Lionel Messi made history again during Argentina’s round of 16 match against Egypt, but this time it was for an unwanted record.
The Argentina captain missed a penalty in the match, making it his fourth missed penalty in FIFA World Cup history. According to Guinness World Records, this is now the highest number of missed penalties by any player in World Cup history, excluding penalty shootouts.
Argentina were trailing 1-0 when they were awarded a penalty. It was a major chance for Messi to bring his team level. He aimed his shot toward the right corner, but Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir made a strong save and denied him.
This was Messi’s second missed penalty in the current tournament. He had earlier missed one against Austria in the group stage. However, he responded strongly in that match by scoring twice and helping Argentina secure victory.
Despite the penalty miss, Messi has continued to achieve major milestones in the tournament. He also became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, taking his total to 17 goals.
Guinness World Records confirmed the record through a post on X. It stated that Messi has now missed four World Cup penalties during regular play, which is twice as many as any other player in the tournament’s history.
His previous World Cup penalty misses came against Iceland in 2018 and Poland in 2022.
While the latest record may not be one Messi would celebrate, it adds another dramatic chapter to his long World Cup journey with Argentina.
Also Read: Messi Sets Four World Cup Records in History
