Lionel Messi has etched his name into the World Cup record books for an unwanted reason, missing a penalty in Argentina's group-stage match against Austria on Monday. The 38-year-old Inter Miami star, who scored a hat-trick in Argentina's opening 3-0 win over Algeria, had the chance to give his side an early lead after Lautaro Martinez was fouled in the penalty area. Following a lengthy VAR review, the referee awarded a spot-kick, but Messi sent his effort wide of the goal.
Messi's Missed Penalty Record
This miss marked Messi's third failed penalty at the World Cup (excluding shootouts), surpassing Ghana's Asamoah Gyan, who missed two. Messi's previous misses came against Iceland in 2018 and Poland in 2022. He has now taken seven World Cup penalties, also a record for the Argentina captain. No other player has missed more than one penalty at the tournament, though England's Harry Kane joins the list of one-miss players after his miss against France in the 2022 quarter-finals.
Redemption and Record Goal
Messi's disappointment was short-lived. In the 39th minute, he scored a classy finish to put Argentina ahead, taking his World Cup tally to 17 goals. This moved him past Germany's Miroslav Klose, with whom he had shared the record of 16 goals, to become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. The goal was also his 121st for Argentina, far ahead of second-placed Gabriel Batistuta's 56.
According to BBC Match of the Day, Messi's miss was a rare blemish in an otherwise historic performance. The record-breaking goal came after Argentina's early struggles, with the defending champions eventually securing a vital win in their group-stage campaign.
