Sad end to an era as the French star's final European act goes against the script as the German underdogs fashion out victory
sports2 hours ago
For anyone who has ever missed a penalty at any level, there was some consolation on Saturday - Lionel Messi can miss them too.
With the world watching him in a World Cup opener against Iceland, the normally brilliant Messi struck a weak spot kick that was saved, leaving Argentina with a disappointing 1-1 draw.
Messi's failure was all the more bitter given his long-time rival for current world's best - Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo - easily converted a penalty the day before.
On a remarkable day of five penalties during Saturday's matches, Peru's Christian Cueva then repeated Messi's failure, arguably even upstaging it by skying his penalty high over the bar in a game Denmark went on to win 1-0.
Messi left the field looking daggers, Cueva in tears.
Before them, France and Australia showed in Saturday's early game how to do it, each comfortably converting a spot kick in a match the Europeans won 2-1. And Croatia completed an extraordinary day in the box when Luka Modric scored a penalty in his side's 2-0 defeat of Nigeria in the fourth and last game.
The five penalties on Saturday have only been surpassed on one World Cup day in more than four decades, when six were given in France on June 24th, 1998.
But it is not just the number and varying quality of penalties astonishing fans at this World Cup: the new Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has ramped controversy up to a whole new level.
In case you don't knowWhen France striker Antoine Griezmann fell on Saturday during a sliding challenge from Australia defender Josh Risdon, Uruguayan referee Andres Cunha first thought it a fair tackle.
The ICELAND goalkeeper that saved Messi's penalty is a Handball player and a Movie director in his spare time.Your Messi is just USELESS #ARGISL #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/qZAuKfYlXQ
- Official Justice (@O_fficial_oj) June 16, 2018
Sad end to an era as the French star's final European act goes against the script as the German underdogs fashion out victory
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