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

Lionel Messi Sets Unwanted FIFA World Cup Penalty Records

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi added an unexpected mark to his career by becoming the player with the highest number of penalties taken and missed in World Cup history. His miss against Egypt during the Round of 16 pushed him to this unwanted milestone.

Record-Breaking Moments in Qatar 2026

Messi’s penalty miss early in the first half against Egypt was his eighth penalty attempt in regular World Cup matches, a feat no other player had reached before. That miss also made it his fourth failed penalty, setting a new tournament record for the most penalties missed by a single player outside shootouts.

He became the first player to miss two penalties within the same World Cup edition after earlier failing to score from the spot against Austria in the group stage.

Details of Messi’s Missed Penalties

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

Despite these misses, Messi converted several critical penalties, especially at the 2022 World Cup, scoring four times from the spot as Argentina lifted the trophy.