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FIFA World Cup 2018: Argentina held by Iceland as Lionel Messi misses penalty
Lionel Messi fluffed his World Cup lines on Saturday, missing a penalty as tiny Iceland held Argentina to a 1-1 draw after France benefited from the first use of the Video Assistant Referee system in the tournament's history. Just a day after his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo scored a sensational hat-trick to secure a 3-3 draw for Portugal against Spain, Messi had a golden chance to write his own headlines. The Argentine stepped up to the spot with the teams locked at 1-1 in Moscow's Spartak Stadium after Rurik Gislason was adjudged to have brought down Maximiliano Meza in the 63rd minute. But Hannes Halldorsson guessed correctly and palmed away the Argentine skipper's side-footed effort and, despite intense pressure, Iceland held on for a famous draw. Sergio Aguero scored the opener for the two-time world champions in the 19th minute but his strike was almost immediately cancelled out by Alfred Finnbogaso. It was another extraordinary result in the history of Iceland, who famously dumped England out of Euro 2016.
Updated on: Jun 16, 2018 11:56 PM IST
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Argentina's Lionel Messi after the FIFA World Cup 2018 Group D match between Argentina and Iceland at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow on June 16, 2018. (Utpaal Sorkkar/HT Photo)
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Messi endured a frustrating day at the office vs Iceland. (Utpaal Sorkkar/HT Photo)
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Messi speaks with Sergio Aguero during the game. (Utpaal Sorkkar/HT Photo)
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Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring Argentina’s goal. (Utpaal Sorkkar/HT Photo)
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Messi argues with the referee over a decision. (Utpaal Sorkkar/HT Photo)
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Messi gesticulates after missing the penalty. (Utpaal Sorkkar/HT Photo)
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Iceland fans were in fine voice throughout the game. (Utpaal Sorkkar/HT Photo)
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