Lionel Messi sets unwanted penalty record in Argentina vs Austria FIFA World Cup 2026 clash
(Courtesy : Getty)
Lionel Messi failed to put Argentina ahead from the spot in tonight’s match.
Argentina faced Austria in their second Group J clash in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 22. Lionel Messi had a glorious opportunity to put his side ahead early on in the match, but the forward missed his penalty kick.
After a period of dominance from La Albiceleste, they had a breakthrough moment in the ninth minute. Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch both dived into a challenge with Lautaro Martinez. Referee Amin Mohamed Omar, after viewing the incident on the monitor, awarded a penalty.
Messi stepped up to take the spot kick. However, to the surprise of everyone watching the game, he dragged his effort wide to the right after a casual run-up. In fact, goalkeeper Alexander Schlager had the goal covered even if the strike was on target.
Also Read: Lionel Messi: List of all goals in FIFA World Cup history
Messi makes unwanted record
The penalty miss represented a big missed opportunity for Messi on a personal level. Had he found the back of the net, it would have been his 17th goal in the FIFA World Cup. He would have surpassed Miroslav Klose’s record as the all-time leading goal-scorer in FIFA’s flagship tournament.
In fact, Messi entered the record books as the first player to miss a spot kick in the expanded 48-team tournament in North America.
Interestingly, Messi has taken seven penalties in the World Cup and missed three of them, with both figures being records in the quadrennial tournament. The Argentine star missed spot kicks in the 2018 edition (against Iceland), the 2022 edition (against Poland), and the 2026 edition (against Austria).
How many World Cup penalties has Lionel Messi missed?
He has taken seven World Cup penalties, scoring four and missing three vs Iceland (2018), Poland (2022), and Austria (2026).
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.