Top 10 greatest individual performances in football

Football is a team game with a great emphasis on the collective. But even the best teams sometimes get stuck in a turgid stupor, even the greatest collective units needmoments of individual brilliance and this is when the champions step up, as theygrabthe match by the scruff of itsneck and wranglea result out of it. Heres a celebration ofsome of the greatest individual performances in the history of football, encompassing brilliant displays at the best club and national competitions (by no means is this list definitive, feel free to add your own favourite one-man hero performance in the comments)Note: Performances are in chronological order and not ranked

#1 Garrincha Brazil vs. England, World Cup QF, 1962

Pele is considered by many as the greatest who has ever played the game, but some old-timers say that he isn’t even the greatest Brazil has produced. And the reason for that argument, ludicrous as it sounds to us today, is Manuel Francisco dos Santos, or simply, Garrincha.

In the insanely rough 1962 World Cup (which saw the infamous Battle of Santiago between Italy and the hosts, Chile), Pele got injured in the second match against the USSR and was ruled out for the entire tournament . It didn’t matter much as a Selecao rode on the little bow-legged genius of Garrincha as he twisted and turned defenders inside out at will and rampaged through the tournament, scoring and creating goals at will.

His genius manifested itself on the ground in the most crowd pleasing manner possible - in a crucial match against Spain in the group stages, Garrincha raced down the right, beating one defender and then paused – when the defender he had beaten charged back to correct his mistake, he beat him again and then delivered a pin point cross for Amarildo to score the winner. That was classical Garrincha, supreme self-confidence fused with awes-inspiring skill helping him to make the ball talk while he toyed with defenders in a way only he could.

In truth, his performances through the entire tournament were incredible, but the best of all came against England in the quarterfinal. The man they called Algeria do Povo (People’s Joy) was at the height of his amazing footballing powers that afternoon, as he opened the scoring with a header off a corner and then smashed a shot which rebounded off the keeper and straight into the welcoming feet of the ever deadly Vava. Brazil’s third and Garrincha’s second was an absolute screamer, as he sent a curved ‘banana shot’ right into the bottom corner of the net. Garrincha was teaching the inventors of the beautiful game, just how well the game could be played.

The match ended 3-1, Garrincha would go on to score two more against Chile in the semifinal and would star as always in the victory over Czechoslovakia as Brazil marched onto their second (consecutive) world cup victory. Garrincha, the undoubted star of the tournament, was a World Champion once again.

The universal acclaim of the great man was typified by this headline in a Chilean newspaper – El Mercurio, which read - “What planet is Garrincha from?”

#2 Diego Maradona - Argentina vs. Belgium, World Cup SF, 1986

In arguably the greatest ever individual performance seen at an international sporting competition, Diego Armando Maradona almost single-handedly led Argentina on a majestic march through the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

And the highlight of his tournament was the immense display he put in against a pretty good Belgium outfit in the semifinals. The match before, against England, had defined the greatness of Maradona as he scored two of the most talked about goals in the history of football – the notorious and blatantly illegal “Hand of God” and what has been hailed as the greatest goal ever scored by anyone, anywhere- a virtuoso solo effort that saw the great man dribbling past five defenders and the goalkeeper.

Against Belgium, he was at the top of his game, as he controlled the game from midfield in a way very few have been able to match – spraying pin-point passes and dribbling past opponents at will. Although relatively quiet in the first half, the second half saw Belgium bear the full brunt of Diego Maradona’s irresistible force as he raced onto a wonderful Jose Burruchaga pass and finished with the most delightful little lob over the goalkeeper to open the scoring.

A few minutes later, he received the ball just outside the penalty box and as he set off on one of his trademark runs, there were four defenders that stood between him and the goalkeeper – none of them stood a chance. It was an amazing goal by the magician, as Argentina comfortably won the match 2-0.

In the final against Germany, Lothar Matthaus shackled Maradona well enough to stop him from scoring, but one moment of magic was enough as he played the brilliant through ball that Burrachaga would go on to convert as Argentina lifted the World Cup for the second time.Maradona had sealed his place in the pantheons of fame as one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of football boots.

#3 Franco Baresi - Italy vs. Brazil, World Cup Final 1994

Think Italian football, and the mind almost automatically brings back images of Claudio Gentile and Marco Materazzi, more hatchet men than football players, who would use all means necessary to ensure the forwards never got the better of them. The thing is however, that such rough styles of defending was never the norm in Italy. Defending was revered as an art , a skill that was as tough to master as the flashier attacking ones. Defence, could be beautiful.

And nobody, defended more beautifully than the legendary Franco Baresi. Although physically small and frail compared to the tradition of big, strong centre-backs, Baresi was without equal for both country and club (A.C.Milan). He had been selected in the squad but had not played in Italy’s historic 1982 triumph and he had never quite replicated his domestic success on the world stage. The 1994 World Cup in USA was to be the great dons’s last great hurrah in the Azzuri jersey.

Unfortunately, an injury to the meniscus in Italy’s second group match against Norway kept him out of the Azzuri’s Roberto Baggio inspired run into the final where they were to meet the rampant Brazilians led by the irresistible and incredibly lethal pairing of Romario and Bebeto.

With the key defensive stalwarts Costacurta and Tassoti not playing in the final, it was vital for Italy that their captain returned – and he did. Like a hero from a greek ballad, Baresi somehow managed to recover from the painful injury in time to get into the starting line-up. Baresi, now slower than he used to be, used his superior technical ability and almost supernatural ability to read the game (playing alongside a young but brilliant Paolo Maldini) as he effectively kept the deadly duo quite. Romario, at the time, was the best attacker on the planet with speed, power and unbelievable skill on the ball, and Baresi had made him look like a school child who was playing with grown men.

This was all a chess game for the great man, a chess game in which he knew what was happening several moves in advance. The match remained scoreless till extra-time, as he ensured Italy’s vaunted rear-guard remained impenetrable. Like a true greek ballad, however, Baresi’s fairytale would become a tragedy as he missed his penalty kick in the ensuing shootout and with Baggio and Massaro missing too, Brazil emerged victorious.

The fall at the end however took nothing away from the bravery and majesty of Baresi’s display as he battled his own body and the best attackers in the world to ensure that his team stayed in with a fighting chance, proving that you didn’t need to score, or even create a goal, to dominate a match completely.

#4 Roy Keane - Manchester United vs. Juventus, Champions League SF, 1999

Very few players have ever grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck and shaken a result out of it like the legendary Irishman, Roy Keane. And at the formidable Stadio Del Appi against one of the greatest club sides ever, Keane put in a display of bravado and determination , the likes of which had rarely been seen on a football pitch. Having conceded a crucial away goal at Old Trafford, Manchester United needed a positive result in Turin, but when they conceded two quick goals in the opening half and all looked lost. They were now staring defeat in the eye, it seemed the thirty year old wait for European glory would have to continue.

However, cometh the hour, cometh the man; as Keane put in an absolutely brilliant display as he bend the match to obey his will. While the united Captain is known today as an effective destructive agent, flying into tackles and disrupting the opponents’ best moves, his offensive game was arguably more influential than his defensive one.

And this oft overlooked facet of the great man’s career was on display that historic night, as his rhythmic, metronomic passing and non-stop movement pushed Juventus futher back and pulled United further forward as they epitomized the spirit of “never give up” that would define their 1998-99 season. Fittingly, it was his header from a corner that opened United’s account on the night and his steely-eyed determination and incessant passing saw United break Juve’s back as they pumped in two more goals to seal a epochal victory. Sadly, Keane was shown a yellow card shortly after scoring and this meant he sat out the grand final victory at the Camp Nou.

That night in Turin, however, will always be remembered for the masterful display of willpower and skill – a true captain’s display – from one of the greatest midfield generals ever.

#5 Rivaldo - Barcelona vs. Valencia, La Liga, 2001

There has never been a more infuriating footballer than Rivaldo Vitor Borba Ferreira. Oscillating between epic madness, cinematic drama and pure genius, Rivaldo was one of the greatest footballers ever to don the canry yellow of Brazil and the equally famous Blue and Red of Barcelona.

It was his five years at Barca, that truly showcased the unbelievable talent of Rivaldo and the height of that epic spell was hit on the 17th of June, 2001. Barcelona having suffered an abysmal season was two points adrift of the final Champions League spot and with their opponents that night, Valencia, needing only a draw to seal the spot, the onus was well and truly on Barcelona to attack.

And boy! did they attack! the magical left foot of Rivaldo doing things only it could. A perfect free kick was curled in from twenty two yards and after Ruben Baraja equalized, he drove in a fierce shot that had the Valencia keeper, Santiago Canizares, staring open-mouthed. Baraja equalized again with a wonderful goal, but this night belonged to one man.

With a little under 90 seconds to go, Rivaldo received a pass at the edge of the penalty box with the goal at his back. Now most footballers would have controlled the ball and looked to create some sort of opening, or more likely pass to a better placed teammate. Rivaldo, however was not quite like most other footballers. Controlling the ball perfectly on his chest, he did the most unexpectedly glorious thing ever - execute a perfect overhead kick.

As the ball nestled in the bottom left corner of the goal, the Valencia players slumped to their knees, dazed at the stupendous outrageousness of it all. The Barcelona players, and the roaring thousands in the Nou Camp looked equally dazed (albeit deliriously happy) - Rivaldo had produced one of the most magical one-man performances the world had ever seen and had sealed it with one of the greatest hat-tricks of all time.

#6 Thierry Henry vs. Internazionale, Champions League Group Stages, 2003

The San Siro, home to the legendary Milan sides – Internazionale and A.C., was one of the most formidable stadiums to play in for an away team, with the fanatic support and brilliant footballers on display for the home side. Inter were a great unit and with a defence that could boast the likes of Ivan Cordoba, the immortal Javier Zanetti, Fabio Cannavaro and Marco Materazzi and a brilliant goalkeeper in Francesco Toldo, their traditionally strong defence looked as impregnable as ever.

In the winter of 2003, however, that image would lay scattered in the wind, their defence having been shattered into a million pieces by a truly remarkable exhibition of the attacking prowess of Thierry Henry – Henry was the sharp ended tip of the deadly spear that was the Arsenal team of the early 2000s. His almost unbelievable pace (many a offside was wrongly called because the referees couldn’t believe he could have reached the ball if hadn’t been in an offside position), deadly finishing and exemplary decision making abilities all contributed toward making Henry one of the deadliest forwards in the world.

Against Inter, Henry ripped through the defence like a hot knife through melting butter, starting off the scoring spree with a typical finish – opening up his body and curling the ball into the far corner after exchanging passes with Ashley Cole. He then turned provider with his perfectly paced cross from the left met by a flying Freddie Ljunberg as Arsenal doubled their lead. Henry then squandered a glorious opportunity to double his tally when with just Toldo to beat, he opted to try and find a teammate.He made amends soon after though with a splendid solo effort, beating the Inter offside trap, racing away from Zanetti and co. and beating Toldo from a narrow angle.

The funny thing is that, even though Inter lost 5-1, their defence had done little wrong – no defender on the planet could have stood up to Thierry Henry that night and come up on top. His pace, power,skill and ruthlessness making this one of the most complete attacking displays ever.

#7 Ronaldo - Real Madrid vs. Manchester United,Champions League QF, 2003

Not many opposition players get standing ovations at Manchester United, so when an opposition’s striker gets one, you know you have been witness to something rather special. Carrying over a commanding 3-1 lead from the first leg in the Berenbau, Real Madrid were in a comfortable position heading into the return leg.

And a glorious hattrick from Ronaldo sealed the deal at Old Trafford in a match that ended 4-3, a scoreline that suggested the match was closer than it had been.

Very few players have had the exhilarating combination of pace, power and pure technical ability and even fewer have been able to capitalize on it. Ronaldo was one of those very few, in the late nineties and early 2000s, he was inarguably the greatest striker playing the game. An out and out striker, he very rarely wasted his energy with tracking back and constant off the ball movement, he was in the team to score goals, and whenever he remained injury free, score he did. By the truckload.

Coming into the 2002-03 season, Ronaldo had exorcised his demons and had become a World Cup winner. That night at Old Trafford, he put on an exhibition of finishing that showed the world exactly why he is known as one of the greatest ever.

His first goal came after he raced onto a Guti through ball and in typical fashion, toe-punted in a quick, unexcpected bullet into the bottom corner. He doubled his tally soon after when he was at the right place at the right time (as he so often used to be) and swept home into an empty net after a glorious Galactico move. His final goal however, was all Ronaldo, as he received the ball twenty five yards from goal and let fly an absolute howitzer, which went past a stunned Barthez before he could even react properly.

Years before the Stretford End had even heard of Cristiano, a Ronaldo was applauded off by an admiring Old Trafford after a scintillating display where he had almost single handedly won the match for Real.

#8 Dietmar Hammann vs A.C. Milan, Champions League Final, 2005

The 2005 Final saw a brilliant A.C Milan outfit face up against a fighting Liverpool side – this was truly Goliath vs. David material; and the first half saw Goliath crushing David as he was supposed to. A scintillating display from the genius of Kaka, Andrea Pirlo and Hernan Crespo had seen Milan take what looked like an unassailable 3-0 lead.

What followed next stuck closer to the fairytale script of David’s famous triumph, as Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso scored to take the game to extra time. Liverpool won the match on penalties.Gerrard won most of the plaudits that night in Istanbul, and many still credit the miraculous comeback to him. But that wouldn’t be entirely true; because, although Gerrard did score the opening goal and win the penalty for Alonso’s equalizer, it was a second half substitute who truly swung the match Liverpool’s way.

Rafael Benitez is often pilloried for his selection choices, but atleast he had the bravery to admit that he got the combination wrong thatnight, and in the second half he introduced Dietmar Hamann to the fold. Kaka and Pirlo suddenly found that all the space that they had enjoyed to weave their magic was now disappearing and they were being incessantly closed down by a manic German who just would not give up. His long balls from deep in his own half also caused the solid but slightly slow Milanese central defensive pairing of Nesta and Stam innumerable problems throughout.

The archetypical midfield battler, Hamann had played a pivotal role in the campaign before anchoring the midfield in the absence of Gerrard against Bayer Leverkusen and providing some much needed grit and solidity to the middle of the park.In the Istanbul final, he played despite not having fully recovered from a toe fracture, and completely changed the balance of the game. His dominant midfield display was the single most important factor on which Liverpool built that miraculous comeback and the club and the sport will never forget his exploits that night.

He converted his penalty as well, to put the cherry on the cake, as he lifted the European Champions League Trophy high in the air, secure in the knowledge that he had been absolutely pivotal to the triumph.

#9 Ronaldinho - Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, La Liga, 2005

The only Barcelona player to ever have been accorded a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu in the long and storied history of El Classico had been Diego Maradona. That is, until the November of 2005, when Ronaldinho Gaucho produced what was undoubtedly one of the greatest sporting performances of the modern era.

The genius of Ronaldinho - the unpredictability, the supernatural dribbling skills, the magical swivel of the hips – was all compounded by the fact that he always looked like a school boy enjoying a game with his friends in the backyard on a weekend. In an era of growing cynicsm, pragmatism, violence and ugly gamesmanship, Ronaldinho stood head and shoulders above everyone. And he smiled! He smiled regardless of whether he had scored, missed, been fouled or substituted. Everyone loved him, how could we not? The man made playing football look like the most fun thing to do!That November night in Madrid, Ronaldinho put on a performance that had supporters and opponents alike enthralled.

His goals were magical, both times receiving the ball on the left, for the first he raced past Sergio Ramos with a nifty little dribble and moving past Ivan Helguera like he never even existed, he swept home an unstoppable curler past Iker Casillas and for the second demonstrating his samba skills, flummoxing Ramos again with a quick swivel of his hips and firing past Casillas.

Flummoxed was a word that was used a lot of times to describe the Madrid defence, as they tried to get to terms with what they were seeing. Barca destroyed Madrid, 3-0 and the Bernabeu faithful rose as one to show their appreciation for man responsible – the most magical artist the beautiful game has ever seen.

#10 Marta - Brazil vs. China, World Cup SF, 2007

When the world’s greatest player puts on a show of her magical abilities, it is almost impossible to stop her. Marta Viera da Silva is undoubtedly the greatest player to have ever played, in the women’s game.F Five consecutive Player of the Year awards stand testament to that statement.

Completely ambidextrous, the diminutive Brazilian was the total forward in her heyday, unstoppable willpower and unmatched technical abilty making her a joy to watch and to support. In the World cup of 2007, Brazil were up against the superpower of the women’s game, the USA, in the semifinals. Brazil had never made it past this stage since the inception of the tournament in 1991. But this year, their best player was in the form of her life.

Going back to an early own goal from a Marta corner, the USA never really got a foothold in the game, as moments later Marta cut in from the right and unleashed a ferocious left foot drive that arrowed into the bottom corner. In the second half, she would go on to set up Christiane and then after that, came the moment of the tournament. Receiving the ball on the left, she executed a delicious trick and turn which had the nearest defender totally bamboozled and then feinted expertly to send another defender careening in a completely different direction. She then proceeded to calmly slot home into the net. Brazil won 4-0 to enter their first ever world cup final.

Brazil would go onto lose to another superpower – Germany – but Marta had the tournament hers with that magically scintillating display against the US.