Lionel Messi missed a penalty that would have seen him become the World Cups highest-ever goalscorer in Argentinas group stage clash with Austria.The eight-time Ballon dOr winner stepped up to the spot after Lautaro Martinez was fouled in the box, and every expectation was that Messi would step up and slot home his 16th goal at the tournament.But the magician stuttered his run-up before putting the ball wide of the post, sparking celebrations from the Austrians, who had formed a sea of red inside the stadium.Luckily for Messi, the penalty was early enough that Argentina still had plenty of time to regain control of the game.The champions dominated possession in the early stages, but were being unsettled by their opponents, who were pressing aggressively, as is the nature of Ralf Rangnicks tactics.For now, it remains 0-0, with Messi squandering another huge chance for his country 10 minutes after missing his penalty.You can stay up to date with all of the action right here on 101GreatGoals. Topics Argentina National Football Team Lionel Messi Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read LIVE Argentina v Austria: Commentary, updates, goals and stats as Lionel Messi takes centre stage in Dallas Jon Fisher 22nd June, 2026 Argentina vs Austria: Line-ups confirmed as Messi looks to break World Cup goal record Mitch Fretton 22nd June, 2026 Get enhanced odds of 1/1 on Lionel Messi to score or assist for Argentina against Austria with bet365 Jon Fisher 22nd June, 2026 Argentina v Austria: Predicted line-ups, where to watch, stats and preview as Messi looks to break goals record Mitch Fretton 22nd June, 2026 World Cup 2026: Full list of confirmed teams, fixtures, groups and results Ben Miller 22nd June, 2026 Lionel Messi: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, kick off times, where to watch, confirmed news updates and full Argentina squad Ben Miller 22nd June, 2026
