UMVA has learned that Lionel Messi has set an unwanted record at the World Cup, missing more penalties than any other player in the tournament's history.
The Argentine captain's miss against Austria was his third in World Cups, a feat that puts him clear of Asamoah Gyan, who missed two for Ghana in crucial matches against the Czech Republic and Uruguay.
Messi's latest miss came at a critical moment, as a goal would have put him ahead of Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time top World Cup scorer with 17 goals.
Instead, the Barcelona legend sent his spot-kick wide, adding to his previous misses against Iceland in 2018 and Poland in 2022, and setting a record that he would rather not have on his CV.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Messi has taken seven penalties at World Cups, a record for the Argentina icon, and that no player other than Messi and Gyan has missed more than one penalty at World Cups.
Notably, England captain Harry Kane is just one miss away from joining Messi and Gyan on that statistic, after he missed from the spot against France in the quarter-finals four years ago.
Gyan's miss 16 years ago in South Africa was particularly memorable, as he hit the crossbar in a crucial match against Uruguay, allowing Suarez to wildly celebrate the miss from the touchline.
Messi's miss has sparked widespread attention, with fans and pundits alike lamenting the opportunity that got away.
