Argentina overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 at Atlanta Stadium and book their place in the quarter-finals as they avoided heartbreak on Tuesday night.
Messi’s goal in the dramatic clash was his 21st at the World Cup, extending his record as the leading goalscorer in the tournament's history.
Despite his excellent performance as he led the side to an unbelievable comeback, Messi missed a penalty in the first half as Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir dived the right way.
This made him the first player in the history of the men's World Cup to miss two penalties in the same edition of the tournament, having also dragged wide against Austria in the group stage.
Messi reveals he was devastated
Speaking on the miss, the Inter Miami winger revealed how upset he was with himself as he let his country down for the second time.
"I was really angry about the penalty, very distressed about missing again. If I had scored the penalty at that moment, it would have changed the game. We were playing well. Aside from the penalty, we had clear chances.
“The goalkeeper made some incredible saves. Luckily, in the end, I got the chance. It's something very special to be able to help this group after what had happened."
"Honestly, I'm happy to have qualified, because of how we did it. It got tough at 2-0. It was very exciting to be able to turn it around. We suffered a lot again, but this is the World Cup. All the matches are the same. Everything is very close. I'm very happy.”
Messi's 21-goal World Cup haul could have been greater though if he was more clinical from 12 yards, his two penalties misses could have made him top of the goal scoring charts in what seems like an impossible feat.