Julián Álvarez’s controversial penalty miss against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League has drawn comparisons to a similar moment involving Lionel Messi in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final against France.

Both incidents share a common denominator: a slip at the moment of striking the ball that nearly changed the fate of their teams in crucial matches.

Messi’s Penalty vs. France in the 2022 World Cup Final

During the World Cup Final in Qatar, Lionel Messi successfully converted a penalty in the 23rd minute to give Argentina the lead. However, during the penalty shootout, he came dangerously close to committing an error similar to Álvarez’s in the Champions League.

📌 What Happened?
As Messi stepped up for his penalty in the shootout, he slightly slipped, nearly causing an unintentional double contact with his standing foot. Luckily for Argentina, the ball went in cleanly, and the referee did not detect any irregularities.

📌 The Rule and the Potential Controversy
According to Law 14 of the game, a penalty taker cannot touch the ball twice before another player has made contact. If Messi had inadvertently hit the ball twice, the goal would have been disallowed, potentially giving France a crucial advantage in the shootout.

Julián Álvarez’s Penalty: A Different Fate

In the Champions League showdown between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, Julián Álvarez was not as fortunate. The Argentine also lost his footing while taking his spot-kick, but this time, the VAR review confirmed a double contact. As a result, referee Szymon Marciniak ruled the goal out, leaving Atlético at a major disadvantage in the shootout.

💬 Key Differences Between the Two Cases:
✔ Messi avoided a second contact, though it was extremely close.
❌ Álvarez clearly touched the ball twice, leading to an automatic invalidation of his goal.