Messi misses glaring penalty and lets historic record slip away against Austria

Lionel Messi missed a penalty in the opening minutes of Argentina’s match against Austria on Monday at the 2026 World Cup in the United States. Won by Lautaro Martinez after a lengthy video review, La Pulga’s shot went wide, lacking both conviction and precision.

The miss is all the more striking given the brilliant form displayed by the Argentine captain since the start of the tournament. Three days earlier, Messi had scored a hat-trick against Algeria in the Albiceleste’s opening match, bringing his World Cup tally to 16 goals.

That is precisely where the stakes become dizzying. One more goal would have allowed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner to surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose and become the sole all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 17 goals. The record remains in suspense, at least until the next opportunity.

Messi’s approximate and jerky run-up on this shot contrasts sharply with his status as Argentina’s designated and nearly infallible penalty taker. Rarely has the Argentine been so uninspired in this exercise at this level of competition.