The Argentina captain’s miss in the ninth minute created a unique piece of FIFA World Cup history, adding to a statistical record that now stands alongside his remarkable goalscoring tally.Lionel Messi has finally found not just one, but two goals that have moved him as the top scorer in FIFA World Cup history, but before reaching those landmarks against Austria on Monday, the Argentina captain added his name to a very different section of the record books.The 39th-minute goal that put Argentina ahead in their Group J clash ensured Lionel Messi moved to 17 World Cup goals, moving past Germany’s Miroslav Klose. She then added a second deep in stoppage time, taking her tally to 18 and extending her lead as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Messi now has five goals in just two games at the 2026 tournament, following his opening day hat-trick against Algeria. With this 2-0 victory, Argentina officially secured their place in the knockout rounds, while Messi also equaled the records held by 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 1970 who scored in every World Cup-winning match. He has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, underscoring his remarkable consistency on football’s biggest stage.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, center, scores the opening 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)
Yet the most intriguing statistical development of the afternoon had come much earlier when the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner missed a penalty which, for a brief period, delayed his pursuit of the goalscoring record.This miss did more than postpone history. It established Messi as the absolute holder of two separate World Cup penalty records, one reflecting his longevity and Argentina’s repeated deep runs in the tournament, the other highlighting a surprisingly complicated relationship with penalties on football’s biggest stage.
How the missed penalty developed
The opportunity came in the ninth minute after a lengthy VAR review. Lautaro Martínez had made his way into the penalty area before being challenged by Austria’s Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch. While Schlager appeared to make contact with the ball, the officials determined that Posch’s challenge on Martínez warranted a penalty after reviewing the incident.The game continued for more than a minute while Martínez remained on the field before the referee finally ended the proceedings and consulted the pitchside monitor.The decision gave Messi the opportunity to score his 17th World Cup goal and immediately pull away from Klose.Instead, his left-footed effort went wide of the right post.
Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager (1) dives for the ball as Argentina’s Lionel Messi’s shot clears 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 time, Messi was tied with Klose on 16 World Cup goals. More significantly for the purposes of statistical history, he had recorded the third missed penalty of his World Cup career.
Messi now has two World Cup penalty records
The miss against Austria was Messi’s seventh penalty attempt in regular World Cup play, excluding penalty shootouts.No player in the history of the competition has taken more.It also became his third penalty without success, keeping out former Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan and giving him sole possession of another World Cup record.Messi is therefore now alone as the player with the most penalties taken and the most penalties missed in FIFA World Cup history, excluding shootouts.His overall record currently stands at four successful conversions from seven attempts.Before Monday’s game, Messi had 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 2010 quarter-finals. On that occasion, after Luis Suárez handled the ball on the goal line and was sent off, Gyan made the resulting penalty against the crossbar in the last moments of extra time, denied Ghana a place in the semi-finals.Messi’s miss against Austria moved him past Gyan and into sole possession of the record.
A history of World Cup penalties spanning three tournaments
What makes the record particularly impressive is how it has developed over three separate World Cups. Messi’s first World Cup penalty came against Iceland in Russia 2018. With Argentina level at 1-1, his effort 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 that tournament transformed their narrative of penalties.Messi converted against Holland in the quarter-finals, Croatia in the semi-finals and France in the final, producing three of the most important goals of Argentina’s title campaign.Against Austria in 2026, another miss was added to the list.His World Cup penalty record now consists of successful efforts against Saudi Arabia, Holland, Croatia and France, alongside misses against Iceland, Poland and Austria.The numbers reveal an unusual contrast. Messi has become one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the competition, but penalties often represent one of the few areas where vulnerability has occasionally appeared.
Where Cristiano Ronaldo and other great classes
Messi’s penalty attempt volume separates himself from almost every other player in World Cup history.Cristiano Ronaldo, often compared to Lionel Messi in an international career spanning two decades, scored three of his four penalties in the World Cup.The Portugal captain scored against Iran in 2006, Spain in 2018 and Ghana in 2022. His only miss came later in the 2018 tournament when Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand saved his effort during a 1-1 draw.Ronaldo then ended his World Cup career with three goals and one miss from four penalty attempts.Several other legendary players are also prominent in the tournament penalty records:
- England Captain Harry Kane has taken five World Cup penalties, scoring four and missing one.
- Portugal great Eusébio converted all four World Cup penalties without a miss.
- Argentina forward Gabriel Batistuta also scored all four tries.
- Dutch striker Rob Rensenbrink also maintained a perfect record, converting four penalties from four attempts.
Messi’s tally of seven tries remains unbeaten, 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 opportunity
The reason Messi owns both records isn’t just accuracy or inaccuracy, it’s largely a reflection of Argentina’s longevity, opportunity and sustained success across 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 had scored a hat-trick against Algeria in his 200th international appearance, exactly 20 years after his World Cup debut.Few players have played enough World Cup matches to accumulate seven penalty opportunities. Even fewer have done so while remaining central to their national team’s attack for nearly 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)
This longevity has placed Messi in a unique statistical category.Before half-time against Austria, his penalty miss briefly set an unwanted record. But he responded quickly, breaking the men’s World Cup all-time scoring record with his 17th goal in the 39th minute, and again, in stoppage time, added an 18th to extend their lead and seal Argentina’s 2-0 win.The goalscoring record will inevitably dominate the headlines. The penalty records, however, provide a fascinating reminder that even the most accomplished World Cup career ever assembled contained moments of frustration alongside moments of greatness.In Messi’s case, both happened on the same afternoon.