Lionel Messi continues to produce extraordinary performances at the 2026 World Cup, further cementing his status as the greatest footballer the game has ever seen.
Against Egypt in the last 16, Messi inspired one of the most remarkable comebacks in World Cup history, scoring once and creating another as Argentina overturned a 2-0 deficit with barely ten minutes remaining.
The 39-year-old became the oldest player ever to score and assist in a World Cup match, extending a record he already held from earlier in his career.
It was also the fifth time he had both scored and assisted in a single World Cup game, with no other player managing the feat more than three times since records began in 1966.
He also moved clear as the competition’s all-time leading assist provider with nine, surpassing Diego Maradona in the process during a breathtaking display of individual brilliance.
Yet amid another exhibition of genius, one uncomfortable question continues to surface with increasing urgency around the Argentina camp.
Messi missed a penalty against Egypt after Mostafa Shobeir guessed correctly and made a comfortable save, and it was his second spot-kick failure of the tournament following a miss against Austria in the group stage.
No player in World Cup history has ever missed two penalties in normal time at a single edition, and across his World Cup career Messi has now converted only four of his eight penalties excluding shootouts.
Messi himself admitted the miss had a profound emotional impact on him after the final whistle, despite Cristian Romero, Messi himself and Enzo Fernandez completing a dramatic 3-2 victory in stoppage time.
“I cried because I felt that I let my team-mates down because of the penalty I missed, and the way I took it,” Messi said after the match.
The broader numbers are hardly flattering either, with Opta records showing Messi has scored 114 of his 148 penalties excluding shootouts, a conversion rate of 77%, which is considered merely average compared to the elite.
Harry Kane has converted 90.7% of his penalties across comparable competitions, with Cristiano Ronaldo at 85.2%, Erling Haaland at 84.1% and Kylian Mbappe at 81.0%, leaving Messi’s 78.8% looking distinctly underwhelming by comparison.
The paradox is striking given that at World Cups Messi has scored 17 non-penalty goals from chances worth approximately 13.1 expected goals, outperforming expectation by almost four goals.
Analysts suggest Messi’s tendency to improvise, waiting for the goalkeeper to commit before deciding his placement, increases the margin for error at precisely the wrong moment during a penalty kick.
Roy Keane, speaking during ITV’s coverage, was blunt in his assessment of the situation surrounding the Argentina captain and the penalty spot.
“For a great player,” Keane said, “he almost lacks belief in himself.”
Ian Wright raised the practical difficulty of simply removing Messi from penalty duties, pointing to the obvious complications of making such a request in the dressing room.
“Can you imagine being in that dressing room?” Wright asked. “Who’s going to say to Messi, ‘No, I’ll take them’?”
Argentina do have credible alternatives within Lionel Scaloni’s squad, with Leandro Paredes converting 92.9% of his competitive penalties and both Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez boasting conversion rates of 91.7%.
Scaloni has nevertheless shown no inclination to strip Messi of the responsibility, insisting ahead of the quarter-final against Switzerland that the decision ultimately rests with the player himself.
“First of all, Leo will take penalties if he wants to,” Scaloni said. “We have other players capable of taking them, but if he wants to take them, he’ll take them.”
Argentina have been awarded more penalties across the last two World Cups than any other nation, receiving eight since 2022, double the tally of any other side, including three already in 2026.
With the knockout rounds becoming increasingly unforgiving, the debate over who should be standing over the ball from 12 yards is only going to grow louder.
