Greatest display ever from a player at a major International tournament?

WLF

WLF

Well-Known Member
What would you choose if you had to list a top 3 or whatever? Talking more the tournament overall rather than just picking out individual games. Let’s just take Maradona in Mexico 86 off the table because I feel like it’s comfortably the most iconic of the lot and naturally it’s the one pretty much everyone will check off right away. In fact if we’re honest it’s easily one of the most iconic displays in the history of world sport in general.

Thread was partly inspired by the build up to the Euros, also by reading the Gordon Banks thread and watching YouTube highlights of Zidane’s 2006 performance vs Brazil where he manages to make playing against the biggest superpower in international football look like a kick about on the playground. Definitely aren’t many players that can make football look that easy. I feel like although it’s before my time, Cruyff might be a popular pick, Pele too naturally.

Also I’ll just drop this here for anyone that fancies it

 
Messi at the last World Cup has to be up there. That assist v Croatia was absolutely out of this world.

Gazza at Italia 90 also. Propelled him to suoer stardom and his performance against the Dutch was outstanding. Let’s see if Bellingham can produce a tournament like that since folk already have him surpassing him.
 
Baggio immediately springs to mind but of course Messi carried Argentina most recently.
 
All twenty-two players from Chile and Italy when the sides met at the 1962 World Cup.


Legends, one and all.

Only Atletico Madrid booting seven shades of shite out of that wee bastard Stinky has ever topped this in the history of TV football. That holds the record for the full 90-minutes.

The tackle in the video at 02:11 should be on Italian money. It's must hold the world record for the highest-up bits of metal implanted inside the body of a player fouled by a challenge from an opponent who, "Was going for the ball! Never noticed him! Honest!"
 
Bulgaria's 1994 World Cup achieving the semi-finals (lost 2-1 to Italy) was down to Hristo Stoichkov from memory.

Golden Boot that tournament (jointly with Oleg Salenko but the Russian's was due to five goals in one game).
 
Maradona 86 or Ronaldo 2002.

Out of this world.

There greats are the ones that drag their nations to greatness.

Messi, Ronaldo (the real one), Zidane. All true greats.
 
JRei23 said:
Maradona , Mexico '86, carried them all the way
Click to expand...
GIF-Alex-Ferguson.gif
 
WLF said:
Let’s just take Maradona in Mexico 86 off the table because I feel like it’s comfortably the most iconic of the lot and naturally it’s the one pretty much everyone will check off right away.
Click to expand...
It's iconic but somewhat exaggerated. His performances against England & Belgium deserve the acclaim they get, but Argentina had a fantastic defence & a quality striker in Valdano.

I think the other players in Maradona's sides get done a disservice when people look back.
 
SecondBestIsNothing said:
It's iconic but somewhat exaggerated. His performances against England & Belgium deserve the acclaim they get, but Argentina had a fantastic defence & a quality striker in Valdano.

I think the other players in Maradona's sides get done a disservice when people look back.
Click to expand...
I don’t disagree, I’ve never bought into the one man team crap, but you can still easily make a case for Diego’s 86 showing being at the top of the pile and it’s the one the majority will always pick. Although Messi 2022 probably does come close to rivalling it when you consider the pressure of that being his last real shot and his emergence as a Diego type leader too.

Ronaldo 2002 is always a bit of a special one too because of the injury he’d just returned from and the fact he was already written off as being finished when he was in his early 20’s.
 
SM™ said:
All twenty-two players from Chile and Italy when the sides met at the 1962 World Cup.


Legends, one and all.

Only Atletico Madrid booting seven shades of shite out of that wee bastard Stinky has ever topped this in the history of TV football.
Click to expand...
A lot of the fault was down to the English referee being totally out of his depth.
I love games like that. Separates the men from the boys.

Back on subject, it's probably my age, but Pele in 1970 was up there.
 
prenzlauerbear said:
Kahn in 2002. Carried a dogshit Germany team to the final while nursing an injury (we'll ignore him throwing one in against Brazil!)
Click to expand...
Ronaldo missed a proper sitter before that n’all. If Khan hadn’t fluffed his lines it could have been roles reversed, Germany win it, Khan the hero and instead it’s Ronaldo left with a “fall at the last hurdle/nearly man” type tale. Beauty of football though, only takes fleeting moments to the entire narrative to flip.
 
Baggio in 94, he didn't really do anything in the group stage and then suddenly came alive just in time against Nigeria in the last 16 when they were heading out. He was unplayable from then on, it's a shame he's remembered for the penalty miss in the final as they wouldn't have been there but for him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top