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There are many world-class stars who can't seem to play consistently in big games. They're brilliant players with the world at their feet, but when it all comes to pivotal moments that could change everything, they fail to turn up.
Perhaps the pressure from fans is quite massive, or maybe they can't seem to shut down their nerves. Whatever the issue, these players have gained a strong reputation for bottling up games.
One such example on the international stage is Gonzalo Higuain. In three finals for Argentina (one World Cup and two Copa Americas), the star lost all three. He has pulled off some rather glaring misses in the three finals, including a penalty kick in a shootout as well. It's oddly fitting that Argentina have now won a major trophy, having booted the MLS star out of the squad.
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On the other side of the spectrum are big-game players; world-class stars who can be relied upon to win the biggest games at crucial moments. They feel no overwhelming pressure from the magnitude of the event, as they're calm and collected throughout.
Whether it's in the final moments of a game or the very first minute, these stars only need an opportunity to make it count. They also show up consistently to cement their pedigree as big-game players.
On that note, here's a look at ten of the greatest big-game players the game has ever seen:
#10 Thierry Henry | Arsenal
While Thierry Henry played for Monaco, Barcelona and Juventus, he is arguably best remembered for his exploits with Arsenal.
Henry dedicated eight years to The Gunners, guiding them to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. Besides scoring 175 goals in 258 league games, the star managed a surprising 74 assists.
He was the top scorer in the Premier League for three years before he moved to Barcelona, where he won the UEFA Champions League. The star never held back on the international front either, winning the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and FIFA Confederations Cup in 2003.
#9 Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid
Sergio Ramos may currently ply his trade alongside his former rival Lionel Messi at PSG. But the explosive centre-back's work at Real Madrid was more than just defence.
The star, unflustered by the occasion, often went the extra length in the most important games to score for Los Galacticos. Ramos notably scored two goals in Champions League finals.
His ruthlessness in defence translated heavily to his international career with Spain as well. La Roja's final games (Euro 2008, Euro 2012, FIFA World Cup 2010) saw the team register clean sheets, thanks to Sergio Ramos' presence in the first third. The Spaniard won over 20 trophies with Real Madrid across his 16-year stint at the club.
#8 Lionel Messi | Barcelona
Although he is one of the greatest-ever players in the history of the sport, Lionel Messi doesn't rank very high on the list of big-game stars. That might seem unfair, as the star effectively carried Barcelona for nearly two decades.
He scored some of the most important goals in Blaugrana history. His presence on the pitch put fear in the hearts of defences for years.
The star has managed an astonishing 26 goals against Real Madrid in some of the most notable El Clasico games ever seen.
His record of 49 goals in the knockout stage of the Champions League, including two in finals, shows Messi's efficiency in big games. However, drab performances against AS Roma, Liverpool and Bayern Munich in recent years have put a stain on the star's big-game prowess.
#7 Wayne Rooney | Manchester United
With clubs like Manchester United, there are scores of legends to pick. However, what makes Wayne Rooney stand out is his unquestionable ability to turn games around. Even his debut for The Red Devils was pure class, as the former Everton star churned out a hat-trick.
That was just the beginning of what would be an illustrious career filled with big games and significant moments. In 2010, the star came on as a sub to score the winning goal in the Carling Cup final.
In 2011, Rooney's cooly-taken penalty handed United their 19th Premier League title. Rooney won 16 trophies with Manchester United, a clear testament to his brilliance when it mattered the most.
#6 Alfredo Di Stefano | Real Madrid
Regarded as one of the greatest players in world history, Alfredo Di Stefano is also one of the greatest big-game players.
It's difficult to leave him off any serious goalscoring list in football history. His record-breaking efficiency in big games is testament to that. While Di Stefano retired in 1966 without playing in a FIFA World Cup, his brilliant exploits at Real Madrid more than made up for that.
Before the European Cup became the Champions League, Alfredo Di Stefano was the competition's record goalscorer. The star was notably a cheat code for Real Madrid, taking them to five consecutive titles between 1956 and 1960. Even more astonishingly, Di Stefano scored in all five finals.
#5 Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona, Inter Milan
Samuel Eto'o is the only player in history to have won the European treble in back-to-back seasons with two different clubs. At the international level, Eto'o is the leading goalscorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, scoring in all six editions he featured in. The star notably guided Cameroon to the coveted trophy twice, winning the Golden Boot four times.
In club football, Eto'o scored a brace in the 2003 Copa del Rey final, guiding Mallorca through an amazing trophy run. He scored in the 2009 Champions League final for Barcelona. In the process, he became the fourth player in the history of the Champions League to win the coveted trophy consecutively with two different clubs.
With Barcelona and Inter Milan, Eto'o won 14 trophies, cementing his place as one of the most legendary big-game players of all time.
#4 Luis Suarez | Barcelona, Liverpool
When Luis Suarez joined Liverpool, it was immediately clear the club had a star on their hands. Without Suarez on the pitch, The Reds floundered in attack, but when he played, he was their best player on the pitch. The magician was quickly courted by Barcelona, where the star became part of the most potent attacking trios in the game's history.
Although Suarez now plays for Atletico Madrid - guiding them to the La Liga title with 21 goals - his performances in big games for Barcelona were astonishing. His partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar saw the trio amass a record 122 goals in a season.
The star helped the Blaugrana win an amazing 13 trophies before he was controversially let go by the club after six years.
#3 Steven Gerrard | Liverpool
Steven Gerrard is arguably the biggest player in Liverpool history, and one of the greatest stars of his generation.
The star spent 17 seasons at Anfield, where he led Liverpool to five domestic cups, three continental trophies and the Community Shield. However, his exploits in competitive finals have been some of the most remarkable in history.
The Miracle of Istanbul saw Gerrard guide Liverpool to a genuinely miraculous comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan to win the Champions League.
The 2006 FA Cup final has also been called the Gerrard final because of his exploits in the game. Steven Gerrard is the only player to score in the final of FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League, winning the trophy on each occasion.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United, Juventus, Real Madrid
There are not many players with a potent history in the Champions League than Cristiano Ronaldo. He has managed nearly 30 goals in over 20 quarter-finals, 13 goals in 21 semi-final, and four goals in six finals. The Portuguese maestro sits near the very top, considering his consistency in the final third, especially in big games.
In big games, Ronaldo notably pulls through for his side, and he has done for all the teams he has played with, including Sporting. His very recent exploits for Manchester United were injury-time goals that notably helped Ole Solskjaer hold onto his job for a while longer.
At Juventus, his hat-trick inspiring the team's comeback from two goals down against Atletico Madrid was otherworldly. At Real Madrid, he guided Zidane's men to three consecutive Champions League trophies, and four in five years. Ronaldo scored in two of those finals, and in a shootout in a third.
#1 Didier Drogba | Chelsea
No one comes near the king of big games and finals in the history of football. Didier Drogba was Chelsea's talisman for many years, but it wasn't just his goalscoring prowess that won him fans across the world.
The Ivorian star scored in seven finals across three competitions leading to seven trophies, a rare record by any stretch.
An extra-time goal in 2005 against Liverpool in the League Cup final started off the star's penchant for scoring in finals. He ended his career with a beautiful 88th-minute equaliser against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final, which Chelsea won.
Drogba's only poor performance in a final came in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations title match, where he missed a penalty for Cote d'Ivoire.
