Lionel Messi has etched his name into World Cup history for all the wrong reasons — becoming the first player ever to miss two penalties in normal time during a single edition of the FIFA World Cup 2026, excluding shootouts. Yet, despite the record-setting misses, he still helped Argentina stage a breathtaking 3-2 comeback against Egypt in the Round of 16 on Tuesday.

Messi's penalty nightmare

The Argentine captain's evening began with heartbreak when his spot-kick was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. Messi had stepped up in search of the opener for Argentina, but Shobeir's decisive save kept Egypt ahead at 1-0.

That moment completed an unwanted double for Messi at this tournament. He had already failed to convert a penalty during Argentina's 2-0 group-stage victory over Austria, meaning he now stands alone in World Cup history as the only player to miss two penalties in regulation time within the same competition.

Egypt in command

The missed penalty proved significant in the early contest. Egypt carried their 1-0 lead into halftime and then extended their advantage to 2-0 through a swift counter-attack — having earlier had a goal disallowed for a foul — leaving Argentina with a mountain to climb in the second half.

Messi leads the fightback

True to his character, Messi refused to let his penalty woes define the match. On 79', he whipped in a precise cross that Cristian Romero met with a header to pull Argentina back to 2-1.

Four minutes later, Messi himself drew level for his country, keeping his composure to volley the ball into the roof of the net. The strike was his 21st goal in World Cup history, underlining just how extraordinary a player he remains at this stage of his career.

Then, deep into added time, Enzo Fernandez powered home a header from a Lautaro Martinez cross to complete one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the tournament, putting Argentina 3-2 ahead and sealing their place in the quarter-finals.

Argentina to face Switzerland

Argentina will now meet Switzerland in the quarter-finals, after the Swiss edged Colombia out on penalties. The two nations last met at the World Cup in the 2014 Round of 16, when Argentina narrowly won 1-0 after extra-time.