Should Argentina take Messi off penalties?

With every game that passes at the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi strengthens the case that he is the greatest footballer the game has ever seen. The Argentina captain once again dragged the defending champions deep into the knockout rounds. Against Egypt in the last 16, he produced another match-defining performance, scoring once and creating another as Argentina recovered from 2-0 down with little more than 10 minutes remaining to complete one of the most incredible comebacks in World Cup history.

Along the way he broke even more records. He became the oldest player ever to score and assist in a World Cup match, extending a record he already held. It was the fifth time he had both scored and assisted in a World Cup game, with no other player managing the feat more than three times since records began in 1966. In addition he moved clear as the competition's all-time leading assist provider with nine, overtaking Diego Maradona, while his latest strike was another addition to his growing collection of knockout-stage goals.

But he also set another, unwanted, record from the spot. So, amid another exhibition of genius, one question refuses to disappear: Should Argentina take penalties away from him?

Messi's one remaining weakness

Against Egypt, Argentina were handed the ideal chance to respond after Nicolas Tagliafico was brought down in the penalty area with the score at 1-0. Messi stepped forward, but his effort lacked both power and placement. Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir guessed correctly and made a comfortable save.

It ultimately did not cost Argentina. Messi inspired their astonishing comeback, with Cristian Romero reducing the deficit before the eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient equalised and Enzo Fernández completed a dramatic 3-2 victory in stoppage time. But for much of the afternoon it looked as though the missed penalty would define Argentina's exit.

It was also Messi's second missed penalty of the tournament after failing from the spot against Austria in the group stage. No player in World Cup history has ever missed two penalties in normal time at a single edition. Across his World Cup career, excluding shootouts, Messi has now converted only four of his eight penalties.

Messi himself acknowledged the latest miss weighed heavily on him. The 39-year-old admitted he broke down after the final whistle despite Argentina's dramatic victory. "I cried because I felt that I let my team-mates down because of the penalty I missed, and the way I took it," he said.

Numbers behind the misses

The broader numbers are hardly stellar either. Including penalty shootouts, Messi has converted 117 of his 151 penalties for Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina, missing 34. Excluding shootouts, Opta records show he has scored 114 of his 148 attempts, a conversion rate of 77%.

That would be respectable for most players, but it is merely average compared to the best. Across the 'Big Five' European leagues, the Champions League and the World Cup, Harry Kane has converted 90.7% of his penalties, Cristiano Ronaldo 85.2%, Erling Haaland 84.1% and Kylian Mbappe 81.0%. Messi's corresponding figure is 78.8%.

Opta values every penalty at approximately 0.79 expected goals, reflecting the historical reality that about 79% of spot-kicks are converted. So, by that measure, Messi has actually scored penalties at a slightly lower rate than the average player. The contrast with his finishing from open play is striking.

It feels almost absurd to ask about a player who has spent more than two decades redefining footballing excellence. Messi has scored virtually every type of goal imaginable and has won everything there is to win. But from 12 yards, the numbers tell a very different story.