Messi Breaks FIFA World Cup Record for Most Penalties Taken and Missed
Lionel Messi has once again made history at the FIFA World Cup, but this time for an unfortunate reason. During Argentina's Round of 16 clash against Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Messi missed a penalty that pushed him to hold two unwanted records: the player with the most penalties taken and the most penalties missed in World Cup matches, excluding shootouts.
A Record No One Expected
Early in the first half against Egypt, Messi’s missed penalty marked his eighth attempt in World Cup games, a number no other player had reached before. At the same time, this miss gave him a total of four missed penalties, the highest figure in tournament history.
Additionally, Messi became the first player to miss two penalties within the same World Cup edition, having also failed to convert a spot kick earlier during the group stage versus Austria.
Details of Messi’s Missed Penalties at the World Cup
- 2018 Russia: Missed against Iceland
- 2022 Qatar: Missed against Poland
- 2026 World Cup: Missed against Austria
- 2026 World Cup: Missed against Egypt
Despite these misses, Messi has successfully scored important penalties, notably netting four during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, helping Argentina secure the championship title.
