There are many players who score on a regular basis and make a name for themselves as star strikers. But there are some players who take it upon themselves to give their best performances in the biggest games and against the toughest opposition.
Goals in big games are always tough to come by and the players that have a knack of stepping up to the plate on the biggest stage are always coveted by clubs and countries alike.
Here are five players who always score in big matches.
5. Dele Alli
Dele Alli is one of the players who thrives on big games, having scored in a number of them over the last couple of years. With his recent goal against Chelsea in the Premier League, he has now scored six goals in five games against Tottenham Hotspur’s London rivals.
Add to that goals against the Manchester clubs in the last two years, two goals against Real Madrid, one in the North London Derby and one more against Liverpool, there is no doubt that Alli reserves his best for the biggest games.
4. Didier Drogba
During his time with Chelsea, Didier Drogba made it a habit to score in cup finals, along with his numerous other goals in regular matches against big teams.
The list of goals is endless, starting with the winners in the League Cup final and the FA Cup final in 2007, against Arsenal and Manchester United, respectively. He scored in the final of the League Cup again the following year, this time against Tottenham, making him the first player to score in three finals of the competition.
He also scored two decisive goals against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals, to power his team to the competition’s final for the first time ever. He also scored against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in 2012, to take the game to extra-time, and also scored the decisive penalty in the shootout.
3. Sergio Aguero
Ever since moving to Manchester City nearly a decade ago, Sergio Aguero has made it his business to score a bucket full of goals, and has scored an equally good number against the rest of the big six in the Premier League.
The Argentine has scored 22 goals in the Premier League against the top teams in 36 games and has continued to score against them at an astonishing rate of about 0.61 per game.
Even at 30 years of age, Aguero has not stopped his scoring rate, having scored against Manchester United already this season, though he hasn't been able to register against the other big teams so far this campaign.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo needs no introduction, and nor is there any need to detail the number of big games that the Portuguese has scored in for nearly 15 years.
Starting with the FA Cup final and the European Championships semi-finals in 2004, Ronaldo has scored in a number of crunch games throughout his career. He also scored for Manchester United in the Champions League final in 2008.
In 2011 alone, he scored five goals against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in various competitions, in just four games for Real Madrid. When it comes to El Clasico, the forward has scored 18 goals in 30 games, at a rate of 0.60 goals per game, cementing his status as one who shows up for all the big matches.
A prime example of him being a big match player was his hat-trick against Spain in the 2018 World Cup.
1. Lionel Messi
Another player that needs no introduction to his goalscoring prowess is Lionel Messi. The Argentine has been in impeccable form ever since he started playing for Barcelona, and has scored numerous goals for both club and country.
Messi’s record for the national side may not be all that great in terms of trophies, but the influence he has had on his club’s success in the recent past is undeniable. In El Clasico alone, Messi has scored 26 goals in 36 games, at a rate 0.68 goals per game, beating even Ronaldo.
He has also scored nearly 30 goals each against Atletico Madrid and Sevilla as well, with the latter being the team he has scored the most against.