Messi Misses Second Penalty at 2026 World Cup as Argentina Fall to Egypt

Argentina captain Lionel Messi missed his second penalty of the 2026 FIFA World Cup during a round of 16 match against Egypt on Tuesday, July 7, in Atlanta. The miss proved costly as Argentina lost 1-0.

Messi's penalty came in the 22nd minute after defender Nicolas Tagliafico was fouled in the box by Egypt's Haissem Hassan. However, Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir dived correctly to his left and palmed the ball away, denying Messi the equalizer.

Egypt had taken the lead just seven minutes earlier through a header from defender Yasser Ibrahim off a set piece. Shobeir's save preserved that lead and propelled Egypt to a historic victory.

This was Messi's fourth penalty miss in World Cup history. He previously missed from the spot against Iceland in 2018, Poland in 2022, and Austria earlier in this tournament. The miss against Egypt came after he had also failed to convert a penalty in a group stage match against Austria.

Despite the setback, Messi's overall World Cup record remains impressive: he has scored 13 goals in 27 appearances. However, his penalty conversion rate in the tournament stands at 50%, having converted four of his eight attempts.

Argentina's elimination marks the first time since 1994 that the team has failed to reach the quarterfinals. For Egypt, the win was their first knockout-stage victory in World Cup history, sending them to the quarterfinals against the winner of the Germany-Portugal match.

The match was played in front of a sold-out crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with many Argentine fans in attendance. The defeat ends Argentina's hopes of repeating as champions after winning the 2022 tournament.