List of all missed penalties in FIFA World Cup 2026 so far

15 of 21 penalties in normal play have been converted in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The biggest event in the history of mankind, FIFA World Cup 2026, has produced some of the most iconic moments so far. For the first time in the history of the World Cup, a total of 48 countries from six different confederations took part.

From one of the smallest countries in the world, Cape Verde, whose existence on the map was unknown to millions, to almost dragging world champions Argentina into a penalty shootout. From two of the most successful teams in FIFA World Cup history, Brazil and Germany, bidding adieu far earlier than expected.

The quarterfinals had it all. The going only gets tougher from here.

Just twelve yards separate a penalty taker from the goal line. While a penalty might look like one of the easiest chances for any team to find the back of the net, a missed penalty in a crucial moment is nothing less than a nightmare for players. It is capable of altering the geopolitical mood of an entire nation within the blink of an eye.

From Asamoah Gyan’s penalty in the dying seconds of extra time, crushing Ghana’s hopes of becoming the first African semi-finalists at the FIFA World Cup 2010. To Kylian Mbappé scoring two penalties against Argentina to script a historic 3-3 comeback in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. Penalty shootouts have produced some of the tournament’s most unforgettable moments.

The 2026 edition saw a total of 21 penalties being awarded, way less than the 2018 and 2022 editions, most likely due to VAR intervention. 15 of the 21 got converted, with a good penalty success rate of around 71.4%. But what about the remaining six that were saved or missed?

In this article, we find out the list of all six missed penalties during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Find out how which penalty misses, if scored, could have changed the result otherwise.

List of all missed penalties at FIFA World Cup 2026

S.No	Player	Country	Opponent
1.	Lionel Messi	Argentina	Austria
2.	Mehdi Taremi	Iran	Egypt
3.	Bruno Guimaraes	Brazil	Norway
4.	Lionel Messi	Argentina	Egypt
5.	Kylian Mbappe	France	Morocco
6.	Jorgen Strand Larsen	Norway	France

6. Jorgen Strand Larsen (Norway) vs. France

It was the group stage fixture between Norway and France. In that game, we saw Les Bleus dominate the scoreline with a 4-1 win. The score could have been different.

Early in the second half, striker Jorgen Strand Larsen stepped up to take a penalty. His kick was stopped by French keeper Mike Maignan.

5. Kylian Mbappe (France) vs. Morocco

It was the first quarterfinal fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Frenchmen started with their usual high-pressing style. They attacked well but failed to fire the ball at the back of the net despite multiple chances on goal.

After a fierce tackle by a Moroccan defender, the France national football team were awarded a penalty in the 28th minute. Kylian Mbappe is the usual penalty taker for the Les Bleus. This time around, he messed up.

Mbappe came up with a stutter in his run-up and shot the ball in the bottom right corner. Yassine Bounou made an easy save to keep the scoreline 0-0 in the first half.

4. Lionel Messi (Argentina) vs. Egypt

After conceding an early goal, the Argentina national football team had a chance to equalise after they got a penalty in the 21st minute. Lionel Messi stepped up to take the responsibility from the spot. But the Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir made a sensational save to deny the 39-year-old.

With this, Messi made an unwanted record of missing two in-game penalties at a single edition of the FIFA World Cup. He missed one during the game against Austria.

3. Bruno Guimaraes (Brazil) vs. Norway

Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha was brought down by a sliding tackle in the box. After a VAR check, the referee pointed towards the spot. Vinicius Junior originally held the ball at the spot but suddenly handed it off to Newcastle United player Guimaraes, who had a terrible record with penalties.

Orjan Nyland of Sevilla made no mistake in guessing Bruno’s direction after his heavily criticised, slow stutter-step run-up. This single moment completely crushed Brazil’s tactical momentum. If Guimaraes had converted, Brazil would have had an early advantage.

Eventually, two late goals from Manchester City striker Erling Haaland saw Norway lead 2-0. A late penalty from Neymar wasn’t enough as Brazil lost 2-1 and bowed out.

2. Mehdi Taremi (Iran) vs. Egypt

It was a must-win game for Iran, who had been brilliant in the first two games, holding New Zealand and Belgium to draws. In the ninth minute, Taremi was brought down by Egypt’s Mohamed Abdelmonem inside the area. The referee signalled a penalty.

Iran’s veteran captain and primary penalty specialist, Taremi, was up against Mostafa Shobeir of Al Ahl. The young custodian stopped it. After VAR ruled out an offside goal, the game ended 1-1.

Iran, despite being unbeaten, were eliminated by the narrowest margin after ending as the ninth-best third-ranked team.

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) vs. Austria

After the miss against Ralf Ragnick’s Austria, Lionel Messi now holds the record for the most missed penalties in FIFA World Cup history. He has failed to convert 3 spot-kicks against Iceland, Poland and Austria.

Lautaro Martinez was fouled aggressively inside the 18-yard box. Argentina were handed a penalty in the fifth minute. Messi, who was coming after scoring a hat trick against Algeria, failed.

He sent his strike wide of the target altogether. It didn’t have much impact, though. Messi’s brace won the game 2-0 for Argentina.

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