#WorldCup2018: Composed Iceland team stops Messi
Superstar footballer, Lionel Messi failed to inspire Argentina to their first win against Iceland at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow today.
With Argentina locked in a 1-1 tie with Iceland, a team playing in its first-ever World Cup match, Messi got
a brilliant opportunity to step up as hero and give his squad the lead with a penalty in the 63rd minute. That chance was denied.
Iceland was full of composure and put up one of the most resilent team so far and got it all right.
The Argentine captain and five-time Ballon d'Or winner could not convert a spot kick to give his nation a 2- 1 lead as Iceland goalkeeper, Hannes Halldorsson guessed correctly and dived to his right for the ball.
Messi who had scored 64 goals in 124 games for Argentina before today's match also missed several chances after his penalty miss.
In the game, Argentina had a total of 27 shots to Iceland's eight, with Messi alone attempting 11, but still could not find a way through.
Messi also had a few chances to convert on free kicks but came up empty on those opportunities as well. As a result, Argentina ultimately finished with a draw against Iceland -- a result that many considered to be a loss considering the mismatch.
That's a rough start to the tournament for Argentina, and especially rough for Messi given the missed opportunities and timing of it all. Messi and Ronaldo are considered to be two of the best and brightest soccer stars on the planet, so the comparisons of their respective opening performances were inevitable. Those comparisons are not kind to Messi.
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