Should Argentina take Lionel Messi off penalties now?

Argentina will likely keep Lionel Messi on penalties — coach Lionel Scaloni says Messi takes them if he wants to. Yet after Messi became the first player to miss two World Cup spot-kicks in normal time at one tournament, BBC Sport reports a genuine debate about whether Argentina should hand those duties to someone else.

Lionel Messi's latest miss came in Argentina's last-16 thriller against Egypt, when goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved a first-half effort with the holders trailing 1-0. It followed a group-stage failure against Austria, leaving him with four goals from eight World Cup penalties. Argentina still won 3-2 after a late comeback, but the question now follows them into a quarter-final against Switzerland.

Key Takeaways

• Lionel Messi has missed two penalties in normal time at World Cup 2026 — a tournament first.
• Scaloni says Messi will keep taking penalties if he chooses to.
• Messi admitted the Egypt miss left him feeling he had let teammates down.
• IShowSpeed's viral distraction claims lack definitive proof, per Complex.
• Argentina have been awarded more penalties than any other side across the last two World Cups.

Why is Lionel Messi's penalty record under scrutiny now?

According to BBC Sport, Messi's Egypt miss lacked both power and placement, and for much of the afternoon it looked as though the spot-kick would define Argentina's exit. No player in World Cup history had previously missed two penalties in normal time at a single edition.

The holders have received eight penalties across the last two World Cups — double any other nation — including three already in 2026. On both occasions Messi has missed from the spot this tournament, Argentina have survived. BBC Sport warns that a third opportunity may not bring the same outcome as knockout margins tighten.

What did Messi say after the Egypt miss?

Despite Argentina's dramatic victory, Messi broke down after the final whistle. In a BBC video report, he said: "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 described scoring the 83rd-minute equaliser as a relief, adding that he was frustrated with how he took the kick at a critical moment. Yet he also praised a group that, in his words, never gives up — character that rescued the reigning champions once again.

Did IShowSpeed really distract Messi?

A viral subplot emerged when streamer IShowSpeed was filmed behind the goal in an Egypt shirt, shouting and waving as Messi prepared to shoot. Speed later exclaimed, "I distracted Messi!" — but Complex's investigation cautions there is no definitive way to prove that without Messi confirming it.

The outlet notes that Messi was conceivably able to see Speed, yet given the star's calibre and prior World Cup penalty misses, it seems unlikely the streamer alone caused the failure. As Complex puts it, distraction speculation is internet chatter — not courtroom evidence — in a story that lives at the intersection of sport and viral mystery, much like the cases we cover in True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries.

Will Scaloni take penalties away from Messi?

Asked on the eve of the Switzerland quarter-final, Scaloni offered an unequivocal answer per BBC Sport: "Leo will take penalties if he wants to." He acknowledged other capable takers exist, but replacing Argentina's captain is easier in theory than in practice.

BBC Sport concludes there is now a genuine conversation about whether somebody else should take penalties during normal play for the remainder of this World Cup — not about Messi's place among football's immortals, but about maximising survival in the closing rounds.