Serene Mbappe and emotional Messi are going goal for goal (and miss for miss) in World Cup chase

Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi have mirrored each other throughout the 2022 World Cup, both scoring eight goals apiece while navigating contrasting paths — France gliding through the knockouts and Argentina surviving chaos. Their parallel tournaments extended to missed penalties, with Messi failing to convert against Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday and Mbappé being saved by Yassine Bounou against Morocco in Foxboro two days later. Both superstars had previously been stopped from the spot during the tournament, with Messi also missing against Austria in the group stage.