Argentinian national treasure Lionel Messi stands alone at goalscoring pinnacle | Pablo Iglesias Maurer

Missed penalty merely delayed the inevitable before forward scored the goals to go past Miroslav Klose’s World Cup goals record There stood 38-year-old Lionel Messi by the penalty spot, poised for yet another flashbulb moment in a career already overflowing with them. Just a few days removed from his first World Cup hat-trick – one that had thrust him into co-ownership of the all-time tournament goalscoring record – Messi had been gifted an opportunity to notch his 17th goal and stand atop the mountain alone. Calmly, coolly, he approached the ball. And then he missed the goal entirely. Continu

This story was reported by Football | The Guardian. EUROPES curates Europe's most relevant coverage — read the full report at the original source.