slowly into the arms of the goalkeeper. Watch the shocking penalty below:

It is perhaps one of the worst penalties of all time, and certainly the worst in recent memory, as Budimir didn't even really strike the ball. It ended up as more of a gentle pass to the goalkeeper.

Budimir looked in disbelief immediately after the squandered opportunity, as did his teammates and manager. It is an unusual error from the striker, who has scored 16 league goals this season to date. Only Artem Dovbyk (17) has scored more goals in La Liga than the Croatia international, while Jude Bellingham is level with him on 16.

Related Football fans are amazed by how good the footage in La Liga looks and want to see similar in the Premier League. We look at the technology behind it.

What Next For Budimir and Osasuna

A top-half finish is still possible

Osasuna will be hoping their talisman returns to form for the upcoming away league matches against Rayo Vallecano and Granada. Trips to Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid still loom in the closing weeks of the campaign as the club look to fight for a top-half La Liga finish.

The highest they could realistically finish is ninth place, as Real Betis (8th) are almost out of reach. Goal difference is all that separates Osasuna, Getafe and Villarreal, with Los Rojillos being a few goals worse off than their domestic rivals.

Meanwhile, the victory leaves Valencia in contention to qualify for European football in the 2024/25 campaign as they are now just three points behind Real Sociedad, who currently hold a place in the Europa Conference League.