Lionel Messi Denied From Penalty Spot With Argentina Trailing Egypt Early

If Argentina can't mount a comeback against Egypt in the round of 16, Lionel Messi will be lamenting his shocking first-half penalty miss. With Argentina trailing 1-0 after a 15th minute goal from Egypt center back Yasser Ibrahim, Argentina full back Nicolas Tagliafico drew a penalty that set the stage for Messi to be the hero once again. Instead, Messi had his penalty attempt saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir, keeping the match 1-0 in Egypt's favor. Messi now has one miss, three saves, and four conversions on his eight career penalty attempts, excluding penalty shootouts. He is also the first player in World Cup history to miss two penalties at a single edition. Argentina now trails at the World Cup for the first time since the opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when it unexpectedly lost to Saudi Arabia.