Messi misses penalty chance to make World Cup history

Lionel Messi had a golden chance to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer on Monday evening, but he missed the target from the penalty spot against Austria. The miss came early in the match, just days after his hat-trick against Algeria in the opening round had put him within reach of the record.

The miss stunned millions around the world and drew immediate reaction in the Argentine and Spanish press. Argentine media wrote, “The unbelievable happened, Messi missed the target,” while Spain’s Marca said, “He missed! Messi missed the penalty!”

Marca added that Argentina’s No. 10 tried so hard to place the ball into the corner that he sent it wide, describing it as a historic moment because it was the first penalty miss of the current World Cup. The outlet also said Argentina lost a great chance to take the lead, but noted that “Messi ‘angry’ is a force to be reckoned with.”