In the World Cup of records, Lionel Messi is a protagonist. The World Cup with three host nations and 48 teams shattered historical records. Argentina’s captain is a stellar figure in that journey: he is the top scorer of the current tournament with 8 goals, and historically with 21, and holds the record for goals in nine consecutive matches (since the game against Australia in the round of 16 of Qatar 2022). With eight goals in North America 2026, he matched Guillermo Stábile, the top Argentine scorer in Uruguay 1930. He also equaled Pelé with ten historical assists.
However, just as the numbers are sometimes praiseworthy, they can also be negative: with the penalty he missed against Egypt, he added his fourth missed penalty in World Cups and is the player who has missed the most in the history of the Cup.
The adverse streak began against Iceland in Russia 2018; against Poland in Qatar 2022, the 10 had the second episode. And in the current World Cup he missed twice: against Austria in the second group stage match and against Egypt in the round of 16. In regular time, Messi’s numbers between penalties converted and penalties missed in World Cups are tied at four. The balance tips in his favor when counting shootout penalties, in which he shows perfect effectiveness, having scored against the Netherlands in a semifinal of Brazil 2024 and against the same opponent and France in the quarterfinals and final in Qatar, respectively.
«It was tough, because I hit it very badly. I hesitated a lot, many things went through my head at that moment. I planned to do one thing and ended up doing another, that’s why the anger: I didn’t end up doing what I had planned,» Messi said after missing against the Austrians; the left-footed cross shot went wide. «I felt that at an important moment I had let the group down,» he said days later in the mixed zone of Atlanta Stadium, regarding the save by Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir.
In Lionel Scaloni’s cycle, which totals 101 matches, Messi took 16 penalties in regular time and four in shootouts. Besides scoring in World Cups, he scored two in qualifiers (Ecuador and Chile) and the same number in the Copa América (Paraguay and Bolivia). In shootouts in the continental competition, he scored against Colombia in 2021 and missed against Ecuador in 2024, after chipping the ball, which hit the crossbar. In friendly matches, his efficiency is three penalties converted (Uruguay, Estonia, and Honduras) and one saved — he scored on the rebound, against Brazil.
Scaloni has a particular view on penalty shootouts, the route by which the national team lifted the cup in Qatar. «Penalties come after 120 minutes. How can I think about that now? We think about the match and then we’ll see. Decisions are made at the moment they come,» he explained before the clash with the Netherlands in 2022, which was decided by penalties.
Outside of Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Leandro Paredes are the ones who have taken the most penalties in the cycle of the coach from Pujato. In World Cups, Argentina has taken 31 and converted 25, with a conversion rate of 80.6%, a figure that places them second among the best, behind Germany, which scored 17 of 18 shots, i.e., 94.4%.
El Toro Martínez has taken five penalties and has 100% efficiency: in World Cups he scored against Jordan, his first in regular time in a World Cup, in the last group stage match of 2026, and took responsibility for the fifth shot in the shootout against the Netherlands in the Middle East. In the final, he was tasked with closing the shootout, but the efficiency of his teammates and Emiliano Martínez’s saves meant Argentina did not need the fifth taker. The remaining three correspond to the semifinal against Colombia in the 2021 Copa América and the friendlies against Guatemala in 2024 and Honduras in 2026.
In the match against the Guatemalans, the Inter striker asked Messi for the shot: «I looked at him and he gave it to me. I thanked him; it’s the gesture of a great player. It goes without saying: he is a gentleman on and off the pitch. He helps us a lot and this is very important for me,» said the Bahía Blanca native, who was building confidence ahead of the 2024 Copa América, where he was the top scorer with five goals.
Paredes, meanwhile, has taken six penalties. Three times in regular time, without Messi on the pitch: against Peru in the 2024 Copa América — the shot hit the post defended by Pedro Gallese — and in friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador in 2019 played in San Antonio and Elche, respectively. In the Copa América held in the United States two years ago, the midfielder asked Ángel Di María for a shot and later said: «I always said I wouldn’t change [the direction of the shot] until I missed, but I changed and missed. I should have kept it.» In shootouts, however, the midfielder did not miss: he converted in two series in the Qatar World Cup (Netherlands and France) and in the 2021 Copa América (Colombia).
Twelve players have taken penalties in the Scaloni era, and nine remain in the national team. Gonzalo Montiel was immortalized for scoring the penalty with which Argentina beat France in the shootout and became champion in Qatar 2022, a tournament in which the full-back was effective against the Netherlands. Two years later, in the 2024 Copa América, he was accurate against Ecuador in the quarterfinals. In his career, he has taken 20 penalties in all kinds of competitions: Copa Libertadores, Copa de la Liga Profesional, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, Copa del Rey, Supercopa Internacional, Torneo Apertura… And he has missed only twice.
«Scaloni asked me if I was ready to take it, because he saw me crying, angry, because of the handball,» referring to the action that led to the penalty with which Kylian Mbappé made it 3-3 in the most important match in Lusail. «I told him yes. And he asked me again and I said I was sure. So he gave the list,» recalled the River Plate defender, who revealed a change at the moment of shooting: «I was going to hit it hard down the middle, but I saw the goalkeeper [Frenchman Hugo Lloris] moved to his left and I changed sides. It looked like I did a no-look, but no…»
The trio of Julián Álvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Nicolás Otamendi participated in the shootout against Ecuador in the 2024 Copa América; the defender, who will play for River after the World Cup, also scored in the friendly against Zambia, after Messi gave him the shot. The efficiency contrasts with the situations of Rodrigo De Paul and Enzo Fernández: the now Inter Miami midfielder skied his shot against Colombia in 2021, and the Chelsea player missed against the Netherlands in the last World Cup. «The day before we practiced and I always shot to the left, where I missed now, but I had scored all of them. I wasn’t going to change, but Dibu [Martínez] got angry because he gave me advice and I didn’t listen,» admitted the player who scored the decisive goal against Egypt in the round of 16 this Tuesday.
Para mí Messi no le da los penales a Lautaro porque es un caprichoso de mierda que prefiere ser el centro de atención antes que pensar en el equipo. Dale loco dejá de ser egoísta que la Copa no se gana con egos. Yo creo que si no cede el protagonismo nos vamos a casa otra vez.
che messi se la re cree con esa de patear todo q se la baje un toke y le de los penales a lautaro q tiene mas huevos yo creo q los zurdos resentidos defienden al 10 xq son unos blanditos si sigue asi nos vamos en octavos basta de privilegios carajo