Football has seen many brilliant goals scored over the years, which are now part of the sport’s folklore. And some of the game’s greats have scored memorable goals at crucial stages showing their ability to rise to the occasion and deliver when needed in a classy manner.We look at some of the iconic goals scored by legendary players over the years. Not all of these may be counted among the best goals of all-time, but the player’s stature, the occasion, their ability to score and the impact of the goal make each of these a special moment – moments which won’t ever be forgotten by fans.
#15 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Scored vs Porto on 15 April 2009 in the quarterfinals of the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League
After a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the quarterfinal tieat Old Trafford, Manchester United went to Porto knowing that they needed to score to stand any chance of progressing to the next stage. And their Portuguese magician Cristiano Ronaldo rose to the occasion with a fantastic winner.
The player, who once played for Portos archrivals Sporting, was constantly booed by the hostile Estadio do Dragao crowd. But he had the last laugh as he silenced the stadium with a thunderous strike from 40 yards into the top corner of the goal, which ensured that Manchester United advanced to the semifinals.
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Ronaldo later called the strike as the best goal he has ever scored. The goal has the distinction of being awarded the first Puskas award by FIFA as the best goal of the year.
#14 Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
Scored vs Barcelona on 29 April 2008 in the semifinal of the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League
One of Manchester Unitedsall-time greats, Paul Scholes enjoyed a lot of success in club football during his illustriouscareer. One of his finest moments in the Red Devils shirt was in the second leg of the Champions League semifinal against Barcelona at Old Trafford.
After the first leg at Camp Nouhad ended 0-0, Manchester United knew that they needed to defeat a star-studded Barcelona side at Old Trafford to advance to the final. 14 minutes into the game,Gianluca Zambrotta halted Cristiano Ronaldos run and tried to pass the ball ahead to the midfield. But the ball went straight to Paul Scholes, who collected it and struck a powerful swingingshot into the top corner asan air-borne Victor Valdes was unable to prevent it from going in.
The goal turned out to be the match winner and Manchester United progressed to the final where they won the trophy by beating Chelsea on penalties.
#13 Ronaldinho (Barcelona)
Scored vs Real Madrid on 19 November 2005 in a 2005-06 Spanish La Liga game
It takes an extremely special performance for a Barcelona player to get a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu. And Ronaldinho managed to achieve just that in the El Clasico of the 2005-06 season.
Ronaldinho troubled the Real Madrid defence throughout the game and scored a wonderful goal just before the hour mark. The Brazilian received the ball close to the halfway line at the left wing, and cut inside into the box, dribbling past defenders effortlessly as the likes of Helguera and Ramos watched helplessly, and then he wrong-footed Iker Casillas to score the goal.
Ronaldinho scored another goal later in the game to seal a 3-0 rout of the home side, and the Madrid fans stood up to applaud the players brilliant show in the match.
#12 Rivaldo (Barcelona)
Scored vs Valencia on 17 June 2001 in a 2000-01 Spanish La Liga game
It was a disappointing season for Barcelona as they entered the final league game at fifth position with a genuine risk of missing out on Champions League football in the following season. The Catalans welcome fourth-placed Valencia, who had recently lost the Champions League Final to Bayern Munich on penalties, at Camp Nou and the hosts knew that only a win would ensure they swap league positions with the visitors and qualify for Europes top club competition.
With the scores tied at 2-2 in the 89th minute, Frank de Boer chipped a ball towards Rivaldo, who was being tightly marked by defenders. Rivado had his back to the goal and took the ball on his chest to make it go up air to the optimum height from where he could execute a perfect bicycle kick which left Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares with no chance as the ball sailed into the goal. The goal proved to be the match-winner and Barcelona achieved their goal of continuing to be among the European elite in the Champions League.
#11 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Scored vs Olympiakos on 8 December 2004 in a group stage match of 2004-05 UEFA Champions League
Liverpools dream triumph of the 2005 Champions League would never have happened and the team would have been unceremoniously been knocked out from the Group Stage, had it not been for their talismanic skippers wonder-strike against Olympiakos at Anfield.
The Reds went into their final group game against the Greek side knowing that they needed to win by a margin of at least two goals.And with the score being 2-1 in the 86th minute, Liverpool knew they needed another goal to avoid elimination. Jamie Carraghers cross was headed down by Neil Mellor towards Gerrard, whose half volley blasted into the net to send Anfield and commentator Andy Gray (check his reaction in the video) into delirium.
#10 David Beckham (England)
Scored vs Greece on 6 October 2001 in a 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifier game
After being vilified and blamed for Englands elimination in the 1998 World Cup, David Beckham redeemed himself as he almost singlehandedly ensured that England qualified for the 2002 edition of the World Cup.
In the final match of the World Cup Qualifiers against Greece at Old Trafford, England needed at least a draw to ensure outright qualification. Things didnt seem to be going as per plan as England trailed 1-2 in the 93rd minute, with the final whistle moments away.
Teddy Sheringham was fouled outside the Greek penalty area, and Beckham stepped up to take the free-kick which could have been the last kick of the match. And the player rose to the occasion with a trademark curler that went into the goal and instantly his shortcomings of 1998 were forgiven and the nation celebrated a new hero.
#9 Roberto Carlos (Brazil)
Scored vs France on 3 June 1997 in a Tournoi de France game
In a tournament that was held as a warm-up for the 1998 World Cup, Roberto Carlos produced a moment of magic with an astonishing free-kick. In the match against France at Lyon,his 38-yard curled free-kick curved in so sharply that it left the French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez standing stationary and looking confused.
Many experts called the goal as one that defied physics. A shot which seemed certain to go wide had the perfect amount of spin to it which was sufficient to bring the ball into the goal and yet away from the grasp of Barthez. The goal intrigued the physicists and prompted a few to analyse the motion of the ball to understand and explain the sharp and unexpected movement.
#8 Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands)
Scored vs Argentina on 4 July 1998 in the quarterfinal of the 1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 World Cup quarterfinal encounter between Netherlands and Argentina at Marseille seemed to be headed forextra-time with the score being 1-1 in the 89th minute, with both teams down to 10 men. But Dennis Bergkamp had other plans, as he scored one of the best goals in World Cup history with an exquisite finish of the highest calibre.
Bringing down and controlling the long high pass from Frank de Boer, Bergkamp cut inside beating Roberto Ayala and fired a crisp half volley into the far corner to win the game and take his side to the semifinal stage of the World Cup.
#7 Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
Scored vs Arsenal on 14 April 1999 in the semifinal of the 1998-99 FA Cup
Chasing an unprecedented treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and the Champions League in the 1998-99 season, Alex Fergusons side faced Arsenal in the replay of the semifinalof the FA Cup at Villa Park.
Manchester United had been reduced to ten men after the sending off of Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel saved a penalty from Dennis Bergkamp to keep them in the game. The match entered into extra-time after the scores were tied 1-1 after regular time.
With ten minutes remaining, the score still deadlocked and a penalty shootout looking inevitable, Ryan Giggs intercepted Patrick Vieiras stray pass inmidfield and started a bursting run as he sped past Lee Dixon and Martin Keown and blasted a shot past David Seaman to take his side to the final.
#6 Geoff Hurst (England)
Scored vs West Germany on 30 July 1966 in the final of the 1966 FIFA World Cup
Similar to the Dutch football team, the English have also almost always underperformed in major tournaments, with their sole win coming in the 1966 World Cup on home soil.
Geoff Hurst was the star of the final against West Germany as he scored a hat-trick (the only one in a World Cup Final till date). The match at Wembley was tied 2-2 at the end of regular time with Hurst having scored one of the goals. Eleven minutes into extra-time, a shot from Hurst hit the cross-bar, bounced onthe goal-line and was cleared.
After much deliberation, the referee gave the goal to the home side, much to the dismay of the Germans. While the goal has remained controversial, Hurst sealed the game for hisside with another goal in the 120th minute.
With the Germans looking desperately for an equalizer, they sent their defenders forward. Bobby Moore sent a long pass to an unmarked Hurst who put the ball in the back of the net. The goal was famously described by BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme as "And here comes Hurst. He's got..... some people are on the pitch,they think it's all over. It is now! It's four!"
#5 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Scored vs Getafe on 18 April 2007 in the semifinal of 2006-07 Copa del Rey
Almost 21 years after Maradonas wonder-goal in the 1986 World Cup, the player who was predicted to be his successor Lionel Messi scored a remarkably similar goal for Barcelona against Getafe at Camp Nou as the 19-year-old received the ball in his own half, ran past four defenders and beat the goalkeeper before chipping the ball over another defender whose desperate attempt to clear the ball and prevent it from crossing the line was in vain.
Messi scored another goal in the game (similar to Maradona). However unlike Maradona, the ending wasnt so pleasant for Messi as Barcelona threw away the 5-2 advantage in the first leg to lose the second leg 4-0 at Getafe, and were knocked out of the competition.
#4 Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
Scored vs USSR on 25 June 1988 in the final of the 1988 UEFA Euro Championships
The Dutch football team has often boasted of some of the best talents in the world, but as a unit they have often underperformed. Till date their only major tournament win has been at Euro 1988 in Germany and the teams star performer was Marco van Basten, who finished the tournament as the top-scorer with 5 goals and was also named the player of the tournament.
Playing against USSR in the final at the Olympiastadion, Munich, van Basten sealed the title for the Dutch with a brilliant goal. Arnold Muhren sent in a looping ball from the left wing, which was volleyed with the right foot by van Basten and the tight-angled shot beat Soviet goalkeeper Rinat Dasayev to enter the net.
#3 Pele (Brazil)
Scored vs Sweden on 29 June 1958 in the final of the 1958 FIFA World Cup
Pele was a young, unknown striker in the Brazilian side in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. He chose the tournaments final to announce his arrival to the world which was only the beginning of an extremely illustrious career.
Brazil were leading 2-1 after 55 minutes at Rasunda Stadium, Solna against the hosts in the final, when Pele took control of the ball inside the Swedes penalty box, chipped it over a defender and then smashed it past the helpless Swede goalkeeper to score a memorable goal. Pele went on to score another goal in the match an injury time header to seal a 5-2 win for Brazil who won the tournament for the first time in history.
At the age of 17 years and 249 days, Pele became the youngest player to score in a World Cup Final and the record stands till date.
#2 Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)
Scored vs Bayer Leverkusen on 15 May 2002 in the final of the 2001-02 UEFA Champions League
The 2002 Champions League Final at Hampden Park, Glasgow saw one of the greatest goals in the competitions history scored byFrench legend Zinedine Zidane.
With the score tied 1-1 between Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, the 45th minute of the game saw a moment of magic from Zidane. Roberto Carlos sent in a high, arching cross from the left wing which was received by Zidane onthe edge of the penalty box with his weaker left-foot and he volleyed it perfectly into the top corner to score what would turn out to be the winning goal for Real Madrid, thussealing the trophy for the team.
#1 Diego Maradona (Argentina)
Scored vs England on 22 June 1986 in the quarterfinal of the 1986 FIFA World Cup
Voted as the Goal of the 20th Century in a poll conducted by FIFA, Maradona scored one of the most memorable goals in football history against England at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The World Cup quarterfinal was being played 4 years after the Falklands War between Argentina and United Kingdom which set the stage for an all-time classic.
Maradona chose the occasion to cement his name in football history when he received the ball from Hector Enrique in Argentinas half in the 55th minute of the game and started a run across more than half the length of the football pitch, dribbling past five English players Peter Beardsley, Steve Hodge, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick before leaving the English goalkeeper Peter Shilton on his backside with a dummy and putting the ball into the net.
Just four minutes prior to scoring the wonder-goal, Maradona had scored one of the most controversial goals of all time The Hand of God.He cut inside the English penalty box from the left, linking with teammate Jorge Valdano. English player Steve Hodge miscued his attempt to clear the ball, and goalkeeper Peter Shilton tried to reach for it to punch it clear. Maradona tried to reach for it as well and his left hand punched the ball helping it enter the goal.
Despite protests from the English players, the referee allowed the goal. In 2005, Maradona accepted that the hand ball was intentional and the goal was illegitimate.
