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Messi's penalty saved as Argentina trail Egypt in World Cup last 16

Lionel Messi had a first-half penalty saved by Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir as Argentina found themselves 1-0 down to Egypt in the World Cup round of 16, after Yasser Ibrahim's 15th-minute opener.

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Messi's penalty saved as Argentina trail Egypt in World Cup last 16
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Lionel Messi missed from the spot as Argentina trailed Egypt 1-0 at the break in their 2026 World Cup round-of-16 tie, with goalkeeper Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir denying the Argentine captain after Yasser Ibrahim had given Egypt the lead on 15 minutes.

Nicolás Tagliafico won the penalty that handed Messi the chance to level, but Shobeir guessed correctly and kept the score at 1-0 — leaving Argentina with a comeback to mount in the second half.

The miss carries a notable statistical weight. Messi now has one miss, three saves, and four conversions across eight career penalty attempts in World Cup play, excluding shootouts. It also makes him the first player in World Cup history to miss two penalties at a single edition of the tournament.

For Argentina, the deficit marks only the second time they have trailed at a World Cup since the opening match of Qatar 2022, when they were beaten by Saudi Arabia in one of the tournament’s most famous upsets.

Egypt’s lead was built on Ibrahim’s composed finish, and Shobeir’s save has given the African side a platform to dream of a famous victory. Whether Argentina can find the response their squad’s quality suggests they are capable of remains to be seen.

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