The best individual performances in Champions League history

The UEFA Champions League has long been the grandest stage in club football, where legends are born and history is written. Among the pantheon of footballing greats, several players have delivered performances that will forever be etched in the annals of the competition.

As we gear up for the return of the world's biggest football tournament, let's look back at some of the best individual performances ever seen in the Champions League.

Erling Haaland made history in March 2023 by becoming just the third player to score a quintuple in the Champions League. The then 22-year-old Norwegian made light work of RB Leipzig with five goals in 57 minutes and gave Manchester City a 7-0 win, getting them through to the quarter-finals in convincing style. 

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The Manchester City centre-forward was in such good shape that Pep Guardiola took him off so he wouldn't be "bored". "He scored five goals, touching the ball 30 or 35 times. He scored five goals in 60 minutes; he didn't need more. If he achieved this milestone, the record, at 22, will be boring, his life, so now he'll have a target to do it in the future, here and everywhere," Guardiola said. "So that's why I make a substitution."

For many fans, Guardiola replaced Erling Haaland so that he did not break a record: that of Lionel Messi against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. In the quarter-final first leg between FC Barcelona and the German team, 'La Pulga' had notched five goals between the 25th and 84th minute.

Many might not know, but Messi was not the first holder of this record, as Luiz Adriano, the Brazilian striker of Shakhtar Donetsk, also scored a quintuple in 2014 against BATE Borisov. In fact, Adriano achieved his quadruple in the first half. 

What's the wildest match in the history of the Champions League? La Remontada? No, it's surely the final between Liverpool and AC Milan in 2005. Trailing 3-0 at half-time in Istanbul, the Reds pulled off their biggest-ever comeback to overcome the legendary Paolo Maldini and his teammates.

Steven Gerrard was not going to let his childhood club be embarrassed on the world's biggest stage; the Reds' captain scored a well-placed header in the 54th minute to trigger the comeback. Within six minutes, Liverpool had levelled the scores and had Carlo Ancelotti's side on the ropes. Eventually, Liverpool won the game on penalties thanks in no small part to the Scouser's Herculean efforts, covering every blade of grass.

On May 22, 2010, Louis van Gaal's Bayern Munich faced José Mourinho's Inter Milan. In this tense final between two very well-organized teams, it would be the Italians who struck twice, thanks to two goals from one man — the Argentinian Diego Milito.

The center forward delivered a masterclass with two world-class goals. The first came from a flawless delivery by Samuel Eto'o, perfectly timed and executed. The second, in the 70th minute, was pure individual brilliance. The Argentinian weaved through the Bayern defense with ease, leaving them helpless, before placing the ball beyond the reach of German goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt. Thanks to Milito's heroics, Inter and Mourinho claimed the ultimate prize.

On April 27, 2011, the two biggest rivals in Spanish football met in the semi-finals of the Champions League. It was a historic meeting that will be marked by the genius of one man: Lionel Messi. The little Argentinian beat Real Madrid almost single-handedly.

Messi's first moment of brilliance came in the 76th minute, when he added the finishing touch to a cross from Ibrahim Afellay to open the scoring. But it was in the 86th minute that he truly stunned the world. With a simple yet clever assist from Sergio Busquets, who stopped the ball for him, Messi weaved his way past four Real Madrid defenders before calmly slotting the ball past Iker Casillas. Barcelona sealed a 2-0 victory, crowned by a masterclass from their iconic number 10.

On April 24, 2013, Borussia Dortmund faced Real Madrid in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League. Big favorites ahead of the match-up, Madrid weren't quite ready for what Robert Lewandowski had in store for them. The Dortmund striker extinguished the hopes of Cristiano Ronaldo & co by scoring four goals.

He scored four goals in 48 minutes and became the first player in Champions League history to score four goals against Real. The only previous quadruple in the semi-finals of the Champions League dated back to the 1960s, scored by the great Ferenc Puskás.

After losing 4-0 in Paris, the Catalans had to dig deep at Camp Nou. Ever the optimists, Luis Enrique's men were driven by the determination of one man: Neymar Jr.

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The Brazilian, paired with Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi at the forefront of the attack, led Barça's offensives. With a double, including a goal from a free kick and a legendary assist to Sergi Roberto, he all but single-handedly created the comeback. Surely the best match of Neymar's career and, without doubt, one of the most legendary encounters in the history of football.

If you talk about the Champions League, it's impossible to leave out the best player in the competition's history: Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese has always been able to level up for these games and did so in stunning fashion in 2018 against Juventus.

Inside the Juventus Stadium, the Portuguese scored a double, including a legendary acrobatic scissor kick, which will remain in the legend of the history of football. Applauded and acclaimed by Italian fans, he left Real Madrid the following year to join Juve.

Dusan Tadic is one of the few players to ever earn a perfect 10 rating in a match at this level. On May 13, 2019, he delivered one of the most unforgettable performances in Champions League history. In the quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid, Ajax had a tough task ahead after losing 2-1 in the first leg at home.

This Ajax-Tottenham clash encapsulated all the highs and lows of this sport. After an exceptional campaign and a place in the 2019 Champions League final on the line, the Dutch side missed out because of a hat-trick from a player no one expected: Lucas Moura.

The Brazilian, a former PSG player, is not known as a natural goalscorer. However, at the Johan Cruyff Arena, the winger put on an incredible showing with a hat-trick in the second half, including two goals on his wrong foot. The Brazilian scored the decisive goal in the final seconds, leaving Ajax heartbroken. Ah, the beautiful game!

We can't overlook Karim Benzema's sensational Champions League campaign in 2022. The Frenchman, who won the Ballon d'Or that same year, had an extraordinary season, highlighted by consecutive hat-tricks in the round of 16 and the quarter-finals — first against PSG, then against Chelsea. If we had to pick just one, his performance against the French side stands out as the most remarkable.

We often focus on the attackers, but without a top-tier goalkeeper, winning the Champions League is practically impossible. In 2022, while Karim Benzema led Real Madrid’s charge, Thibaut Courtois was their savior. In the final against Liverpool, the Belgian goalkeeper delivered an incredible performance, particularly in his battle with Mohamed Salah.

Though Real Madrid were largely dominated throughout the match, they could rely on Courtois as their last line of defense. He made a total of nine saves, six of which came against the determined Salah. Without Courtois’ heroics, Real Madrid would not have clinched the Champions League title.

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