Messi Breaks Record for Most Penalties Taken and Missed in FIFA World Cup History

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi made history in a way few expected. During Argentina's Round of 16 match against Egypt, Messi missed a penalty that pushed him to the top of two dubious records: most penalties taken and most penalties missed in FIFA World Cup matches, excluding shootouts.

An Unwanted Milestone

The missed spot-kick came early in the first half against Egypt’s goalkeeper, marking Messi's eighth penalty attempt in World Cup history, a record no other player has reached. This miss also brought his total penalties missed in regular time to four, the highest ever in tournament history.

Furthermore, Messi became the first player to miss two penalties in a single FIFA World Cup edition, having already missed one during the group stage against Austria.

Messi’s Missed Penalties at the FIFA World Cup

• Russia 2018: missed against Iceland
• Qatar 2022: missed against Poland
• 2026 FIFA World Cup: missed against Austria
• 2026 FIFA World Cup: missed against Egypt

Despite these misses, Messi has scored many vital penalties, notably converting four during the 2022 tournament as Argentina marched to their World Cup title.