Lionel Messi Creates Unwanted Record, Becomes First Player In The World To...

Last Updated:July 07, 2026, 22:33 IST

Messi has taken eight penalties in FIFA World Cup matches, the most by any player in the tournament’s history, but has converted only four of them.

Lionel Messi endured a rare setback on Tuesday (July 7) after missing a penalty during Argentina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash against Egypt at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta. The missed spot-kick saw the Argentina captain enter the history books for an unwanted reason.

The 39-year-old, who is the most-capped player as well as the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, became the first player ever to miss four penalties in the tournament.

Messi’s effort from the spot was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir in the 21st minute of the match. Earlier in the tournament, he had also failed to convert a penalty during Argentina’s Group J fixture against Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The Argentine great had previously missed one penalty each at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, taking his tally of missed penalties in the competition to four—more than any other player in World Cup history.

Messi first failed to convert a penalty at the FIFA World Cup during Argentina’s group-stage match against Iceland in 2018. He was also unable to score from the spot in Argentina’s group-stage encounter against Poland at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Messi has taken eight penalties in FIFA World Cup matches, the most by any player in the tournament’s history, but has converted only four of them.

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Harshit BishtSenior Sub-editor

Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli...Read More

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