Messi misses penalty against Egypt, extends World Cup regulation misses

Lionel Messi experienced a moment of frustration during Argentina's match against Egypt when he missed a crucial penalty kick in the 18th minute. The opportunity arose after a foul on Nicolás Tagliafico inside the penalty area.

Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir anticipated Messi's attempt, diving correctly to parry the ball and maintain the scoreline. This miss marked Messi's fourth penalty failure during regulation time in World Cup history, adding to previous misses in 2018, 2022, and another in 2026. Despite this, Messi maintains a perfect record from penalty shootouts in World Cups.

Messi had another chance to redeem himself later in the first half with a free-kick opportunity around the 30-minute mark. While the distance was considerable, he opted to shoot directly at goal rather than cross the ball. His powerful left-footed strike curved towards the net, causing concern for Shoubir, who ultimately saved it. Initial calls for a corner were overturned as replays showed no touch from the defender, indicating another missed opportunity for the Argentine captain.