Szczesny: Lost €100 bet with Messi over penalty

DOHA, Qatar -- Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has said that helium mislaid a €100 stake with Lionel Messi earlier the Argentina guardant missed a punishment during his team's 2-0 World Cup triumph astatine Stadium 974 successful Qatar.

Goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez were capable to seal triumph and apical spot successful Group C for the 2021 Copa America winners, who volition present look Australia successful the Round of 16 connected Saturday.

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And Poland besides made it into the knockout stages, contempt losing to Argentina, aft edging retired Mexico connected extremity quality to publication a necktie with satellite champions France connected Sunday.

Szczesny's punishment prevention from Messi would yet beryllium important for Poland successful the extremity quality conflict with Mexico, but the determination by referee Danny Makkelie to grant the spot-kick amazed the Juventus goalkeeper, who was judged to person caught Messi successful the look with his limb portion collecting an aerial ball.

Makkelie reviewed the incidental connected VAR earlier awarding the punishment and Szczesny said helium was truthful convinced that the referee would cull the punishment claims that helium made a stake with Messi.

"We spoke earlier the punishment and I told would stake him €100 that helium [referee] wasn't going to springiness it," Szczesny told TV2. "So I've mislaid a stake against Messi.

"I don't cognize if that's allowed astatine the World Cup -- I'm astir apt going to get banned for it! But I don't attraction close now.

"I'm not going to wage him either -- helium doesn't attraction astir €100 I deliberation helium has enough."

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For Szczesny, it was his 2nd punishment prevention of the World Cup aft denying Salem Al-Dawsari successful Poland's 2-0 triumph implicit Saudi Arabia connected Saturday.

"I was fortunate doubly this competition," helium told RAI Sport. "It's a large infinitesimal successful the vocation of a player, the World Cup is the maximum and this is special.

"There's a spot of enactment that goes into it, too, but successful bid to prevention a Messi penalty, you request immoderate luck arsenic well."

Messi's nonaccomplishment from the punishment spot denied him the accidental to determination level with Marcus Rashford, Kylian Mbappe, Cody Gakpo and Enner Valencia connected 3 goals successful the contention for the World Cup Golden Boot.

The Paris Saint-Germain prima is connected 2 goals aft scoring a punishment against Saudi Arabia and different extremity against Mexico.