Should Argentina Remove Lionel Messi from Penalty Duties?
With every match at the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi reinforces his status as the greatest footballer in history. The Argentina captain once again carried the defending champions deep into the tournament’s knockout stages.
Against Egypt in the round of 16, he delivered another defining performance. He scored one goal and created another as Argentina recovered from a 2-0 deficit with just over 10 minutes remaining to complete one of the most incredible comebacks in World Cup history.
Along the way, he shattered further records. He became the oldest player to both score and assist in a World Cup match, extending a record he already held. It marked the fifth time he achieved this in a single game, a feat no other player has managed more than three times since records began in 1966. Furthermore, he claimed the title of the competition’s all-time leading assist provider with nine, moving ahead of Diego Maradona, while adding yet another knockout-stage goal to his career tally.
However, he also set a new, unwanted record from the penalty spot. As Messi continues to exhibit his genius, one persistent question arises: Should Argentina take penalty duties away from him?
It seems absurd to question a player who has spent over two decades redefining footballing excellence. Messi has scored every type of goal imaginable and has secured every major trophy. Yet, when standing 12 yards from the goal, his statistics tell a different story.
Messi’s one remaining weakness
Against Egypt, Argentina earned an ideal opportunity to respond when Nicolas Tagliafico was brought down in the penalty area with the score at 1-0. Messi stepped up, but his strike lacked both power and accuracy. Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir guessed correctly and made a comfortable save.
While the miss did not ultimately cost Argentina—Messi inspired a comeback with a goal and an assist, leading to a 3-2 victory—it appeared for much of the afternoon that the error would define Argentina’s exit. This was Messi’s second missed penalty of the tournament, following a failure against Austria in the group stage. No player in World Cup history has 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 acknowledged the weight of the latest miss, admitting he cried after the final whistle. “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 statistics are also underwhelming. Including penalty shootouts, Messi has converted 117 of 151 attempts for his clubs and country, missing 34. Excluding shootouts, Opta data shows he has scored 114 of 148 attempts, a conversion rate of 77%. While respectable for most, it is average compared to elite standards.
In major European leagues and international competitions, Harry Kane has converted 90.7% of his penalties, Cristiano Ronaldo 85.2%, Erling Haaland 84.1%, and Kylian Mbappe 81.0%. Messi’s rate sits at 78.8%.
Opta values every penalty at approximately 0.79 expected goals, meaning Messi has actually scored at a slightly lower rate than an average player. This stands in stark contrast to his finishing in open play, where he consistently outperforms expectations.
Experts suggest his brilliance in open play, which relies on improvisation, may work against him during penalties. Unlike specialists such as Kane or Robert Lewandowski, who use repeatable routines, Messi often waits for the goalkeeper to commit. This forces him into a late decision, which can increase the margin for error.
Does Scaloni make the change?
Replacing the legendary captain is easier in theory than in practice. Former captain Roy Keane noted during ITV’s coverage that Messi “almost lacks belief in himself” from the spot, while Ian Wright questioned who in the dressing room would have the authority to tell Messi to step aside.
Argentina has several capable alternatives. Leandro Paredes has converted 92.9% of his competitive penalties, while Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez have each scored 91.7%. Julian Alvarez maintains an 89.5% record.
Despite this, manager Lionel Scaloni remains firm. On the eve of the quarter-final against Switzerland, he stated: “First of all, Leo will take penalties if he wants to. We have other players capable of taking them, but if he wants to take them, he’ll take them.”
Messi remains a critical figure for Argentina, as evidenced by his role in their 2022 World Cup success. However, as the tournament progresses and the margins tighten, the missed penalties in 2026 have sparked a genuine debate. The question remains: for the sake of the team’s path to the trophy, should someone else step forward?