Lionel Messi: what Argentina has told Barça star after Iceland World Cup penaltie miss

LIONEL MESSI must make the bold decision of giving up taking penalties for Argentina following his miss against Iceland today.

Lionel Messi missed a penalty in Argentina's 1-1 World Cup draw with Iceland

That is the view of ESPN FC pundit and former Liverpool right-back Steve Nicol.

Messi’s patchy penalty record was made worse when Iceland keeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson beat away his second-half effort.

The score was 1-1 at the time and that was how it stayed, with Argentina being held in their World Cup opener.

Barcelona star Messi has now failed to convert five of his last 10 penalties for club and country.

Yes it’s a problem, and it’s only a problem that’s going to go away when Messi decides it’s time for him to stop taking them

Steve Nicol on Lionel Messi

Nicol says it was a day to forget for Messi and says he should hand penalty-taking duties over to Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.

“Lionel Messi was not on his game today, the penalty was a culmination of that,” he said.

“There was no end product and that is not something you associate with Lionel Messi.

“The answer is no, he wasn’t the right choice (for the penalty).

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Lionel Messi saw his penalty saved by Iceland keeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson

“When you’ve missed that many penalties previous to this one, then there’s no question.

“I don’t care who you are, whether you’re Lionel Messi and you have Sergio Aguero in your side who’s dynamite from the penalty spot.

“So yes it’s a problem, and it’s only a problem that’s going to go away when Messi decides it’s time for him to stop taking them.

“He just doesn’t look confident when he’s standing up with the ball on the penalty spot.”