‘Cheeky’ Lionel Messi bizarrely misses an attempted panenka penalty just days after Cristiano Ronaldo missed one in Euros

Lionel Messi has failed to score a single goal in the tournament, with some pointing out to injury-related concerns behind his poor form.

‘Cheeky’ Lionel Messi bizarrely misses an attempted panenka penalty just days after Cristiano Ronaldo missed one in Euros

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have missed a penalty each, this summer. (via IMAGO)

Argentinian captain Lionel Messi surprisingly missed an attempted ‘panenka’ penalty during the quarter-final against Ecuador. Despite the unusual miss, La Albiceleste advanced to the semi-finals, winning 4-2 on penalties.

The 37-year-old hit the bar with a failed spot-kick attempt during the penalty shoot-out, after the full-time scores ended 1-1. It was an uncommon mistake from the Argentine talisman, who had a challenging night with only one shot in the entire match. His unusual miss came just days after his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo was criticized for missing a penalty against Slovenia. Following the miss, Inter Miami forward Messi was consoled by Ecuadorian keeper Alex Dominguez.

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Messi’s blunder however mattered little, as Argentina edged past Ecuador owing to another brilliant display from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The Aston Villa keeper saved two shots, while Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez, Gonzalo Montiel, and Nicolas Otamendi successfully converted their penalties. Messi’s miss brought back memories of his 2016 final heartbreak, where his missed penalty cost Argentina the Copa America title against Chile.

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The 37-year-old has struggled in the tournament, failing to score a single goal. La Albiceleste will face the winner of the second quarter-final between Venezuela and Canada in the semi-finals.

Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni comes out in support of Lionel Messi, following bizarre penalty miss against Ecuador

Argentinean head coach Lionel Scaloni warned fans and the media against fixating on Lionel Messi, following his panenka penalty miss against Ecuador. Some fans have reacted to the 37-year-old’s disastrous miss by claiming he is finished.

Lionel Scaloni and Lionel Messi
Lionel Scaloni came out in support of Lionel Messi, following penalty miss. (via IMAGO)

Messi was first to step up for the penalty shootout, but his attempted chip hit the crossbar. At the post-match press conference, Lionel Scaloni, however, came out in support of his player. He stated that the ex-Barcelona star played cohesively with the team, and their success hinged on collective effort, not individual brilliance. 

He played like the rest of the team, we are a team. This is a team, if the team played well, he played well. We have never separated the individual from the collective.
Lionel Scaloni on Lionel Messi’s penalty miss (via Daily Post)

Furthermore, Scaloni denied that Messi’s missed penalty was related to his injury. He emphasized Messi’s overall good performance and the tactical challenges Argentina encountered.

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