What are the best individual performances in football… ever?
We know you've got your own idea, with evocative images immediately coming to mind when the question is asked. So we wanted to come up with a definitive list of the greatest 90-minute – or 120-minute – displays from players from across the history of the sport.
Football, when it's done properly, is an art. A medium to admire and inspire: so consider this century of performances to be the seminal masters of the beautiful game.
How FourFourTwo's experts decided on the best individual performances in football ever
Our list was collated by FourFourTwo's expert team, factoring in games from throughout the course of history. We wanted to include displays from various competitions and levels of the game, giving equal weight to non-league and Premier League, League Cup and World Cup.
When we had a list of far more than 100, our trusty experts decided upon a ranking, taking into account more than just how good a player was, or how many goals they scored. There are players here who played in a different position, played through an injury, or won their team a game almost single-handedly. We thought of that when choosing our list – but we also went for which games meant something to football
We wanted to consider brilliance, but also brilliance within the grand scheme of the the game. We didn't simply want to reward masterclasses without context: we wanted this collection of games to act as signposts to the greatest moments that the sport had ever witnessed. Sure, scoring six against San Marino is great: but is it really more impressive than a 45-minute cameo to win your club the Champions League final?
As with any list, this was assembled completely subjectively – ask us again in another six months' time, and we'll probably have changed our minds completely. We all have our biases, after all: but which do you agree with? Which performances have we cruelly overlooked? Tell us, @FourFourTwo.
100. Jamie Vardy: Leicester City against Manchester United (Premier League, 2014)
Those who pay no heed to life outside the Premier League would have been unfamiliar with Jamie Vardy when he took to the field against Manchester United in the fourth game of the 2014/15 season.
But the striker made the world sit up and pay attention in an unexpected 5-3 victory over Louis van Gaal’s side. Vardy repeatedly exposing United’s defensive frailties as he set up Leonardo Ulloa’s early equaliser, won his side two penalties (the second of which earned Tyler Blackett a red card) and scored his first-ever Premier League goal.
Leicester City struggled to feed Vardy for the rest of a difficult season, but he had marked his cards for the phenomenal success that lay ahead.
99. Jack Grealish: Aston Villa against Liverpool (Premier League, 2020)
Liverpool had been virtually indestructible throughout the disrupted 2019/20 campaign as they ended their 30-year wait for a league title, and had continued that form into the new season with three straight wins over Leeds, Chelsea and Arsenal. Aston Villa, meanwhile, had escaped relegation by just a single point in 2019/20 having only just earned promotion from the Championship.
So it was a complete shock when Villa absolutely smashed their way to a 7-2 victory at Villa Park. The irresistible Grealish scored Villa’s sixth and seventh having already set up two for Ollie Watkins and one for Ross Barkley. Already well-established as his boyhood club’s star player, Grealish was now indisputably a Premier League superstar.
98. John Stones: Manchester City against Inter Milan (Champions League, 2023)
Pep Guardiola’s tactical surprise for the 2013 Champions League final all revolved around John Stones. Usually deployed as a centre-back who would step into midfield, Stones instead reverted to his early-career right-back role out of possession.
The twist was that Stones was still coming into midfield… only this time, it was on the right of a midfield diamond. Despite his lack of natural creativity in advanced areas, Stones performed the role superbly, helping Manchester City to finally claim the crown of European champions for the first time.
97. Fraser Forster: Celtic against Barcelona (Champions League, 2012)
Celtic had little margin for error in their bid to get out of a tough Champions League group that contained Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow – and Forster’s heroics against the Catalans at Celtic Park proved crucial.
With Celtic holding just 27 per cent possession after taking the lead through Victor Wanyama midway through the first half, Forster was under constant siege pulling off a series of saves that included a magnificent fingertip to turn a Lionel Messi strike onto the crossbar.
To cap it off, the goalkeeper then set up Celtic’s late second goal, playing a low drive through for teenage debutant Tony Watt to put him one on one with Victor Valdes. Messi finally breached Forster’s goal in injury time – but by then the game was already won.
96. Just Fontaine: France against West Germany (World Cup, 1958)
Only five men have equalled or bettered Just Fontaine’s record of 13 goals at World Cups: Lionel Messi, Gerd Muller, Ronaldo, and Miroslav Klose. The difference between Fontaine and the rest is that he scored all of his in just a single tournament. The striker scored in all six games he played for France at the 1958 World Cup, setting a record for consecutive World Cup goalscoring appearances that only Jairzinho has been able to match, in 1970.
Despite the disappointment of missing out to a Pele-inspired Brazil in the semi-finals, Fontaine saved his best until last, notching four against West Germany in the third-place play-off as France claimed bronze with a 6-3 win.
95. Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal against Sweden (World Cup qualifier, 2013)
Billed, inevitably, as Ronaldo v Ibrahimovic, Portugal held a 1-0 advantage going into the second leg of their World Cup qualification play-off in Stockholm.
Ronaldo struck first in the 50th minute, sparking the until-then anonymous Ibrahimovic into life as he responded with two goals in four minutes to level the tie. Typically, Ronaldo was not to be outdone, shrugging off an injury worry to race through and restore Portugal’s lead in the 77th minute before killing the game off by completing his hat-trick just two minutes later.
94. Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Sweden against England (Friendly, 2012)
It’s rare for England fans to shrug their shoulders and say ‘yeah, fair enough’ after a defeat to a team they’d usually be expected to win, but there was little else they could do after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s stunning display to christen Sweden’s new national stadium.
Ibrahimovic ruined the occasion of Steven Gerrard’s 100th cap – and Raheem Sterling’s debut – with a four-goal display capped by an unbelievable 30-yard overhead kick in injury time after Joe Hart came out of his box to head it into the maverick’s path.
93. Franco Baresi: Italy against Brazil (World Cup, 1994)
It all ended in disaster for Baresi as he missed Italy’s first spot kick as the 1994 World Cup final went to penalties… but it never would have got that far had it not been for the skipper’s incredible performance at centre-back.
Up until that final in Pasadena, Brazil had not gone a single game without one or both of Romario and Bebeto on the scoresheet. But despite losing Paolo Maldini as his centre-back partner after his Milan teammate had to move to left-back, Baresi kept the Brazilians quiet to help ensure the game ended goalless.
92. Phil Jagielka: Sheffield United against Arsenal (Premier League, 2006)
Keeping a clean sheet in a victory over a side who had been Champions League finalists just a few months prior would be a source of pride for any centre-back. Doubly so when over half an hour of that was spent as a stand-in goalkeeper.
Neil Warnock had selected all outfielders for his Blades bench, but says he didn’t panic when he had to call on Jagielka to replace the injured Paddy Kenny, who couldn’t resist laughing as he gave the centre-back his shirt. Jagielka was rarely tested as Sheffield United dug in, but did make an excellent stop to deny Robin van Persie’s late bouncing effort to help ensure his side got the three points.
91. Eusebio: Portugal against North Korea (World Cup, 1966)
North Korea were the surprise package of the 1966 World Cup, incredibly beating Italy in their final group game to get through to the knockout stage at the Azzurri’s expense and earn themselves a place in the neutral English hearts. Portugal were nonetheless fancied to get past North Korea in the quarter-finals at Goodison Park, but found themselves three goals down inside 25 minutes.
Up stepped Eusebio to prove his standing as one of the greatest players in the world: he scored four times to overturn the deficit by himself before the hour mark, with two top-corner stunners complemented by a pair of unstoppable penalties, the second of which he won himself. Jose Augusto made sure with a fifth for Portugal.
90. Teddy Sheringham: England against Netherlands (European Championship, 1996)
Coming up against “Total Football” lovers Netherlands is never likely to be a walk in the park, but a frontline duo of Teddy Sheringham and Alan Shearer made it look like just another day at work for them.
The Three Lions only needed a draw, but Sheringham doubled England’s lead just after half-time with an expertly directed header.
He selflessly set Shearer up for England’s third, before getting back in on the action himself on the end of a rebounded Darren Anderton effort to see Terry Venables’ side sail into a four-goal advantage.
The Dutch attempted to respond in the 78th minute through Patrick Kluivert but it was too little, too late — England had built up a Sheringham-led buffer that never looked likely to be combatted, thanks to a classic centre-forward performance.
89. Bastian Schweinsteiger: Germany against Argentina (World Cup, 2014)
‘Immortal’ was the German press’ verdict of Bastian Schweinsteiger following the 2014 World Cup final victory over Argentina.
The Bayern Munich man was the rock on which Joachim Low’s team was built, completing 90 per cent of his passes and finishing the game bloodied and bruised, but triumphant.
“Schweinsteiger was the boss on the pitch,” said German outlet Die Zeit. “He structured Germany’s game, passed the ball when it was sensible, tackled when it was necessary. If there was something he didn’t like, he interfered.”
It takes guts to wear boots with ‘The Chosen One’ written on them in a World Cup final, but Basti pulled it off.
88. Matthias Sindelar: Austria against England (Friendly, 1932)
The story of Matthias Sindelar is one of the most fascinating of any footballer over the past 100 years. The fulcrum of Austria’s revolutionary 1930s Wunderteam, few had ever matched his dribbling ability and creativity, with the centre-forward’s sublime technique on full display when Austria met England in December 1932, in what was a clash between perhaps the two best teams in the world.
While England were able to hold off their visitors 4-3 at Stamford Bridge, the British press admitted the Three Lions were lucky to win, with Sindelar weighing in with a goal and an assist.
As tensions in Europe grew in the following years, Sindelar would refuse to play for the new German national team after the Nazi regime had annexed Austria in 1938. In January 1939, Sindelar and his girlfriend Camilla Castagnola were found dead in their Vienna apartment, with the official verdict citing carbon monoxide poisoning, while theories speculated that their deaths were either an accident, suicide or murder.
87. Steve McManaman: Liverpool against Bolton (League Cup final, 1995)
He liked a final, did Steve McManaman. While his sublime volleyed goal and man-of-the-match display for Real Madrid in the 2000 Champions League final against Valencia is the mainstream pick here, the real heads will look to the 1995 League Cup final.
Bruce Rioch’s second-tier Bolton started brightly at Wembley, but McManaman’s positive display was rewarded with the opening goal after 37 minutes, with the England winger doubling his and Liverpool’s tally on 68 minutes, as Wanderers had no answer for his bold attacking play jinking runs and precision finishing.
McManaman would win the Alan Hardaker Trophy as man of the match following Liverpool’s 2-1 win, with fans on the red half of Merseyside renaming the match ‘The McManaman Final.’ And how’s this for a glowing reference after the game? Sir Stanley Matthews was the guest of honour at Wembley, telling the press that, “He remind me of me when I was playing… I wish there are more dribblers like him.”
86. Sadio Mane: Southampton against Aston Villa (Premier League, 2015)
For 18 years, Robbie Fowler’s four-minute and 33 hat-trick was the quickest in Premier League history, but that treble was relatively glacial compared to Sadio Mane’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it two minutes and 56-second assault on Shay Given’s Aston Villa goal in 2015.
The Senegal international struck in the 13th, 14th and 16th minutes to boost Southampton’s hope of a European place, capitalising on a host of Villa errors at the back, showing a ruthlessly predatory instinct to end this game before it had barely begun.
85. Eden Hazard: Belgium against Brazil (World Cup, 2018)
“I perfectly succeeded in everything I was trying to do,” Eden Hazard later said about his performance for Belgium in the World Cup 2018 quarter-final win over Brazil.
And he wasn’t wrong. The former Chelsea man put in a performance for the ages, outshining the likes of Neymar and Philippe Coutinho in the Brazil side, while establishing himself as the leading light of Beglium’s so-called ‘Golden Generation’. Everything Hazard did at his best was wondrous – and for one night only, the most entertaining player on a pitch with Brazilians was Belgian.
84. Robbie Fowler: Liverpool against Arsenal (Premier League, 1994)
What have you achieved in the last four minutes and 33 seconds? We made a brew and got a packet of biscuits out of the cupboard, which makes us a fair bit less productive than Robbie Fowler was in August 1994, when he left a shellshocked Arsenal defence picking up the pieces after what was then the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history.
The 19-year-old striker started proceedings by effortlessly dispatching a loose ball home, before latching onto a Steve McManaman pass to nutmeg Lee Dixon and past David Seaman. His third was a tad more fortuitous as a John Barnes ball over the top fell kidly to him at close range.
And what did the teenage Fowler make of the most clinical five-minute spell the Premier League had ever seen?
“I had three chances and three of them seemed to go in,” he downplayed.
83. Paul McGrath: Republic of Ireland against Italy (World Cup, 1994)
You know you’re doing something right when you’re the best defender on a pitch that also contains the likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta.
And it’s even more remarkable when you consider the fact that Paul McGrath himself didn’t think he should have been playing in Ireland’s 1994 World Cup group stage clash against Italy in New Jersey, due to a shoulder injury he was carrying.
"As I walked out at Giants Stadium, I thought this is just ridiculous. I shouldn't be here and we all knew that. My arm was swinging beside me and I'm trying to play a World Cup match against one of the tournament favourites."
But Jack Charlton kept the faith with the former Manchester United and Aston Villa centre-back and was rewarded with one of the greatest-ever performances in an Ireland shirt, as McGrath was instrumental in repelling wave after wave of Italian attacks after a Ray Houghton’s early goal. Ireland would hold on to win 1-0 to start a famous World Cup run with an iconic victory.
82. Mesut Ozil: Arsenal against Leicester City (Premier League, 2018)
2018 was the most difficult year of Mesut Ozil’s career, from a poor 2017/18 season, to a World Cup group stage humiliation and subsequent international retirement. His display against Leicester that October ranks as his In Rainbows: a late-career drop of beauty and brilliance, against all expectations after the rather more influential performances of his youth – but no less enrapturing or stirring.
Other games may matter more, other players may drive with more intensity. Yet Ozil’s 90 minutes at home to Leicester was a lesson in grace and elegance, seemingly auditioning for a highlights reel with every touch and shoulder feint. The German’s mantra of always moving the ball to a better place than where he received it has never been encapsulated better – and though his dummy for the sumptuous team goal that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finished off is the profile picture of what turned out to be another random win in another disappointing campaign for the Gunners, Ozil’s influence had never been clearer in a Premier League fixture.
Even for this night alone, he was worth the record fee, the bad press, the accusations of laziness and languor. The Arsene Wenger era ended in north London in May – but thanks to Ozil, his ideals of a beautiful game were alive and well the following autumn.
81. Michael Owen: England against Germany (World Cup qualifier, 2001)
The terrace chant reminds us that ‘even Heskey scored’ when England dispatched Germany 5-1 in Munich back in 2001, but make no mistake, this was Michael Owen’s night.
Injuries had already began to slow the Liverpool forward’s progress following his explosion onto the international scene at the 1998 World Cup, but after Alan Shearer’s Three Lions retirement after Euro 2000, Owen was England’s main man up top.
And after that memorable night in Germany, it looked like England could be world-beaters under Sven-Goran Eriksson, as Owen was at his electric, fearless best as he made a mockery of experienced Bundesliga defenders such as Jens Nowotny, Thomas Linke and Christian Worns.
This was Owen’s finest performance in an England shirt and the game that saw him end the year as the first English Ballon d’Or winner since Kevin Keegan.
80. Jay-Jay Okocha: Bolton Wanderers against Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, 2003)
It was easy to scoff at Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers side of the 2000s for being a collection of no-nonsense bruisers who would kick their opponents off the park for 90 minutes before seeing Kevin Davies bundle home a winner.
While Big Sam would bring in a steady supply of ageing veterans with a Youri Djorkaeff here and a Fernando Hierro there, for four glorious seasons he could call on Jay-Jay Okocha to silence the critics. Picking Okocha’s best performance in a Trotters shirt is no easy feat, given some of the goals and moments of genius he provided the Wanderers faithful, but the 1-0 win over Tottenham in 2003 was something else.
The Nigerian simply ran the show against Spurs in a virtuoso display of passing, dribbling, movement and control. He would hit the woodwork three times before teeing up Kevin Nolan’s winner in what was a 90-minute individual highlight package.
“I’ve been with this club as a player and manager for 17 years,” Allardyce said shortly afterwards, “I’ve never seen a better player. People talk about Nat Lofthouse and the like, but I honestly believe Okocha is the best we’ve ever had.”
79. Oleg Salenko: Russia against Cameroon (World Cup, 1994)
Russia’s 1994 World Cup not-quite-dead-rubber Group B closer against Cameroon in Stanford, California was an unlikely setting for the most devastating goalscoring performance in World Cup history. But, hey, that’s exactly why we all love football, isn’t it?
This was Russia’s first World Cup since the fall of the Soviet Union three years earlier and took on Cameroon needing a big win, plus other results to go their way to qualify for the knockouts and Oleg Salenko emphatically saw that they delivered on the first front. The then-Dynamo Kyiv striker opened his account that afternoon with a simple side-footed goal after 15 minutes, before springing the Cameroon offside trap for an easy second. His hat-trick came courtesy of a penalty, before blasting home a pull-back just inside the area.
He saved his best until last, dinking the ball over Jacques Songo’o who was rushing out of his goal to complete his five-goal haul, a feat unmatched before or after in the World Cup. He then even threw in an assist as Russia sealed a 6-1 win, with the Cameroon strike seeing Roger Milla extend his record as the tournament’s oldest-ever goalscorer.
Despite the fireworks from their No.9, the victory was not enough to see Russia progress and somewhat incredibly, Salenko would never play another minute of international football. Talk about going out on a high...
78. Mark Viduka: Leeds United against Liverpool (Premier League, 2000)
The domestic high-point of Leeds United’s ‘living the dream’ era saw Australian striker Mark Viduka announce his Premier League arrival by putting a very good Liverpool side who would end the season with three trophies to the sword at Elland Road.
Leeds’ summer signing began to stir after his side fell 2-0 down inside 18 minutes, starting with an opportunist dinked finish, before levelling the score with a deft header. His hat-trick came courtesy of a sublime turn inside that box that Maradona would have been proud of, with his every touch of the ball inch-perfect to leave Patrick Berger and Markus Babbel flummoxed before firing past Sander Westerveld.
He would top this two minutes later, as his flawless first touch in the box gave him the time and space to lift the ball over Westerveld and past Jamie Carragher to win it for Leeds.
“I don’t think I had an exceptionally good game,” the ever-modest Viduka told Sky Sports in the tunnel following his four-goal haul. We respectfully disagree…
77. Robert Lewandowski: Bayern Munich against Wolfsburg (Bundesliga, 2015)
Bayern Munich headed into halftime of their home clash with Wolfsburg staring down the barrel of an embarrassing defeat in front of their own fans. Robert Lewandowski was swiftly introduced to try and turn the tides for the most dominant side in German history and took just six minutes to do so.
What followed was one of the most remarkable feats of goalscoring excellence ever witnessed as the Polish international grabbed five goals in just nine minutes to put Bayern 5-1 up on the hour mark.
Left foot, right foot, close range, long distance, volleys and acrobatics - this display had it all. If he wasn’t already, this showing cemented the striker’s name in Bundesliga and European footballing history
76 and 75. Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano: Real Madrid against Eintracht Frankfurt (European Cup, 1960)
There have only ever been four hat-tricks in men’s European Cup or Champions League finals, and two of them came in thumping 7-3 win courtesy of Di Stefano and Puskas (who got four goals, and then added another hat-trick in the 1962 final).
Already well-established as the dominant force of European football, Puskas and Di Stefano made a European Cup final look like child’s play at Hampden, repeatedly making a very talented Eintracht Frankfurt side look like absolute chumps… despite going behind in the 18th minute. By the time the Germans got their second, Real Madrid already had a five goal lead, which they restored just moments later as Di Stefano completed his treble.
No other side has ever scored so many in a European Cup or Champions League final.
74. Erling Haaland: Manchester City against Manchester United (Premier League, 2022)
Many players would be overwhelmed by shouldering the pressure of their first Manchester derby following a big-money move, but not Erling Haaland. The striker made yet another brutal statement of intent on his way to a record-breaking debut campaign at the Etihad against Manchester United.
The towering Norwegian opened his account towards the end of the first half, nodding in to convert a delightful Kevin De Bruyne delivery before doubling his tally on the stretch to convert another De Bruyne cross just three minutes later.
Not satisfied with his afternoon’s work, he then turned provider for Phil Foden to put City 4-0 at half time. He swept up his hat trick in typical clinical style midway through the second half before providing Foden with another assist for his hat-trick to complete a six-goal rout late on.
73. Lothar Matthaus: West Germany against Yugoslavia (World Cup, 1990)
A midfielder who was just good at every role he was given, Matthaus was the West Germany’s captain and star player on their way to glory at Italia 90 right from their very first game of the tournament.
Matthaus got two goals from outside the box, one on either foot, first turning away from a defender to find the bottom corner with his left. For Germany’s third in the 4-1 win, Matthaus carried the ball from his own half and skipped past Davor Jozic before spotting the bottom corner and smashing home from 28 yards
72. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer: Manchester United against Nottingham Forest (Premier League, 1999)
The term super-sub has become synonymous with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over time, and no performance warranted the title quite like his showing at the City Ground.
Introduced as a second-half substitute, Solskjaer took no time to get himself on the scoresheet just eight minutes after his introduction, sweeping home a delightful Gary Neville delivery.
He had his hat trick just 11 minutes later, before rounding off an 8-1 thrashing in stoppage time grabbing four and breaking a Premier League record for the most goals ever scored by a substitute in a match, a record which still stands alone to this day.
71. Cammy Bell: Dundee United against Dunfermline (Scottish Championship, 2016)
You probably need to ask some questions of your team’s discipline when giving away three penalties in the first half, but then again, if you’ve got Cammy Bell between the sticks, it’ll probably be alright anyway.
Three times Dunfermline had a chance from the spot, and three times Bell got his hand to the effort, ensuring his side went in 1-0 up at the break and undoubtedly being the key factor in Dundee United’s ultimate 3-1 win.
If hat-tricks exist for goalkeepers, it feels like this is probably the definition, but the “Hatrick Bruce Building Services” visible on the advertising hoardings behind does still feel a bit on the nose.
Dunfermline even tried three different takers on the day – sometimes, there’s just no way past.
70. Lionel Messi: Argentina against Croatia (World Cup, 2022)
You’ve had a great tournament, with pundits and fans alike raving about your abilities and where your next big move might be. That is, until Lionel Messi turns you inside out, running half the length of the pitch with you chasing after him like a dog desperate for their owner’s attention.
That’s how Josko Gvardiol must have felt in the 69th minute of Croatia’s 3-0 defeat to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup semi-final. In an expert display of his immeasurable dribbling skills, Messi then showed his presence of mind to set Julian Alvarez up for his second goal of the game - after he had already bagged a first-half penalty in emphatic style.
69. Karim Benzema: Real Madrid against Paris Saint-Germain (Champions League, 2022)
Bang. Bang. Bang. That’s the devastation Karim Benzema inflicted upon PSG at the Bernabeu in March 2022. With the French side having extended their advantage in the tie to two goals, Real looked down and buried. Step forward, talismanic captain, Benzema.
His smart closing down on Gianluigi Donnarumma swiftly saw Vinicius Jr set him up for the first goal, before Luka Modric slid the ball through the eye of the needle to set up his second a quarter-of-an-hour later. PSG were rattled, and Benzema duly took advantage. Latching onto a loose ball from the kick-off, he poked a ball into the corner of the goal to cap a fine hat-trick and send Real Madrid into the quarter-finals of that year’s Champions League.
68. Michel Platini: France against Belgium (European Championship, 1984)
The best player in the world at the time and right at the peak of his powers, Platini ran the show for a dominant France at Euro 1984 with nine goals, including two back-to-back in the group stage.
The first came in a 5-0 win over neighbouring Belgium, who quickly resorted to simply kicking him as much and as often as possible. It didn’t work: Platini not only caused Belgium constant problems with his all-round play, but grabbed a perfect hat-trick of left-foot, right foot, header.
The midfielder smashed home left-footed from outside the box after a free kick had cannoned back off the crossbar, converted a penalty right-footed after being scythed down by the goalkeeper, then completed his hat-trick and France’s rout by heading home off the post.
67. Erling Haaland: Norway against Honduras (U20 World Cup, 2019)
Everyone knows Erling Haaland is a menacing goal machine, with most sides in the Premier League having experienced the Norwegian’s wrath. But none have been subjected to something quite as horrific as the Honduras U20 side in 2019, as Haaland bagged nine times. Yes. Nine.
In what is now a scary foreshadowing of the trajectory of his career, Haaland plunders goal after goal against the unfortunate Central American side, with each of his finishes as clinical and delivered with such unerring accuracy as we have become accustomed to.
66. Roberto Baggio: Italy against Bulgaria (World Cup, 1994)
This entertaining game boasted the top three players from the 1994 Ballon d’Or. Although Hristo Stoichkov eventually claimed that prize, Bulgaria were knocked out by an Italy side boasting Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio.
The Divine Ponytail was majestic that summer, creating and scoring at a remarkable rate. He grabbed both goals here to put the Azzurri in control against staunch opposition and earn them a place in the final.
For his first, Baggio wriggled away from two tackles and curled the ball into the corner from just outside the box. His second was a smart half-volley expertly angling away from the goalkeeper. Stoichkov pulled one back but Bulgaria couldn’t recover.
65. Lionel Messi: Barcelona against Bayern Munich (Champions League, 2015)
Champions League semi-finals don’t come much bigger than Barcelona vs Bayern Munich, and 2015 was no exception. The famous ‘MSN’ front line was in full flow ready to go head to head with one of the most formidable defences on the planet.
It was Messi, as it so often is, who stole the show on the night. A tense affair remained goalless with 15 minutes to go until Barcelona’s number ten received the ball on the edge of the area, shifted onto his left and fired a low rocket into the near post, racing past Manuel Neuer before he could get down to stop it.
Minutes later, the Argentine was at it again, this time going one-on-one with Jerome Boateng, arguably the world best defender. Scurrying towards the penalty area, Messi jinked inside and quickly out again leaving the German defender flat on his face as the ball was majestically lifted over Neuer and into the next.
Yet another timeless goal in an untouchable collection for the world’s greatest-ever player.
64. Harry Kane: Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City (Premier League, 2022)
Runaway Premier League leaders looked set to extend their nine-point league at the top of the Premier League as a struggling Tottenham side arrived at the Etihad having won just four games away from home all season.
However, momentum quickly shifted in the visitors' favour as a pinpoint pass from Harry Kane played almost blind behind the defence for Son resulted in an early lead against the run of play. Normality was quickly restored as the reigning Champions grabbed an equaliser shortly after, before Kane again took centre stage, timing his run to perfection he met Heung-Min Son’s delivery on the volley firing into the top corner.
The hosts then appeared to have salvaged a point after Riyad Mahrez converted a stoppage-time penalty at the end of the game before the Spurs saviour once again provided a moment of magic.
A clipped ball from Kulesevski floated across the face of goal to be met by an onrushing Kane who nipped in ahead of compatriot Kyle Walker to power a header past Ederson, securing the most dramatic of victories for Tottenham.
63. Tino Asprilla: Newcastle United against Barcelona (Champions League, 1997)
Fans dream of seeing their local side take on European giants under the floodlights of their own stadium; Barcelona’s visit to St James’ Park fit the bill entirely.
Luis Figo captained a Barca side containing names like Rivaldo and Luis Enrique, but it was Tino Asprilla who would steal the limelight. He baited goalkeeper Ruud Hesp into tripping him in the box, before converting the spot-kick.
That would have been enough to dine out on, but he rose above the pack to meet a Keith Gillespie header for his second and repeated the trick on the other side of half-time.
Late goals from Enrique and Figo will have set Geordie nerves jittering, but they held out until the final whistle, sealing a legendary tale to tell for years to come.
62. Arjen Robben: Netherlands vs Spain (World Cup 2014)
Robin van Persie may have been the literal flying Dutchman against Spain in 2014, thanks to his mesmeric diving header, but Arjen Robben epitomised everything about the term.
Bamboozling one of the greatest-ever centre-back partnerships of Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique, Robben’s first goal of the night came after a sharp run in behind saw him picked out by Wesley Sneijder. After some excellent control, the forward’s hunger proved more than Ramos as he slotted past Iker Casillas. The second, though, provided the real wow factor.
With Ramos given a full six-yard headstart on the halfway line, Robben proceeded to burn past him just 20 metres later, take the ball past him, sit Casillas down on three occasions before then firing the ball into the back of the Spain net to make the game 5-1.
61. Joe Bambrick: Ireland against Wales (Friendly, 1930)
Getting a hat-trick in an international game is a feat players will talk about for the rest of their life, getting two in one game is something few can speak of.
But Joe Bambrick can; he netted six goals in Ireland’s 7-0 win over Wales back in 1930.
Still to this day, the most goals scored in a single game by any British player in an international game, and it made up half of his own personal record, netting 12 in the 11 games he played for Ireland throughout his career.
60. Petr Cech: Chelsea against Bayern Munich (Champions League, 2012)
“Petr Cech is sitting with me at doping control. He’s completely shy, reserved, and he eventually says to me ‘Hey, what was with the penalty?’. I look at him and say: ‘Eh?’. Then he says to me, ‘You wanted to shoot towards the other corner first. You totally confused me. I knew you were going for the other corner. He pretty much said what happened. That’s brutal. That made me realise again what a great goalkeeper he is, who also read the players and the players’ body language.”
And that’s coming from Mario Gomez, who actually scored – just – in Bayern’s penalty shootout defeat in the 2012 Champions League final.
In an immense performance, goalkeeper had already saved an Arjen Robben spot kick in extra time to get Chelsea there, then dove the right way for each and every one of Bayern’s five penalties. After being narrowly unable to deny Philipp Lahm, Gomez and Manuel Neuer, Cech saved from Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger, allowing Didier Drogba to step up and score the winner.
59. Zinedine Zidane: France against Brazil (World Cup, 1998)
The 1998 World Cup final had a near-perfect set-up. Hosts France were looking to win the tournament for the first time and had called on a squad of players with grounds from all corners of the planet. They were up against the defending champions Brazil who were able to call upon a 21-year-old Ronaldo, who was one of the most exciting talents to emerge in recent years and had netted four times on the way to the final.
But confusion reigned shortly before kickoff, as Ronaldo’s name was omitted from the Brazil teamsheet, only for him to be reinstated shortly after. It would later emerge he suffered a fit and had spent three hours that afternoon in hospital.
France clearly benefitted from Brazil’s chaotic build-up to kick-off and it was Zinedine Zidane who pulled the strings. The Juventus star was at the heart of everything the hosts were creating and put Less Bleus ahead just before the half-hour mark, heading in an Emmanuel Petit corner.
It was that same combination that put France 2-0 up in first-half stoppage time, with Zidane this time putting his header through the legs of Roberto Carlos. Petit sealed the win when he scored with the last kick of the game, but it was Zidane’s final, with the midfielder cementing national hero status and even receiving the Legion of Honour later that year.
58. Ronaldinho: Barcelona against Chelsea (Champions League, 2005)
Prior to a first leg against Barcelona in 2005, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho took the liberty of announcing not just his starting XI, but his counterpart Frank Rijkaard’s, too. The omniscient Portuguese super-villain backed up the bravado, too, with an aggregate win at Stamford Bridge, later succumbing to Luis Garcia’s ghost goal.
But really, the second leg wasn’t Jose’s or Chelsea’s or anyone in blue’s: it was Ronaldinho’s, even in defeat. It was his from the moment he received the ball on the D, stopped, swaggered and poked the ball with the outside of his foot, no backlift or follow-through, through the eye of a needle. Petr Cech stood helpless. The Bridge fell silent.
As was so often the case in his career, the Brazilian was the standout genius. That night in London, he led the charge, did things no one else could and found ways to puncture arguably one of the best teams of all time in a way that only he could ever conjure. And not even Jose could see it coming.
57. Paolo Rossi: Italy against Brazil (World Cup, 1982)
Everyone loves a comeback story and few in football history match up to Paolo Rossi’s 1982 World Cup redemption arc.
Two years before the tournament in Spain, the Italy striker had been implicated in the Totnero betting scandal and was banned for three years. He would miss the 1980 European Championship, but after seeing his ban reduced by a year, was able to return in time for the World Cup.
After a slow start to the tournament for both Rossi and the Italy team, the Azzurri overcame Argentina in the second group stage to set up a clash against what was considered one of the best-ever Brazilian sides, featuring the likes of Zico, Socrates and Falcao, for a place in the semi-finals.
Rossi started as he meant to go on, opening the scoring after five minutes with a header. Brazil soon levelled, but Rossi doubled his tally with a drilled shot on 25 minutes, only for the South Americans to again come back after the break. Rossi would complete his hat-trick in the 74th minute when he latched onto a poor clearance and gave Italy the lead for the third time, with Brazil unable to come back again.
It was one of the best matches in World Cup history and Rossi was the main protagonist, earning the nickname of ‘the executioner’ in Brazil, who dubbed the defeat ‘the Sarria Tragedy’. Rossi would go on to win the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball, as Italy won the tournament.
56. Toni Turek: West Germany against Hungary (World Cup Final, 1954)
Difficult as it might be to imagine West Germany going into a game with Hungary as plucky underdogs, that was certainly the case here. Against all the odds, the Miracle of Bern ensued, owing much to the goalkeeping heroics of Toni Turek.
He was beaten twice early on, as Hungary raced into a 2-0 lead, before Max Morlock and Helmut Rahn levelled the scores. Turek then came into his own, denying the prolific trio of Ferenc Puskas, Nandor Hidegukti and Sandor Kocsis with some spectacular saves.
The Magyars’ golden generation were repelled by Turek time and again as the final wore on. Rahn eventually made them pay with an unexpected late winner.
55. Serge Gnabry: Bayern Munich against Tottenham Hotspur (Champions League, 2019)
It's never been confirmed by Serge Gnabry whether his ‘stirring the pot’ celebration is has anything to do with infamous criticisms from one-time boss Tony Pulis that he couldn't cope with the intensity of English football. Couldn't hack it? He owned these shores for one night in 2019.
Mauricio Pochettino’s job was on a cliff-edge before Gnabry gave the Argentine an almighty 300 kick in the second half. The former Arsenal man was effervescent, constantly looking to stretch a beleaguered Spurs backline every time he received the ball: he could ride challenges, he could evade them altogether. He didn’t waste the ball once, cutting inside to bury his first on 53 minutes, before doubling his tally with a first-time shot on his weaker left foot two minutes later.
By the time Gnabry completed his hat-trick seven minutes from time, Tottenham had been handed a lesson in directness, audacity and sheer power from the forward. He had time for a fourth, too: north London was red, all right, and perhaps Pulis was, too.
54. Eric Cantona: Manchester United against Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, 1993)
Old Trafford saw Eric Cantona at his sparkling best against Tottenham Hotspur in 1993 as he put on a creative masterclass in behind the striker.
The Frencham created chance after chance without reward before taking matters into his own hands, looping an inch-perfect header back across goal to give the Red Devils the lead.
He continued to offer an attacking threat following the goal, eventually finding Dennis Irwin with an exquisite first-time pass with the outside of his foot to make it 2-0 and effectively seal the victory. United would go on to win 4-1, but it was Cantona who made the headlines. He had arrived.
53. Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid (Champions League, 2017)
It was deemed to be his competition for a reason. Cristiano Ronaldo simply was the Champions League, as synonymous with those operatic swirls as the star ball itself.
His treble against Atletico Madrid in 2017 just one of several humblings of Los Blancos' local rivals over the years from CR7, but by no means any less special than any other. He nodded Real ahead within 10 mnutes, and despite Diego Simeone's side withstanding significant pressure until the 73rd minute, eventually succumbed to two more swings of Ronaldo's right boot.
He may be the greatest goalscorer of all time – and on this showing, who's to say he's not?
52. Dennis Bergkamp: Arsenal against Leicester City (Premier League, 1997)
Bergkamp was possibly never better at showing off every string he had to his bow than on this occasion at Filbert Street, where he netted a brilliant hat-trick and created multiple other chances for teammates that were put to waste in a 3-3 draw.
His hat-trick started with an sumptuously unstoppable curling strike to the far top corner from outside the box off a short corner, followed by an opportunistic run through the middle after sending his defender in completely the wrong direction with a brilliant first touch. But that was nothing compared with his third: Bergkamp flicked up a raking pass into the box with his right foot, then juggled it with his left to send his marker sprawling the wrong way and give him just the keeper to beat.
51. Jan Tomaszewski: Poland against England (World Cup qualifier, 1973)
Brian Clough infamously called him ‘a clown’ in the lead up to this crucial World Cup qualifier, but it was Tomaszewski who had the last laugh, restricting England to a 1-1 draw at Wembley.
The home side needed to beat Poland in order to reach the tournament at their expense but they were repeatedly foiled by an unorthodox goalkeeper in outstanding form. An injured hand, caused by his own ill-advised decision to roll out in range of Allan Clarke, didn’t deter him.
Tomaszewski was busy all game – clawing the ball away from danger, tipping it over the bar and coming out to deal with a bombardment of crosses – and only once beaten by Clarke’s penalty.
