Messi sets unwanted penalty record before becoming World Cup's all-time top scorer

On a June afternoon in Arlington, Texas, Lionel Messi wrote two chapters of history simultaneously — one triumphant, one humbling. By scoring twice against Austria to reach 18 World Cup goals, he surpassed Miroslav Klose's long-standing record and claimed the title of all-time top scorer across the tournament's entire history. Yet the same match handed him an unwanted distinction: more World Cup penalty misses than any player before him. Together, the records speak not merely to brilliance, but to what it means to remain present long enough for greatness and imperfection to share the same stag