Lionel Messi misses ‘amazing’ Argentina vs Egypt penalty after Ibrahim’s opener
Lionel Messi missed the fourth of the eight penalties he won in the World Cup to solve the problems of Argentina who are in charge of Egypt in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir dived well to the left to push past Messi in the first half, keeping the Pharaohs’ lead intact after Yasser Ibrahim headed past Marwan Attia in the 15th minute in Atlanta.
“He actually looked really unsure,” former Scotland striker Ally McCoist told ITV of Messi’s penalty, calling the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s ordeal “excellent”.
“I can’t believe I’m saying that about one of the greatest players in the world. It’s the first time I’ve seen him and I’m not sure if he believed himself.”
Messi WAS GIVEN another penalty 🙅♂️
Egypt’s goalkeeper, Mostafa Shobeir, throws himself at the ball to stop it
Argentina plays a big role with the bad play of Nicolas Tagliafico 🫨 pic.twitter.com/O3RuRaU5aa— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 7, 2026
Analysis: How Messi missed a penalty in Argentina vs Egypt
Argentina found a way back into the competition when striker Haissem Hassan brought down Nicolas Tagliafico.
“Good savings are convenience,” McCoist noted. “[Shoubir] it is moving in the right direction. Perfect length for him.
“It’s funny because you look at Messi and he’s used to running, he looks good and it takes time.
Argentina vs Egypt: The ‘Good’ Goal at the 2026 World Cup
McCoist felt Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez was confused whether to go forward or back when he marked Ibrahim for the goal.
“He gives himself a problem because he doesn’t get along with his defenders,” explained the analyst.
Such a ball! ⚽️
Yasser Ibrahim’s ‘perfect’ header sends Egypt ahead against Argentina 😱 pic.twitter.com/JUypcQ6QMr
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 7, 2026
Then he thought, ‘Can I react later, go out, or stay with this man?’ He never does. The delivery is very good.
“That’s a very good delivery of the goal, from the goalkeeper. It takes him out of the equation and allows the attacker to attack it, which he did.”
World Cup 2026: Team Argentina vs Egypt
Argentina made three changes from their last 32 win over Cape Verde as Facundo Medina, Thiago Almada and Lautaro Martinez were replaced by Nicolas Tagliafico, Leandro Paredes and Julian Alvarez.
Argentina starting XI: Emiliano Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi
Argentina instead: Juan Musso, Geronimo Rulli, Marcos Senesi, Gonzalo Montiel, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Valentin Barco, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Nico Gonzalez, Thiago Almada, Giuliano Simeone, Nico Paz, Jose Manuel Lopez, Lautaro Martinez
World Cup 2026: Team Egypt vs Argentina
Egypt made two changes in their win over Australia, with Mohamed Salah a doubt due to a hamstring problem but played the full game and scored a penalty.
Mohanad Lashin and Hassan replaced Hamdy Fathy and Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush.
Egypt starting XI: Mostafa Shoubir, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hany, Ramy Rabia, Karim Hafez, Emam Ashour, Mostafa Zico, Mohanad Lashin, Marawan Attia, Mohamed Salah, Haissem Hassan
Egypt instead: Mohamed Elshenawy, Mahdy Soliman, Mohamed Alaa, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Tarek Alaa, Hamdy Fathy, Nabil Donga, Mahmoud Saber, Trezeguet, Hamza Abdelkarim, Ibrahim Adel, Omar Marmoush, Zizo
Where to watch Argentina vs Egypt: TV channel, live streaming online
Kick-off on Tuesday was at 17:00 BST (12:00 ET / 09:00 PT). In the UK, live TV broadcasts on ITV1.
Live streaming via the ITV website and the ITVX app, available on a range of devices for viewing on the go.
