Messi made two historic firsts at the World Cup after Argentina staged a dramatic comeback to beat Egypt.
On 8 July 2026, two notable facts about Lionel Messi, the star captain of Argentina, emerged after the 2026 World Cup round of 16 match, where Argentina staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2.
In this game, Lionel Messi missed a penalty at the 21st minute, after which Egypt led 2-0 until the 79th minute. Argentina then scored three goals in a row to win in what seemed like a miracle, with Messi netting the equalizer at 2-2 in the 83rd minute, reigniting hope for victory.
According to Opta, football statistics experts, Lionel Messi is the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup tournament. He had previously missed in the group stage match against Austria, which Argentina won 2-0, with Messi scoring both goals himself.
At the same time, 39-year-old Lionel Messi also became the first player to score in six consecutive World Cup knockout matches, counting continuously from the 2022 World Cup to 2026 as follows:
- Round of 16 (1 goal): Argentina beat Australia 2-1
- Quarterfinal (1 goal): Argentina drew Netherlands 2-2 (won 4-3 on penalties)
- Semifinal (1 goal): Argentina beat Croatia 3-0
- Final (2 goals): Argentina drew France 3-3 (won 4-2 on penalties)
- Round of 32 (1 goal): Argentina beat Cape Verde 3-2
- Round of 16 (1 goal): Argentina beat Egypt 3-2
Argentina advanced to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals to face Switzerland, with the match scheduled for Sunday morning, 12 July, at 08:00 Thai time.
