Lionel Messi missed a penalty that would have seen him become the World Cup’s highest-ever goalscorer in Argentina’s group stage clash with Austria.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner stepped up to the spot after Lautaro Martinez was fouled in the box, and every expectation was that Messi would step up and slot home his 16th goal at the tournament.
But the magician stuttered his run-up before putting the ball wide of the post, sparking celebrations from the Austrians, who had formed a sea of red inside the stadium.
Luckily for Messi, the penalty was early enough that Argentina still had plenty of time to regain control of the game.
The champions dominated possession in the early stages, but were being unsettled by their opponents, who were pressing aggressively, as is the nature of Ralf Rangnick’s tactics.
For now, it remains 0-0, with Messi squandering another huge chance for his country 10 minutes after missing his penalty.
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