📸 What was that?! Messi loses his nerve from the spot | OneFootball

Lionel Messi is only human after all. The Argentine lost his nerve in the second World Cup group match against Austria. Maybe because he had a record on his mind?

In the 9th minute, the global superstar was just eleven meters away from his 17th World Cup goal — a mark no one had ever reached before him. For the moment, that remains the case. La Pulga pushed the ball wide to the right of the Austrian goal.

Meanwhile, Rangnick’s side was quietly pleased with themselves after Stefan Posch conceded the penalty. In the 38th minute, however, Messi got his record after all. He scored from open play in typical fashion to make it 1–0 for Argentina.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Francois Nel - 2026 Getty Images