Lionel Messi missed the chance to rewrite the history books with Argentina, by surpassing Miroslav Klose to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Despite having a penalty kick against Austria, the Argentine icon missed it, and now we have to wait for his 17th career tournament goal to stand alone at the top of the footballing world.
Following a brilliant piece of playmaking from Messi against Austria, the superstar picked out an unmarked Lautaro Martinez inside the box. Two defenders desperately lunged to block Martinez’s ensuing shot, but only succeeded in committing a clear penalty.
After a formal VAR review, referee Amin Mohamed Omar went to the monitor to examine the play. He quickly confirmed the call and pointed to the spot—only for Messi to uncharacteristically drag his penalty kick wide of the right post.
Messi’s latest blunder from the spot inevitably invites comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo and their respective World Cup penalty struggles, most notably reminding fans of Messi’s crucial miss against Poland during the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Referee-cam captures Messi’s shocking penalty miss
As part of the cutting-edge technology debuting at the 2026 World Cup, fans now have access to an unprecedented perspective: the “referee-cam,” courtesy of a innovative camera worn by the officiating crew for every match of the tournament.
Here is a look at Lionel Messi’s stunning penalty miss from the official’s point of view:
Despite squandering the spot-kick, Messi still has a prime opportunity to chase down Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record later today against Austria. Furthermore, an Argentina victory would guarantee him at least two more matches to surpass the legendary German striker.
