Heart-breaking losses, Paneka penalties and a retirement: A Complete History of Lionel Messi’s failures with Argentina

August 17th 2005.

But over that time period, the team have mastered the art of losing at key moments, missing immense chances and watching as their superstar does everything but. It’s actually rather lovely to watch, for a neutral, especially when a side as supposedly big as Argentina somehow manage to make the same mistakes again and again over the years. Mental errors, missing sitters, penalty misses, the lack of a proper coach, the lack of a coherent defense and just issues all around.

Brazil 3-0 Argentina: Copa America final 2007

Now, let’s be fair here because Lionel Messi in 2007 was nothing more than a young teenager who had finally enjoyed what was a breakout season with Barcelona. 14 league goals in 26 appearances, with the Catalan giants finishing second behind Real Madrid, and only Ronaldinho outscored him. It was an impressive season but the Argentine wasn’t at his best all tournament and it showed.

Argentina 0-4 Germany: 2010 World Cup Quarter-finals

45 goals for Barcelona on their way to a double-winning season, the year after they won the treble and thus Argentina’s hopes and dreams were pinned on Lionel Andres Messi. But four games into the tournament and the superstar had yet to do anything for his country. Two assists, against South Korea, were the extent of his work with Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez thriving instead.

Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain and co finished up with more than three hundred shots at goal, but Neuer was never really threatened. 

Argentina 1-1 Uruguay (Uruguay won 5-6 on penalties): 2011 Copa America quarter-finals

And they lived up to that tag by taking a very early lead although Argentina equalised eleven minutes later via a gorgeous Lionel Messi assist no less. But after that, it was all the goalkeepers and pure luck with both sides having goals ruled out, rightfully, for offside. Not only that, Messi and Forlan tried their level best to push their teams over the top but 120 minutes refused to separate them. Then came penalties, Carlos Tevez had his spot-kick saved and the rest is history.

Germany 1-0 Argentina: 2014 World Cup final

Then came the game itself and Argentine rued their missed chances. Gonzalo Higuain had the best one about 20 minutes into the game via a terrible back-pass from Germany and missed it. He then put the ball into the net….but was well offside. The Germans hit the bar, Messi was his wonderful self and nobody could even handle him. Rodrigo Palacio had a chance, Romero pulled off a few beyond impressive saves, but in the end, Mario Gotze had the final say.

Messi did win the Golden Ball though, but something tells me he would have preferred another golden trophy.

The loss in the 2014 World Cup final seemed not to hurt Argentina as they competed in the Copa America a year later but they endured a tough start. Paraguay held them to a 2-2 draw but wins over Uruguay and Jamaica, by a 1-0 margin, meant that they qualified at the top of their group. Wins over Colombia (via penalties) and Paraguay in the knockout stages set up a mouth-watering clash against Chile in the final of the Copa America and the world couldn't wait.  

But while both teams had more than enough chances to find the net, things didn’t quite go their way.  Extra time changed nothing for either side and once again, Argentina were in a penalty shootout. However, while Messi hit the net, Higuain sent his effort into the stands and Banega’s had his saved which meant the pressure was on Lionel Messi's former Barcelona teammate in Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean stepped up to the spot and then paneka-ed his decisive spot-kick into the net to hand Chile their first international trophy.

Lionel Messi vs Alexis Sanchez yet again in another Copa America final and the stakes were just as high as they were the first time around. The two were placed in the same group, with Argentina winning the clash 2-1 and topping their group but Chile finished a close second. However, big knockout wins over both Venezuela and USA followed with Lionel Messi netting 5 goals in the process and once again, the stage was set.

Although what followed was a scrap-fest. Both teams battled their way through and both were down to ten men before the half-time whistle. Yet that refused to stop Lionel Messi from thriving as he weaved, danced and wiggled his way past defenders time after time. Chile had no answer beyond physically stopping him and it worked, with the Argentine frustrated at the end of things. It meant that once the penalty shoot-out arrived, things became very interesting. 

Lionel Messi retired in anger and said “It's very hard, but the decision is taken. Now I will not try more and there will be no going back.” He made his comeback three months later.

Brazil 2-0 Argentina: 2019 Copa America semi-finals

Brazil walked into the half-time break with a goal to their name while Argentina watched Sergio Aguero hit the bar and Messi do practically nothing. He looked a little jaded and the second half changed nothing, and with Brazil playing the team game perfectly, they looked likely to score the next goal. The Selecao did just that, via a rapier counter-attack that left the Albiceleste breathless, and like that Argentina were out once again at a decisive stage in another major tournament.

They would finish third in the end while Brazil would lift the Copa America but once again, that’s not the result anyone in Albiceleste blue wanted. It also meant that going into the 2021 Copa America final, Argentina haven’t beaten Brazil in a major competitive fixture since 2005. Not a stat anyone wants weighing on them.