5 times legendary footballers choked on the grandest stage

Legendary footballers are often seen in a perfect light, just like the superhero characters you watch in modern-day sci-fi movies. The unfair expectations aren't surprising though, considering the countless number of times these players have stepped up to decide the fate of important games with their magical abilities.

What many overlook, however, is that these legendary footballers are mere humans like us and naturally have their off days. It goes without saying that there are certain moments in which our most reverred superstars fail to find their mojo and it often tells on the overall performance of the team.

To add more context, it is worth noting some of these moments come up on the grandest stages, where these players have all eyes on them for inspiration. In this article, we'll take a look at five such moments when legendary footballers choked on the biggest stages.

#5 Bastian Schweinsteiger vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League final, 2012)

A costly miss from the legendary Bayern Munich midfielder

The 2012 Champions League final turned out to be a closely-fought encounter between Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Both teams brought out their absolute best as they fought for the European crown.

As always, the German giants attacked ruthlessly, with their Premier League counterparts producing a defensive masterclass to match their offensive strength. The game took off in the closing 10 minutes as both clubs scored once each to drag it into extra-time. With nothing separating them in extra-time, the game headed into a penalty shootout.

The decisive moment came as both sides were tied at 3-3 in the shootout. All eyes were on Bastian Schweinsteiger as he stepped forward to take Bayern's last kick in the shootout. Unfortunately, the midfielder sent the ball crashing against the goalpost, after which Didier Drogba scored Chelsea's last effort to ensure the Blues won.

#4 John Terry vs Manchester United (UEFA Champions League final, 2008)

The legendary Chelsea defender failed to convert from the spot

Former Chelsea defender John Terry is another legendary footballer who choked on the grandest stage. The Englishman was the villain as the Blues lost the Champions League final to Manchester United in the final of the 2008 edition.

The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. With nothing separating the two sides in extra-time, Chelsea and Manchester United locked horns in a penalty shootout to decide the winner.

Things looked set to go in Chelsea's favor as Manchester United scored three of their first four kicks while the Blues scored all four of theirs. All the Londoners needed at that moment to win the crown was to score their fifth penalty kick.

John Terry stepped up to take the decisive penalty but slipped as he kicked the ball, sending it crashing against the goalpost. Chelsea were made to pay the price for the legendary defender's miss. Manchester United scored their next two kicks, and the Blues missed once to end up on the losing side.

#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.