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Every time Lionel Messi touched the pitch at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he made history, and that was certainly true in Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday, where he scored and provided an assist to become the all-time leader in assists in the tournament.
However, Messi also set another record on Tuesday, one he surely hopes will be eclipsed in his lifetime.
With Argentina trailing 1-0 after a 15th-minute goal from Egyptian central defender Yasser Ibrahim, Argentine fullback Nicolás Tagliafico took a penalty that set the stage for Messi to become the hero again.
Instead, Messi saw his penalty attempt stopped by Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir, keeping the match 1-0 in Egypt’s favor. The failure made Messi the first player in World Cup history to miss two penalties in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup.
Messi now has one miss, three saves and four conversions in his eight career penalty attempts, excluding penalties.
Fortunately for Messi, Argentina prevailed and scored three goals in the final 11 minutes plus stoppage time to complete a 3-2 comeback against Egypt and consolidate their place in the quarter-finals. Messi and Argentina will now face the winner of Switzerland against Colombia on Saturday at Kansas City Stadium.
