6 most clutch players in football currently
To come up clutch means to deliver in crucial situations. Football is not just about technical abilities and tactical acumen, it is also a test of an individual's mental strength. At the highest level of the game, pressure situations are the norm.
High-stakes scenarios are part and parcel of the game. Different players react differently to pressure. While some tend to crumble under the stress and fail to deliver in such situations, some players relish the opportunity.
They seem to be able to find that extra bit of drive to inspire their team to the shores of solace. Some of the greatest footballers of all time are all players who are renowned for showing up and delivering the goods when their teams need them most.
Without further ado, let's take a look at six of the most clutch players in football currently.
#6 Luis Suarez
At the age of 34, Luis Suarez might be past his prime but he is still a credible goalscorer. He scored the all-important winner for the Rojiblancos on the final day of the 2020-21 season against Real Valladolid. They won the title with a two point lead over Real Madrid in a race that went down to the wire.
Suarez scored in the 2014-15 Champions League final for Barcelona against Juventus. He was the Player of the Tournament as Uruguay won the Copa America in 2011. Suarez scored and assisted a goal in the final against Paraguay.
The 2015-16 season was when Suarez hit his peak. He scored 59 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona that season. Suarez came up clutch for Barcelona in El Clasico that term, bagging a brace as the Catalans sank Real Madrid 4-0.
#5 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all time. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has had an illustrious career replete with wonderful moments. He is Barcelona's all-time greatest and he produced so many clutch moments for them during his 17-year stay at Camp Nou.
Messi's incredible performances against Manchester United in the finals of the 2008-09 and 2010-11 editions of the Champions League are definitely iconic. He was a nightmare to deal with for the Red Devils on both occasions.
Messi's first senior hat-trick came against Real Madrid when he was still a teenager. His third goal on the night was a 92nd minute equalizer.
We all remember Messi sending Jerome Boateng collapsing to the ground and then chipping Manuel Neuer in the 2014-15 Champions League semi-final, don't we? He scored two goals in two minutes around the 80th minute in what was a tough game with the Bavarians.
But our pick of the lot is Messi's incredible hat-trick against Ecuador in a must-win 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier for Argentina. La Albiceleste were trailing 1-0 after just forty seconds on the clock. Messi decided enough is enough and the rest is history.
@ChampionsLeague @Newells_en @LaLigaEN @FCBarcelona @FCBarcelona_es @CBCOlympics @UEFAcom_de @TyCSports @fcbarcelona_tr @FOXSoccer 26. Argentina needed a win in their final 2018 World Cup qualifier.
Ecuador scored 38 seconds into the match.
Leo Messi took matters into his own hands and scored a hat-trick to send Argentina to Russia 💪
(via @TyCSports)
https://t.co/P3Q6tGDa4p
#4 Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is a mentality monster. He was Real Madrid's captain since 2015 up until he left the club last summer. Ramos led the team by example numerous times. The Spanish international's incredible headed stoppage-time equalizer in the 2013-14 Champions League final which sparked a Real Madrid comeback win is hard to forget.
Ramos had also bagged a brace in the second leg of their semi-final tie against Bayern Munich. He scored a 90th minute equalizer in an El Clasico in the 2016-17 season. Ramos' knack for scoring goals is one thing that sets him apart.
He is a centre-back but has scored 101 goals in 671 appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions. Ramos is one of the greatest defenders of the modern era and his ability to come up big when his team needs him most makes him one of the most clutch players in football.
🗣️ "I told myself, 'It can’t end like this.'"
2⃣ Sergio Ramos added to his crucial goals against Bayern in the semi-finals, forcing extra time with a last-gasp equaliser in Lisbon against rivals Atlético. 'La Décima' would become reality 🏆
@SergioRamos | @realmadriden | #UCL https://t.co/sGC7BMlNgT