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

Lionel Messi added a surprising entry to his World Cup legacy at the 2026 tournament. After missing a penalty against Egypt in the Round of 16, Messi set the record for the most penalties taken and missed during FIFA World Cup matches, excluding shootouts.

Penalty Milestones and Misses

The miss came early in the first half against Egypt, marking Messi's eighth penalty attempt in World Cup play, a number no other player had reached before. With this attempt, he also reached four missed penalties, the highest count in World Cup history.

Messi also became the first player to miss two penalties in the same World Cup edition, having earlier failed to score from the spot against Austria during the group stage.

Messi’s Missed Penalties in the World Cup

• Russia 2018: Missed penalty against Iceland.
• Qatar 2022: Missed penalty against Poland.
• 2026 FIFA World Cup: Missed penalties against Austria and Egypt.

Despite these misses, Messi has successfully converted key penalties, especially during Qatar 2022, where he scored four penalties helping Argentina to claim the World Cup title.