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This is Planet Money from NPR.
Last week, one of the best soccer players of all time did something kind of shocking.
Lionel Messi missed a penalty kick.
The top World Cup scorer of all time is actually a slightly below average penalty kicker.
He's in the running for missing the most penalties of any player in World Cup history.
Somehow, Messi is worse at scoring when he's just 12 yards from the goal,
with no one but the goalie between him and the back of the net.
And that might be because there's another skill at play when it comes to penalty kicks.
It's not just about how good you are at kicking the ball.
It's about something we here at Planet Money love.
Game theory.
The use of game theory in soccer penalties
might be one of the most interesting applications of economic theory, like, ever.
Today on the show, we hear from the folks at the Soccernomics Podcast about the art and strategy of the penalty kick.