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How Many Penalties Has Lionel Messi Missed After Missing Penalty vs Charlotte FC?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Marcelo Cartaxo | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 10:42 PM ET

Lionel Messi is back in action with Inter Miami in MLS, but the first game after losing the Leagues Cup final against Seattle Sounders didn’t go as planned. Miami fell behind early to Charlotte, and when Messi had the chance to level the score, he missed a penalty—something that rarely happens.

The Argentine star will have to shoulder even more responsibility over the next two games, as Inter Miami could be out of the playoff picture by the time Luis Suárez returns from suspension. With Miami trailing 1-0 midway through the first half, Messi attempted a panenka, but the goalkeeper read it easily and made the save.

Charlotte took a 2-0 lead into halftime and later sealed a 3-0 home win over Miami. With that miss, Messi now has 31 failed penalties in his career. Some outlets list the number at 31 before this game, which would make this the 32nd miss. However, according to Transfermarkt, the total is now officially 31.

Lionel Messi intentó un penal a lo Panenka en Charlotte-Inter Miami. Lo atajó el arquero.pic.twitter.com/rKT9ojKYoG
— VSports Team (@VSportsTM) September 14, 2025

Who Has More Penalty Goals - Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

When it comes to the GOAT debate, the conversation may never truly end. And now Messi and Ronaldo have another stat to fuel the discussion: Cristiano has only two more missed penalties (33) than Lionel Messi (31). This count excludes shootouts, meaning only penalties taken in regular play are included.

When it comes to penalties scored, however, Cristiano is far ahead of Messi—177 to 111. This gap is part of the reason critics mockingly call Ronaldo “Penaldo.” But in reality, penalties make up only a small portion of his incredible career tally of more than 940 goals. Messi isn’t far behind, with 879 goals to his name.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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