Some of the biggest names in world football like Lionel Messi have missed penalties in the World Cup...
Penalties create the most nerve-wracking moments in a game of football not just for the players on the pitch but also for the fans and the viewers.
And when it is at a grand stage like the World Cup, they become even more stressful, especially for the players on the pitch. Some of the greatest players of the game have missed penalties at crucial junctures in the World Cup.
Big names such as Lionel Messi, Zico, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have failed to convert important penalties in the flagship competition in the past.
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Let us take a look at the five infamous penalty misses in the World Cup.
Zico
Brazilian legend Zico is considered as one of the greatest players to not have won the World Cup in his career. After failing to make it to the 1982 World Cup semifinals, Brazil were once again ousted from the quarterfinal in 1986. The tie against France ended in 1-1 draw and Les Bleus eventually won it in the penalty shootout. Zico, who came on as a substitute in the second half, was guilty of missing a penalty which could have sealed the tie in Brazil's favour.
Roberto Baggio
Italian great Roberto Baggio failed to convert his team’s final penalty in the shootout at the 1994 World Cup as Brazil beat the Azzurri 3-2 in the final. Earlier, another Italian legend Franco Baresi had missed a penalty too. However, it was the image of Baggio looking desolate the missing the penalty that captured the hearts of football fans and became an enduring moment in the history of World Cup.
Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher
Widely considered England's golden generation, the team of the 2006 World Cup failed to progress beyond the quarterfinal as they lost against Portugal in the penalty shootout. England failed to convert three out of their four penalties as stars like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher could not convert their spot-kick. Owen Hargreaves was the only English player to score. Portugal won the shootout 3-1.
David Trezeguet
France's hero from Euro 2000 was David Trezeguet. He had scored the golden goal in the final against Italy to hand them the title but turned villain for Les Bleus in the 2006 World Cup final. Trezeguet missed the only penalty in the shootout which proved to be detrimental for France as Italy got their revenge and clinched the World Cup for the fourth time in their history.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi also missed a penalty at the grandest stage. In Argentina's opening game at the 2018 World Cup, Messi failed to convert a spot-kick as Iceland held the South American giants to a 1-1 draw. The penalty miss would have cost Argentina a knock-out spot had Marcos Rojo not scored a late goal against Nigeria in their final group game. The defender's goal helped Argentina beat Nigeria 2-1 and qualified for the round of 16 with four points, one more than the African side. If Messi had converted the spotkick, it could've been a different story for Argentina.