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ByDarren Beattie
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Lionel Messi made some unwanted history in the last-16 tie against Egypt on Tuesday as he became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to miss two penalties at a single edition. The Argentina is used to breaking records of a good kind, putting him firmly in the GOAT debate.
That includes being the leading goalscorer in the tournament's history, with seven of his 20 strikes coming this summer alone.
That tally could have been more though had he converted a spot kick in his country's 2-0 victory over Austria earlier in the tournament.
And he was once again left facing penalty misery during Argentina's last-16 clash with Egypt.
Trailing 1-0 after a strike from Yasser Ibrahim, Messi had a chance to respond three minutes later after Haissem Hassan brought down Nicolas Tagliafico in the area.
The 39-year-old stepped up to take but was thwarted by goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who guessed the right way in diving to his left to push the effort to safety.
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History made, but not of a good kind. Messi is the first man two miss two penalties at the same World Cup.
"That's incredible," said ITV commentator Ally McCoist. "He actually didn't look really confident. I can't believe I'm saying that about one of the greatest players on earth.
"I'm not sure he believed it himself. It's a good save but it's a comfortable one."
Perhaps history suggested the Inter Miami man was going to miss, though.
Excluding shoot-outs, of eight penalties overall at the World Cup, only four have made it into the back of the net.
He is also the only player in history to miss a spot kick at three editions.
"We didn't fancy him," said ITV pundit Roy Keane at half-time. "His record is not great.
"For a great player like Messi, almost lacking that belief in himself. It's amazing!"
Indeed, Messi's record for both club and country is far from bulletproof.
This was the 150th spot-kick he has taken across his glittering career, which is now into its third decade.
However, 34 of them have been missed, with 116 ending up in the back of the net. There is a weakness, after all.
That leads to debate over whether or not Messi should be on penalty taking duties for his country.
ITV pundit Gary Neville said it would take a brave man to take the responsibility off him, though.
"They're impossible, these players of that stature, to be able to communicate with around stuff like this," he said.
"They want every penalty. They want every free-kick."
The better side of history
Messi would eventually get his goal, though, breaking another record in the process.
With Argentina 2-1 down and needing their talisman to step up, the 39-year-old levelled the scores with just seven minutes left.
Amazingly, that was the sixth successive knockout game he had netted in.
The run started in Qatar in 2022, when he was on target in a 2-1 success over Australia.
Strikes against the Netherlands and Croatia followed in the quarter and semi-finals, before bagging a brace in the final, when Argentina beat France on penalties.
And that golden (or goalden) streak has continued into this tournament.
Messi scored the opener when his country squeezed past Cape Verde in the last-32, before netting once more against Egypt.
It was his 21st World Cup goal overall, and the ninth successive World Cup match in which he had converted.
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React to this story
Lionel Messi made some unwanted history in the last-16 tie against Egypt on Tuesday as he became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to miss two penalties at a single edition. The Argentina is used to breaking records of a good kind, putting him firmly in the GOAT debate.
That includes being the leading goalscorer in the tournament's history, with seven of his 20 strikes coming this summer alone.
That tally could have been more though had he converted a spot kick in his country's 2-0 victory over Austria earlier in the tournament.
And he was once again left facing penalty misery during Argentina's last-16 clash with Egypt.
Trailing 1-0 after a strike from Yasser Ibrahim, Messi had a chance to respond three minutes later after Haissem Hassan brought down Nicolas Tagliafico in the area.
The 39-year-old stepped up to take but was thwarted by goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who guessed the right way in diving to his left to push the effort to safety.
Juventus 'exploring' Stones signing, clubs circle wantaway PSG star - Euro Transfer News
Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs to feature on TNT Sports in August and September
England v Norway: Five key battles ahead of World Cup quarter-final
History made, but not of a good kind. Messi is the first man two miss two penalties at the same World Cup.
"That's incredible," said ITV commentator Ally McCoist. "He actually didn't look really confident. I can't believe I'm saying that about one of the greatest players on earth.
"I'm not sure he believed it himself. It's a good save but it's a comfortable one."
Perhaps history suggested the Inter Miami man was going to miss, though.
Excluding shoot-outs, of eight penalties overall at the World Cup, only four have made it into the back of the net.
He is also the only player in history to miss a spot kick at three editions.
"We didn't fancy him," said ITV pundit Roy Keane at half-time. "His record is not great.
"For a great player like Messi, almost lacking that belief in himself. It's amazing!"
Indeed, Messi's record for both club and country is far from bulletproof.
This was the 150th spot-kick he has taken across his glittering career, which is now into its third decade.
However, 34 of them have been missed, with 116 ending up in the back of the net. There is a weakness, after all.
That leads to debate over whether or not Messi should be on penalty taking duties for his country.
ITV pundit Gary Neville said it would take a brave man to take the responsibility off him, though.
"They're impossible, these players of that stature, to be able to communicate with around stuff like this," he said.
"They want every penalty. They want every free-kick."
The better side of history
Messi would eventually get his goal, though, breaking another record in the process.
With Argentina 2-1 down and needing their talisman to step up, the 39-year-old levelled the scores with just seven minutes left.
Amazingly, that was the sixth successive knockout game he had netted in.
The run started in Qatar in 2022, when he was on target in a 2-1 success over Australia.
Strikes against the Netherlands and Croatia followed in the quarter and semi-finals, before bagging a brace in the final, when Argentina beat France on penalties.
And that golden (or goalden) streak has continued into this tournament.
Messi scored the opener when his country squeezed past Cape Verde in the last-32, before netting once more against Egypt.
It was his 21st World Cup goal overall, and the ninth successive World Cup match in which he had converted.
This is a breaking news story. For the latest updates, please refresh the page.
Download the TNT Sports app, available on smartphones and tablets, to get breaking news alerts straight to your device.
Related Matches
