Lionel Messi serves as Argentina’s primary penalty taker entering the 2026 World Cup as defending champions in his sixth tournament appearance. Recent developments include his recovery from late-May hamstring fatigue and a successful return in the final warm-up against Iceland, where he converted a spot kick just two minutes after entering as a substitute. Argentina’s attacking style continues to generate fouls inside the box, as seen in recent internationals, while Messi’s conversion rate and leadership role position him to handle most awarded penalties. The extended tournament format, combined with the team’s strong recent form and historical penalty volume in knockout stages, underpins trader consensus around the likelihood of multiple opportunities.