Netherlands goalkeeper considers Messi penalty challenge

Andries Noppert of the Netherlands has already started playing mind games ahead of his country’s World Cup 2022 quarter-final clash with Argentina, confidently claiming that he can stop Lionel Messi if it goes to penalties.

That’s exactly what happened the last time these two met at the World Cup, with Argentina advancing to the 2014 final after a goalless semi-final tie.

And Noppert is optimistic about his chances in the final battle. When asked about the possibility of facing Messi in a shootout ahead of Friday’s match, the 28-year-old said(opens in new tab):

“I’m always prepared for that, and he can also miss: we saw it at the start of this tournament, so he’s human like us.” Sure, he’s good, but I’m confident I can [avoid] the penalties.”

Messi has already taken two penalties in Qatar, scoring one and seeing the other saved in Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in the tournament opener (by Wojciech Szczesny in the 2-0 win over Poland).

While he is completely otherworldly in many ways, Messi’s penalty record serves to remind us that he is, after all, human: his career conversion rate from 12 yards for club and country is 78%, which is statistically pretty much exactly average.

Noppert, who is set to win only his fifth international cap against Argentina after being surprisingly named captain by Louis van Gaal, is right to be optimistic.

This match is a rematch of the 1978 World Cup final, in which Argentina defeated the Netherlands to win the trophy for the first time.