5 times legendary footballers choked on the grandest stage

#3 Zinedine Zidane vs Italy (FIFA World Cup final, 2006)

Arguably the worst moment in the career of the legendary Frenchman

Zinedine Zidane was the standout performer for France at the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament in Germany. The legendary midfielder gave one spectacular performance after another as he drove his nation into the final of the competition.

It was a huge fixture between Les Bleus and Italy in the competition's decider. A lot was expected from the clash and it didn't disappoint. Zidane made the first impact in the game, firing France ahead from the spot as early as the seventh minute before Marco Materazzi restored parity 12 minutes later.

Both sides were locked at 1-1 at full-time and nothing could separate them after the first half of extra-time. Then came an unfortunate controversial moment involving Zidane. The legendary Frenchman was sent off after being caught headbutting Materazzi with just 10 minutes to conclude the extra-time.

He was sent off as a result, killing his team mentally. The match ended in a penalty shootout, with Italy coming out on top with a 5-3 scoreline.

#2 Lionel Messi vs Chile (Copa America final, 2016)

The legendary Argentine retired from international football shortly after this setback

All eyes were on Lionel Messi to win his first major international trophy with Argentina as they clashed with Chile in the 2016 Copa America final. The game headed into a penalty shootout as both sides kept each other at bay across 120 minutes.

Messi took a bold step by taking Argentina's first kick but was left heartbroken as his effort went over the bar. His team couldn't make up for it and were beaten 4-2 in the shootout. The pain of losing his fourth final with his nation was too much for the legendary playmaker to bear and he broke down into tears.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Barcelona (UEFA Champions League final, 2009)

Another legendary player who choked on the grandest stage

Cristiano Ronaldo led Manchester United as they clashed with Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League final. Apart from the weight of the European crown, the Portuguese also had a point to prove to his eternal rival Lionel Messi and had all eyes on him.

Unfortunately, the Red Devils played catch-up to the Liga giants throughout the encounter, with Ronaldo failing to influence the game. To make matters worse, Messi scored Barca's second goal of the night with an unbelievable header to secure a 2-0 victory for his side.