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You cannot tame your fate and destiny and bend them to your will the way you want. People have always said that success is a result of unmatched hard work and perseverance. But, does every single hard-working man on earth achieve what he wants? No.
Burning the midnight oil isn't the only act that will guarantee success; fate and destiny too, have a decisive role to play in whatever you achieve in your life.
That's the reason why some of the most famous footballers have been unable to win everything. They have, of course, a bunch of accolades to boast of, but some pieces of silverware have eluded them since times immemorial.
Does that mean they haven't worked hard enough? No. It's been a game of luck all the time.
On that note, let's have a look at the three unluckiest footballers of all time:
#3 Ronaldo
When a picture of the bald-headed Brazilian genius comes to your mind, you know you are looking at one of the greatest footballers ever to grace the game. However, only a few would agree if you claim him to be the greatest of all time.
Why so? The guy has won everything in football except the UEFA Champions League, and does the absence of that one piece of silverware harm his chances of being the greatest of all time? To some extent.
As a brilliant attacker, the former Real Madrid man had everything; he could dribble, shoot, beat defenders and score goals worth remembering. But, it's the injuries that have actually hampered his chances; the sole reason why he isn't quite viewed at the same line as Lionel Messi, Pele, Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Come to think of it, Ronaldo was feared by a great like Paolo Maldini and even lifted the Ballon d'Or at the tender age of 20. He was simply exceptional, there's no doubt about it, but, all the promise he showed was robbed from him after a knee-injury that hit him during his Inter Milan stint.
He did make a comeback in 2002, guiding his nation to the World Cup victory. But, he was completely a different player by then; the injuries hampering his longevity in the sport, thereby leaving him out of the bracket of the greatest footballers of all time.
There was nothing he or anyone could do about it. Solely luck playing its part.
#2 Marco Reus
Marco Reus is a brilliant playmaker, don't you think? The German has made quite a name for himself at Borussia Dortmund.
While he is a long way off from being considered as an all-time great, the question that really matters is, has he fulfilled his potential? Debatable.
Reus' talent as a footballer cannot be questioned, but it's true that being sidelined to the fringes frequently due to injuries has put him down as one of the greatest 'what ifs' of the current generation.
Destiny played a cruel game back in 2014 when he missed the entire World Cup due to an injury. He was one of Germany's best performers, registering 5 goals and 3 assists in 6 World Cup qualifying games. However, in another qualifying game vs Armenia where Die Roten trounced their opponents with a 6-1 victory, Reus was forced out due to an ankle injury.
He failed to make a complete recovery and wasn't able to contribute as his nation lifted the World Cup. As a result, in spite of his nation lifting the greatest football trophy in the world, the Borussia Dortmund man hasn't enjoyed the fate basking in the glory of a World Cup medal that is absent in his trophy cabinet.
Further, an injury in 2016 sidelined him for a total of 175 days, while another one in 2017 ruled him out for a total of 220 days. Since the start of 2018, Reus has suffered two injuries, missing a combined total of 7 games for Borussia Dortmund over a span of 50-odd days.
With recurring injury issues, Reus has seemingly never found stability in his career. For an extremely talented player, can he get unluckier than this?
#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
All his life, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been a man of his word. Few are capable of fulfilling every promise they have made, and the mighty Swede is a fine testament to such character.
Ibrahimovic's name has risen up amongst the most successful individuals in football who have won the most number of trophies. However, apart from the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League trophy has eluded the Swedish demi-god in a considerably cruel manner.
His search for a Champions League winners' medal might have ended after he joined LA Galaxy in the United States, although the gruesome tale of how he failed to lift Europe's biggest title at the club level is hardly forgettable.
Ibrahimovic left Inter Milan for Barcelona at the start of season 2009-10 in a swap deal involving Samuel Eto'o going in other direction. Inter Milan lifted the Champions League trophy in the same season. Bad luck?
Ibra then left Barca at the end of that season to join AC Milan. It was time for Guardiola's Barcelona to lift the famed trophy this time(season 2010-11), while Ibra once again remained nothing but a spectator of the show. Can fate be merciless than this now?
Notably, he did get a chance to lift the UEFA Europa trophy with Manchester United in 2017, but never the UEFA Champions League.
As tall as he stands with his individual and club-level achievements, so does he when it comes to being one of the unluckiest footballers ever.
