A self-piercing rivet of a special rivet geometry is described, which in particular is suitable for joining high strength steel sheets, but can also be used for other metal sheets. The self-piercing rivet is in particular characterized by a special underhead geometry as well as a special geometry of the rivet foot (cutting region). Thus the self-piercing rivet has an underhead chamfer which with a radial plane of the self-piercing rivet encloses an angle of 20.degree.+5.degree./-5.degree. and merges tangentially into the cylindrical outer surface of the rivet shank via a radius. In the region of the rivet foot the self-piercing rivet has a plane shank face, which extends essentially at a right angle to the rivet axis and which merges "smoothly" into the cylindrical inner surface via a shank inner surface and a radius. In comparison to conventional self-piercing rivets the special rivet geometry enables lower joining forces and tensile forces in the joining operation, an optimized load bearing performance and an optimum joint quality of the self-piercing rivet joint as well as minimum gap formation between the rivet and the metal sheet.