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Each player has his own style of playing. More often than not, the playing style of a player defines his character. Be it Cristiano Ronaldo’s relentless approach in attack or Lionel Messi’s sizzling flair on the pitch, the mentality of the player oozes whenever he takes to the pitch.While doing so, they sometimes score goals that truly represent the type of on-pitch personality they have. Elegance, warrior-spirit, and so on – these goals reflect the nature of the player like none other. So much that these goals become the emblem by which their career is marked.Movie-goers won’t take a moment to say ‘Rocky’ when they are asked to name the movie that best defines Sylvester Stallone. Similarly, there is one goal that fans will never forget when talking about these players.
#1 Wayne Rooney v Manchester City
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If a list of strikers with the best work-rate is compiled, then England striker Wayne Rooney would definitely top it. The amount of defensive effort he puts in each game is admirable despite not being among the most consistent players in the world.
The thing with the former Everton man is that he has a knack of scoring some other-worldly goals when he is facing the adversity of criticism from fans and pundits alike.
And this derby goal was no different. After days of issues and differences with the club regarding his contract, the matters were solved and he gifted the club and the fans with a beauty of a goal. As Nani floated in a cross that was deflected off the back of Pablo Zabaleta, Rooney leaped off the ground and drove in a thunderous volley that smashed the net behind Joe Hart, cementing its place as one of the best derby goals ever scored.
“I can’t ever remember a better goal at Old Trafford. In terms of the execution of it, you will never see a better goal than that.” – Sir Alex Ferguson
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs England
We all know Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an outspoken, Taekwondo-loving, ruthless footballer. And there are many reasons for that.
Firstly, there is a compilation video on Youtube that shows just the number of times he has kicked own team-mates after failing to control his desire to try out the Taekwondo high-kicks that he learned. Secondly, he has embarrassed many journalists with sarcastic and, at the same time, insulting remarks at them. To be fair, they deserved it more often than not.
Finally, amalgamating the aforementioned two characteristics with ruthlessness, we get one of the most incredibly celebrated and Zlatan-esque goals of all time when Ibrahimovic jumped to the sky and kicked the ball from over his head from 30 yards out with a fantastic bicycle kick that caught Joe Hart off-guard to score his, and Sweden’s, fourth goal of the game.
#3 Karim Benzema v Real Sociedad
The one word to describe the French star would be elegance. The way he moves about on the pitch has an insane level of unique divinity and this goal has that written all over it. The former Lyon front man is renowned as one of the best exponents of the playmaking striker role and this goal comes to closest to resembling his finesse and character.
Benzema played a 2-yard pass to Jese from the right byline of Real Sociedad’s goal, before taking the ball back from him and passing it to Isco. The Spaniard then played a perfect return pass that Benzema, with utmost brilliance and incredible finesse, curled past La Real’s goalkeeper.
It truly defined his real nature – a gracefully subtle footballer that oozes magnificence whenever he steps on the pitch.
#4 Gareth Bale vs Inter Milan
When he retires, he will go down as one of the best left-sided players to have ever played the game. His tremendous burst of pace and unfaltering explosiveness ruined many right-backs and one of them was Maicon.
What made this goal – or goals – rather special is the fact that the Brazilian was considered one of the best right-backs in the world at that point of time and the Welshman became his undoing. When the former Inter man looks back at his career, he will know that that night at San Siro was the beginning of the end for him.
Picking up the ball on the wide left, he burst his way past Maicon and blasted it past Julio Cesar to score Spurs’ first goal of the game in reply to Inter’s four. The second goal was almost and action replay and the third was also from the left side.
It was a display of pace and power, something that defines him. An iconic performance that Richard Swarbrick made into a brilliant animated video.
#5 Sergio Aguero vs QPR
If a list of one of the most hardworking and honest footballers is made, Sergio Aguero will definitely make it there simply because of his grit and refusal to dive and moan for a foul and, instead, try to stay on his feet as much as he can. And no goal displays that better than that goal he scored against QPR – the goal that won Manchester City the Premier League at the very last moment of the 2011/12 Premier League season.
The Argentine kept charging forward when he could have easily taken a tumble in the box after facing a mistimed tackle from a QPR player and get a penalty. But he didn’t. The persistence paid off as he fired past the goalkeeper to seal the title for the Citizens in what became the most iconic moment in EPL history.
#6 Neymar vs Flamengo
A display of sheer talent, fabulous flair and selfless bravery can be found in this goal. Very few can score the way he did. The control was just unreal and one the major reasons why Barcelona paid so much money for him.
He displayed exceptional awareness and close-control to get past multiple defenders before finally twisting his body to elastic levels to beat the final defender. As he was just about to pull the trigger, two defenders converged towards him, but he still took the risk and slotted it past the goalkeeper and got clattered by the onrushing Flamengo players in the process.
It is this type of outrageous talent, coupled with the mentality to show it, that has gotten him this far at such a young age. He looks set to become a legendary figure for both Barcelona and Brazil and this goal is a clear indication of why.
#7 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Chelsea
He might have missed a penalty in the shootout of this game, but it was his towering header in the first place that got the Red Devils that far. Cristiano Ronaldo is a talented footballer whose hard work has taken him to heights that he had aspired to ever since he was a kid.
The insane amount of practice he puts in can be seen on a football pitch as his immaculate precision and clever runs are a testament to that. It that has been developed over the years – both his skills and his athletic body.
And it was a combination of all these factors that allowed him to score a thundering header against Chelsea in the final of the 2008 Champions League final as he, after cutting in from the left, took a giant leap and headed in a cross from Wes Brown – a trademark Cristiano Ronaldo goal.
#8 Lionel Messi vs Athletic Club Bilbao
The best player in the world scores some of the best individual goals to rescue his team from dire situations – that is what makes the Argentine so special. The Barcelona forward has a sizzling football personality and it truly reflects whenever one sees him play with the ball at his feet.
And which goal could more reflect that than the one he scored against the Basque club in the 2015 Copa Del Rey final?
As he picked up the ball wide on the right wing, he dribbled past four defenders to get into the Athletic box before slamming it to the near post to give Barcelona the lead. It was, perhaps, the greatest and the most irresistible goal scored in the final of the tournament which Barcelona – and Athletic – fans will live to say the tale to their grandchildren.
#9 Arjen Robben vs Spain
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Just four years ago, Arjen Robben made a mess of a clear-cut chance against Spain in the final of the 2010 World Cup. With only Iker Casillas to beat, he shot it straight at the legendary Spaniard’s leg and the ball then went wide.
The Dutchman learned from his mistakes, though, as four years later, in their first game against Spain, the Bayern Munich man blazed past Sergio Ramos, completely embarrassing the Spain captain who was crawling on the ground trying to adjust to Robben’s twists and turns. After beating Casillas, he slotted home the fifth goal as the Oranje thrashed Spain 5-1.
Robben has always been known for his scintillating pace and directness and no goal could be a more apt representation to that.
#10 Didier Drogba vs Bayern
Very few people actually gave Chelsea a shot against the mighty Bayern Munich in the 2011/12 Champions League final. Most derided their run to the final as somewhat of lucky fluke and the odds were against them when they faced the rampant Bavarians in Munich.
However, not only did they win it, they also had their legendary player – and their greatest ever striker – score his trademark goal. A towering header from the near post from a superbly taken corner kick by Juan Mata.
This was the most important goal he scored in his entire career as it was the equalizer that allowed the game to go to a shootout, which the Blues won 4-1 with Drogba taking the deciding kick. In a career filled with bolting headers, he couldn’t have scored more poetic goal even if he wanted to.
