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Lionel Messi has the ability to step up on the biggest stages and be the difference maker for the team. That is what defines great players. That is why the Paris Saint-Germain attacker will always be ranked among the greatest players to ever grace the football pitch.
The Argentine has been a huge force to reckon with over the last two decades - proving to be a thorn in the side of many famous teams across club and international levels - with a number of unforgettable performances at the pinnacle of the game.
However, despite his greatness over the last couple of years, there have been a number of times when the tables have turned and Lionel Messi has found himself on the receiving end of such heroic displays orchestrated by other players. Whether with Barcelona or Argentina, the playmaker surely has memories of such days he will never forget.
In line with that, we take a look at five players who have managed to outperform the mercurial forward on the grandest stages.
#5 Miroslav Klose: Argentina 0-4 Germany (03-07-2010)
When Argentina and Germany clashed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals in South Africa in 2010, all eyes were on Lionel Messi to step up with another magical performance. However, it was former Bayern Munich striker Miroslav Klose who ended up stealing the spotlight.
The German international proved that his record as the all-time scorer of the tournament is no fluke by scoring two incredible goals to help his nation earn a 4-0 triumph over the South Americans, with Thomas Muller and Arne Friedriche also finding the back of the net.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo: Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid (26-02-2013)
The stage was set for a gargantuan clash as Barcelona and Real Madrid faced each other in the second leg of the 2013 Copa Del Rey semi-final. Apart from the significance of the El Clasico, the bitter rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo raised the stakes further.
On this night, it was the Portuguese who earned the bragging rights. Ronaldo got straight to business immediately after the game began, posing a constant threat to the opposition defense and was rewarded with a penalty kick in the 11th minute as Gerard Pique fouled him inside the box.
The Portuguese slotted home perfectly from the spot to give Los Blancos an early lead. He found the back of the net again shortly after the restart with a powerful left-footed shot and Raphael Varane added a third, rendering Jordi Alba's 89th minute effort a mere consolation for the Catalan giants.
#3 Gareth Bale: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona (16-04-2014)
The 2014 Copa Del Rey final was a historic one as it featured two bitter rivals, Real Madrid and Barcelona. As expected, all the attention was on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but it ended up producing a different hero - Gareth Bale.
The Welshman made his first impact of the game by having his hand in Real Madrid's opening goal at the 10th minute mark. He received the ball from Isco and sent a beautiful pass to Karim Benzema. The Frenchman tipped the ball to Angel Di Maria who finished off brilliantly.
With about 30 minutes left, Marc Batra equalized for Barcelona and it looked like the game would head into extra time but Gareth Bale happened again. The Welshman stepped up in the 84th minute to score one of the most iconic goals of his career. He received the ball around the halfway line, tipped it forward and outran Marc Batra before beating Pinto with a cool finish to secure the trophy for Los Blancos.
#2 Divock Origi: Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (07-05-2019)
Lionel Messi got the football world on its feet with a spectacular performance for Barcelona against Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash in 2019. The attacker dominated the headlines with his return of two goals and one assist in the Blaugrana's 3-0 victory at Camp Nou.
However, it was Divock Origi who eventually had the last laugh when the two sides met again for the reverse fixture at Anfield just a week later. Deployed as a surprise option in Liverpool's attack, the Belgian became a hero overnight, thanks to his decisive display in front of goal.
Origi launched a massive revival move at Anfield by opening the scoring in just seven minutes. Georginio Wijnaldum struck twice to level the tie at 3-3 as both sides struggled to find the decisive goal. Up stepped Origi again with a perfect shot from a clever Trent Alexandre-Arnold corner kick to hand Lionel Messi and co another capitulation in the European tournament.
#1 Kylian Mbappe: Barcelona 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain (16-02-2021)
This is the most recent account on the list. Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe also stole the shine from Lionel Messi when the two players clashed in the first leg of Barcelona and PSG's Champions League round of 16 clash earlier this year.
The Frenchman was a huge problem for the Catalan giants throughout the game, with his incredible pace and sharp dribbling skills proving too much for the opposition defense to handle.
Mbappe scored an amazing hat-trick to demolish Barca in front of their own fans, becoming one of the very few players to subject the Blaugrana to such a humiliation at their home ground.
