Copa America 2024: Argentina Advances to Semi-Finals Despite Messi’s Missed Penalty

In the 2024 Copa America quarter-final, Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi missed the first penalty in a shootout, but his team still triumphed over Ecuador on Thursday night. The match concluded in a 1-1 draw after regular time.

Lisandro Martinez scored for Argentina in the first half, while Kevin Rodriguez equalized for Ecuador in stoppage time.

Messi’s attempt at a panenka hit the crossbar, leading to a surprising start to the shootout. Ecuadorian goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez consoled Messi after the miss. Nevertheless, Argentina’s goalkeeper Emi Martinez made two crucial saves, securing a 4-2 victory for his team.

Argentina is set to play against the winner of the Venezuela vs. Canada match in the semi-finals on Tuesday evening.