Lionel Messi's Penalty Miss vs Egypt Turns Fatal For Man In Bangladesh: "How Can People Kill Someone Over Football?"

Lionel Messi's penalty miss in Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match against Egypt on Tuesday not only broke many hearts but also turned tragic for a football fan in Bangladesh. According to multiple media reports in Bangladesh, Mohammed Shariful Islam, 35, was killed after a dispute escalated while watching the Argentina-Egypt FIFA World Cup match at a tea stall in Cumilla. In the Argentina vs Egypt match, Yasser Ibrahim scored a header in the 15th minute. Messi had the chance to equalise in the 21st minute but missed a penalty - his second of the 2026 FIFA World Cup - after goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir made a brilliant save.

According to a report in The Daily Star, Shankar Kumar Das, in-charge of the Nazira Bazar Police Outpost, said that an argument broke out after Messi missed the penalty. The report added that the incident occurred around 11 pm (Bangladesh time) in the Dhanpur area under Durgapur Union in Adarsha Sadar Upazila.

As the argument escalated into a fight, two local men, identified as Babu and Main Uddin Malu, allegedly struck Shariful on the head. The victim was rescued by locals and taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, where he was declared dead, police said.

Another report in Prothom Alo, quoting local residents and witnesses, said Shariful, an auto-rickshaw driver by profession, was supporting Egypt during the match, though he was primarily a Brazil supporter. The headline of the report was: "Man beaten to death by Argentina supporters: "People will kill someone over a match?""

His wife, Beauty Banu, has been inconsolable. "How can people kill someone over a football match? I have two daughters. Who will they call father now? My two daughters have become orphans. I want the harshest punishment for those who killed my husband. I am a poor and helpless woman. How will I raise my two daughters now? My entire family has been destroyed," she said.

Both reports claimed that no arrests had been made in the case at the time of reporting.

Prothom Alo also spoke to another auto-rickshaw driver, who requested anonymity, about the incident. He said that after Messi missed the penalty early in the match, Shariful told an Argentina supporter, "Your father could not score a goal." The tension escalated from that point.

In the match, Argentina went 2-0 down in the 67th minute through a Mostafa Ziko goal following a swift counterattack involving Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan, leaving Argentina seemingly destined for an early exit.

However, the match shifted dramatically in the final minutes as Argentina mounted a late comeback. Cristian Romero scored a header in the 79th minute, followed by an equaliser from Messi four minutes later, before Enzo Fernandez secured a stoppage-time winner to seal a 3-2 victory for Argentina.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Messi Argentina Egypt 2026 FIFA World Cup Football