10 Most Famous World Cup Penalty Misses

9. Lionel Messi (2018)

This one might not end up being too costly, but it's still going to go down as a memorable moment due to the circumstances of the game and the tournament as a whole. The 2018 World Cup is regarded as the last chance saloon for two of the game's greatest ever players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, to take home the biggest prize in football.

Just a day before Argentina were set to take on Iceland, Ronaldo crushed his critics with an astounding performance against Spain, scoring a penalty, a free kick, and another fine goal in a fantastic hat-trick. He'd done his part, and the baton was handed over to Messi.

Despite his best efforts, the Barcelona man struggled to have much of an impact in Argentina's clash with the plucky Icelandic underdogs. But when his side were awarded a penalty, it seemed like the perfect moment for the 30-year-old to get his World Cup going.

Sadly, it wasn't to be. Normally a fantastic penalty taker, Messi's shot was too central and Icelandic keeper Hannes Þór Halldórsson made short work of the strike. Iceland held out for a draw and Argentina's tournament got off to a very shaky start, leaving Messi to imagine what might have been.

In this post: 
Chris Waddle
 
Posted On: 
Contributor

Mike Pedley hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.