The Argentina captain’s ninth-minute miss created a unique piece of FIFA World Cup history, adding to the statistical record that now stands alongside his remarkable goalscoring achievementsLionel Messi ended up scoring not just one but two goals to make him the top scorer in FIFA World Cup history, but before he achieved those milestones against Austria on Monday, the Argentina captain added his name to a very different part of the record book.A 39th-minute goal to give Argentina the lead in the Group J encounter ensured Lionel Messi progressed to 17 World Cup goals, moving ahead of Germany’s Miroslav Klose. He then added another second deep into stoppage time, taking his tally to 18 and extending his lead as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history for both men and women. Messi now has five goals in just two games at the 2026 Championship, following his first hat-trick against Algeria. With this 2-0 victory, Argentina officially secured their place in the knockout rounds, while Messi also equaled the records of France’s Just Fontaine, the legendary striker who scored 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup, and Brazil’s Jairzinho, a key figure in Brazil’s 1970 World Cup winners who scored in every game of the tournament. He has now scored in six consecutive World Cup games, underscoring his remarkable consistency on football’s biggest stage.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, center, scores the first goal during the World Cup Group J soccer match between Argentina and Austria in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
However, the most intriguing statistical development of the afternoon came much earlier when the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner missed a penalty that briefly delayed his pursuit of the goalscoring record.That lady did more than postpone history. It made Messi the outright holder of two separate World Cup penalties records, one reflecting his longevity and Argentina’s repeated deep runs at the tournament, the other highlighting the surprisingly complicated relationship with penalties on football’s biggest stage.
How the missed penalty unfolded
The opportunity arrived in the ninth minute after a lengthy VAR review. Lautaro Martínez made his way into the box before being blocked by Austrians Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch. While Schlager appeared to make contact with the ball, the officials, after reviewing the incident, determined that Posch’s challenge on Martínez warranted a penalty.Play continued for more than a minute as Martínez remained on the pitch before the referee finally resumed proceedings and consulted a pitchside monitor.The decision gave Messi the opportunity to score his 17th World Cup goal and immediately move away from Klose.Instead, it drifted wide of the right post with his left foot.
Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager (1) dives for the ball as Argentina’s Lionel Messi shoots wide during the World Cup Group J soccer match between Argentina and Austria in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)
At that moment, Messi remained tied with Klose on 16 goals at the World Cup. More importantly for the purposes of statistical history, he registered the third missed penalty of his World Cup career.
Messi now holds two World Cup penalties records
The miss against Austria was Messi’s seventh penalty attempt in regular World Cup play, not including penalties.No player in the history of the competition has taken more.It also became his third missed penalty, moving him clear of former Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan to give him sole possession of another World Cup record.Messi is therefore now the single player with the most penalties taken and missed in FIFA World Cup history, excluding penalty kicks.His overall record currently stands at four successful conversions from seven attempts.Before Monday’s game, Messi shared the unwanted record for most misses with Gyan, whose two misses came against the Czech Republic in 2006 and in one of the most dramatic moments in World Cup history against Uruguay in the quarter-finals in 2010. On that occasion, after Luis Suárez had tackled the ball on the goal line and been sent off, Gyan struck the ensuing penalty in the final moments of extra time to hit the crossbar, denying Ghana advances to the semi-finals.Messi’s miss against Austria moved him past Gyan to become the sole record holder.
The story of World Cup penalties spanning three tournaments
What makes the record particularly impressive is that it took place in three separate World Cups. Messi scored the first penalty at the World Cup against Iceland in Russia 2018. When Argentina tied the score at 1-1, his shot was saved by goalkeeper Hannes Halldórsson.Four years later in Qatar, he converted against Saudi Arabia before suffering another setback when Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny denied him during the group stage.The rest of the tournament changed the story of penalties.Messi converted against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, Croatia in the semi-finals and France in the final, scoring the three most important goals of Argentina’s title campaign.Against Austria in 2026, another failure was written on the list.His World Cup penalty shootout record now consists of successful attempts against Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Croatia and France, with misses against Iceland, Poland and Austria.The figures reveal an unusual contrast. Messi has become one of the most prolific goalscorers in the competition’s history, but penalties have often been one of the few areas where vulnerability has occasionally appeared.
Where do Cristiano Ronaldo and other greats rank?
Messi’s amount of penalties separates him from almost every other player in World Cup history.Cristiano Ronaldo, who has often been compared to Lionel Messi during his 20-year international career, has scored three of his four penalties at the World Cup.The Portugal captain scored against Iran 2006, Spain 2018 and Ghana 2022. His only miss came later in the 2018 tournament when Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand saved his effort during a 1-1 draw.Therefore, Ronaldo ended his world career with three goals and one miss from four penalties.Several other legendary players also featured in the tournament’s penalty records:
- England captain Harry Kane took five penalties at the World Cup, scoring four and missing one.
- Portuguese great Eusébio converted all four penalties at the World Cup without a miss.
- Argentina forward Gabriel Batistuta also scored all four of his attempts.
- Dutch forward Rob Rensenbrink also maintained a perfect record, converting four penalties from four attempts.
Messi’s tally of seven tries remains unrivaled, while his four successful conversions put him alongside some of the most efficient penalty takers the tournament has seen.
A record built on longevity and capability
The reason why Messi holds both records is not simply accuracy or inaccuracy, it is very much a reflection of Argentina’s longevity, ability and continued success in multiple tournaments.Monday’s game against Austria was his FIFA-record 28th World Cup appearance and came during his sixth World Cup campaign. Less than a week earlier, he scored a hat-trick against Algeria in his 200th international appearance, exactly 20 years after his World Cup debut.There are few players who have played enough World Cup matches to accumulate seven penalty chances. Even fewer have done so while remaining at the center of their national team’s attack for almost two decades.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi leaves the field after the World Cup Group J soccer match between Argentina and Austria in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
That longevity placed Messi in a unique statistical category.Before half-time against Austria, his penalty miss briefly set an unwanted record. But he quickly responded, breaking the all-time men’s World Cup record with his 17th goal in the 39th minute, and then, deep into stoppage time, added an 18th to extend his lead even further and seal a 2-0 victory for Argentina.The existence of goals will inevitably dominate the headlines. However, the penalty records provide a fascinating reminder that even the most successful World Cup career ever contained moments of frustration alongside moments of greatness.In Messi’s case, both happened in the same afternoon.
