Argentina find themselves in a precarious position at the 2026 World Cup after Lionel Messi missed from the spot against Egypt in the round of 16.
The miss represents the third time Messi has failed to convert a penalty in six attempts at the World Cup, a surprisingly poor record for the greatest player of his generation.
Egypt took the lead before the penalty incident, meaning Argentina were already chasing the game when the opportunity arose to draw level from twelve yards.
Messi stepped up with his side needing a goal, but Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced a fine save to deny the Argentine captain and keep the score at 1-0.
The foul that led to the penalty was committed on Nicolas Tagliafico, giving Argentina what seemed like a golden opportunity to restore parity in the match.
Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, scoring a brace in the final victory over France, and had been in strong form at the start of this tournament.
The penalty miss will sting, but Messi has shown throughout his career that he rarely allows a single moment of disappointment to derail his overall performance in a match.
Argentina remain a goal down and face the genuine prospect of an early exit, which would be a stunning outcome given they arrived as the defending champions.
The situation draws a remarkable parallel with Cristiano Ronaldo, whose Portugal side were eliminated by Spain the day before, raising the possibility of both legends departing the tournament within 24 hours of one another.
Ronaldo and Messi have defined football for well over a decade, so the prospect of both exiting the World Cup at the round of 16 stage would mark a significant moment for the sport.
Egypt will be buoyed by the save and will look to hold their lead or even extend it as the match continues, making this one of the most compelling upsets of the tournament so far.
Argentina still have time to turn things around, and with Messi on the pitch, no deficit can ever be considered insurmountable for the current holders.
