Flashback a few years back. Copa America. Biggest trophy of Latin America. Chile and Argentina. Brazil doesn't even come close. Game ended 0-0. Extra time, 0-0. Penalties. Chile wins 4-2. One of the 'alien's of the game, Leo Messi, missed his spot kick. Leo Messi missing a spot kick. Isn't even a new story. A regular view of some sort. Many memes and trolls over something what the scientists call the internet. So the thing is, if Messi is such a great footballer, proving himself year in year out, for almost 20 years, how can he miss a penalty? At least the average internet expert would beg the same question. Because by the looks of it, a penalty is the easiest job any footballer can do. You just have 12 yards and a goalkeeper between yourself and glory. Easy. But well, actually it isn't. I'll give you an easy example.
Imagine you are learning how to ride a bicycle. When you are at your primitive stages, your first thought will always be about keeping the cycle straight forward. Or else you'll fall. But as you gradually learn it, you think less about keeping the cycle as is. Your movement becomes subconscious. You will be on autopilot. The same thing goes with any other complex skill too. At first you're learning, you make mistakes. As you gradually master it, you will stop making those mistakes. This is called 'the zone'. When you're in the zone, you are on top of the world. That is when you will see even small time players pulling off outworldly skills. Without even noticing it. Now coming back to the penalties.
There are some key points to remember here. One, when you're usually playing in the field, you don't care about being 100% accurate. Nobody on god's green earth is that accurate. But when you are taking a penalty, the world expects you to be accurate. Because as i said before, it's the easiest thing to do on a football field, looking from a chair or a couch. So the pressure kicks in. When you visibly know that millions or billions of people around the world expect you to accomplish something, there is an obnoxiously high chance for you to fail.
A human being can't keep up with such expectations all the time. Then there comes a term named analysis paralysis. This is when your brain in so much overwhelmed with information that you become literally paralyzed. You are bound to forget the simplest of things. Most common example of it can be you or me during our exams. Trying to memorize complex formulas and forgetting the basics. Now imagine taking a penalty in front of the Yellow Wall, south stand of Dortmund. Or at the Kop end at Anfield, Liverpool, or try surviving at places like Nou Camp, San Siro, Celtic Park. When you will have millions screaming against you, right in front of you, how'd that feel? Especially when you're about to answer one plus one is two (taking a penalty).
So taking a penalty isn't the easiest task on the field by far. In fact it is rather more hard. Because all the attention sits on the taker. The torment of mind takes away everything. Not everyone is built equal. Not everyone is supposed to score every penalty. And converting them when there's a lot on the line, requires gratification, if any.