Lionel Messi Doesn't Hold Back Thoughts on Missed Penalty

Argentina nearly saw its World Cup hopes dashed after falling behind 2-0 in what would have been the biggest upset of the tournament if not for a miraculous comeback.

Trailing 1-0, Lionel Messi had a chance to knot the game at one goal apiece, but saw his penalty attempt saved. Then in the 67th minutes, Egypt took a commanding 2-0 lead and it looked like Messi and Argentina were headed for an early exit in the tournament before the team scored three goals in a span of 13 minutes to win the game 3-2.

After the contest, Messi admitted after he scored the team’s second goal that it was a “release” following his missed opportunity earlier in the contest.

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“The truth is that it was a moment of release, a release for all of us,” Messi said after the game. “I was feeling intense anger because of the penalty I wasted, and because of the way I took it. I felt like in that important moment, I had let the team down.

“But fortunately, God had something special in store for me once again in the end, and I was able to score the equalizer. That was a huge release, and immense joy for us, and for those fans who came again and prove every day what it means to be Argentine, and how much pride they give us.”

Messi, after scoring against Egypt, leads the World Cup’s Golden Boot race with eight goals. France’s Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland both have seven goals.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 10:50 AM.