Should Argentina take Messi off penalties?

Should Argentina take Messi off penalties? Lionel Messi has taken penalties in World Cup finals, Copa América finals and Champions League knockout ties. He has stepped up for Argentina’s opening kick in nine shoot‑outs, scoring seven times. His only misses have come against Chile in the 2016 Copa América final and against Ecuador in the 2024 Copa América quarter‑final. Asked on the eve of Argentina’s quarter‑final against Switzerland whether Messi should remain the designated penalty taker, head coach Lionel Scaloni gave an unambiguous reply. “First of all, Leo volition instrumentality penalties if helium wants to,” Scaloni said. “We person different players susceptible of taking them, but if helium wants to instrumentality them, he'll instrumentality them.” It is also worth noting that Messi’s best tournament performance from the spot came just four years ago. At Qatar 2022 he converted six of his seven penalties, including the opening kick that set Argentina on their way in the shoot‑outs versus the Netherlands and France en route to lifting the World Cup. This edition has been different. The misses have resurfaced. Although Messi has occasionally recovered from his errors, the debate is unlikely to fade. No nation has been awarded more penalties across the last two World Cups than Argentina. Since 2022 they have received eight spot‑kicks – three times as many as any other side – including five during their victorious campaign and three already in 2026. On a few occasions Messi has missed from the spot in this tournament, yet Argentina have survived. A third attempt might not yield the same result, and the margins will only become tighter. That is why, uncomfortable as it may feel, a genuine discussion is now necessary. The issue is not Messi’s standing among football’s immortals but whether, for the remainder of this World Cup, another player should be entrusted with penalties during regular play.