Lionel Messi once believed his international career had come to an end after missing a decisive penalty in the 2016 Copa América final, a moment that led him to announce his retirement from Argentina duty.
Ten years later, the 39-year-old is once again making headlines in the United States, not because of another penalty miss alone, but because of the determination that helped Argentina avoid a dramatic World Cup exit.
The defending champions recovered from a two-goal deficit to defeat Egypt in an extraordinary last-16 encounter on Tuesday, with Messi playing a decisive role despite another unsuccessful attempt from the penalty spot.
Argentina looked to be heading out of the tournament after Egypt established a commanding lead through Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko. Messi had earlier seen his penalty saved by goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, leaving the South American side facing an uphill task with little more than ten minutes remaining.
Instead of fading from the contest, Argentina produced an impressive response. Messi delivered the cross that allowed Cristian Romero to reduce the deficit before scoring the equaliser himself. Enzo Fernández then completed the turnaround with the winning goal, sending the holders into the quarter-finals.
The latest miss continued an unusual trend for one of football’s greatest players. Earlier in the tournament, Messi also failed to convert from the spot against Austria after firing his effort wide. Combined with previous misses against Iceland at the 2018 World Cup and Poland in 2022, he has now failed to score four World Cup penalties.
Although his overall record from the penalty spot remains respectable, converting 116 of his 150 attempts during his professional career, his struggles in football’s biggest tournament remain a rare weakness in an otherwise remarkable career.
The memory of the 2016 Copa América final still resonates. Following Argentina’s defeat to Chile, an emotional Messi announced his retirement from international football after years of criticism over his inability to secure a major international trophy.
That decision proved short-lived. Within months he returned to the national team and has since transformed his international legacy by leading Argentina to two Copa América titles and lifting the World Cup in Qatar four years ago.
Against Egypt, his response after the missed penalty again demonstrated why he remains central to Argentina’s ambitions.
Head coach Lionel Scaloni praised his captain’s mentality after the match.
“He could have accepted the situation after the penalty and when we were two goals behind,” Scaloni said.
“Instead, he demanded the ball again, continued fighting and showed everyone exactly why he is such an example. His determination inspired the whole team, and his teammates responded brilliantly alongside him,” he added.
Messi’s equaliser also extended an impressive scoring run, with the veteran forward finding the net in eight consecutive World Cup matches and taking his tally to eight goals in five appearances during this tournament.
Despite progressing, Argentina’s performances have exposed areas of concern. The reigning champions have struggled defensively during the knockout phase, while an ageing squad has at times appeared vulnerable on the counter-attack and short of energy.
More demanding tests now await. Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals, with a potential semi-final meeting against England on the horizon should they progress further.
Even so, Messi’s influence continues to give Argentina belief. After overcoming another difficult moment from the penalty spot, the world champions remain firmly in contention to defend their title and pursue a fourth World Cup crown.
