Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar: The best individual performances in the Champions League

The Champions League is just around the corner! As we gear up for the biggest football tournament in the world, we want to take a look at some of the best individual performances ever in the Champions League.

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

The Manchester City centre-forward was in such good shape that 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."

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For many fans, Pep Guardiola released 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 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? The 'Remontada'? No – it's the final between Liverpool and AC Milan. Trailing 3-0 at half-time by the Milanese, the Reds had to pull off their biggest-ever comeback to overthrow Paolo Maldini and his teammates.

Carried by a huge Steven Gerrard, the English side will score in less than ten minutes. The captain will score for the first time in the 54th minute with a clear strike, before leading the offensive of his team with the stick. In six minutes, Liverpool scored three goals and won the 2005 Champions League after a legendary final.

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

The center-forward will score two high-class goals. The first came after a perfect delivery from Samuel Eto'o. The second, in the 70th minute, the Argentinian created on his own by bewitching the Bayern defense and placing the ball out of reach of Hans Jorg Butt, the German goalkeeper. Inter and Mourinho take the prize thanks to Milito's efforts.

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

It was not until the 76th minute that Lionel Messi struck for the first time, after a serve from Affelay and a slip from Marcelo. It was in the 86th minute that he shocked the world. On a legendary assist from Busquets (who just stopped the ball for Messi), 'La Pulga' will eliminate the four Madrid defenders and play Iker Casillas. Barça win 2-0 after a masterpiece from their number 10.

On April 24, 2013, Borussia Dortmund faced Real Madrid in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League. Largely favorites 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 last quadruple in the semi-finals of the Champions League then dated back to the 1960s, scored by the great Ferenc Puskas.

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

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

If you talk about the Champions League, it is impossible to miss 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.

He is one of the few players to achieve the perfect 10 rating in the Ajax team. On May 13, 2019, Dusan Tadic achieved one of the most memorable scores in Champions League history. Facing Real Madrid in the quarter-final second leg, Ajax had work to do after losing 2-1 in Amsterdam.

It all went down at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Perfect in all his touches, in all his dribbles, he delivered caviar after caviar and to crucify Real with a marvelous strike in the top corner. The result: two great assists, and a fantastic goal. The 10/10 is deserved. 

This Ajax - Tottenham represents all the highs and lows of this sport. After an exceptional campaign, Ajax will fall at home against Spurs on a hat-trick from a player no one expected: Lucas Moura.

The Brazilian, a former PSG player, is not known to be a natural goalscorer. However, at the Johan Cruyff Arena, the winger put on an incredible game with a hat-trick in the second half, including two goals from the wrong foot. The Brazilian scored the qualifying goal at the last second, knocking out a seductive Ajax. A magnificent heartbreak, all the beauty of football.

We also can't fail to mention Karim Benzema's Champions League in 2022. The Frenchman, crowned Ballon d'Or the same year, had an absolutely absurd season with two consecutive hat-tricks in the eighth and quarter-finals against PSG and then against Chelsea. If you have to choose only one, the one against Paris is undoubtedly the most striking.

On his own, the Frenchman put Real back in the game by scoring three goals in thirty minutes. Without mercy, the 'Nueve' crucified Paris and led Real in the quarter, where he also scored a hat-trick against Chelsea.

We never talk about the defenders, but without a great goalkeeper, it's almost impossible to win the Champions League. In 2022, if Karim Benzema carried Real Madrid, Thibaut Courtois was the savior. In the final, the Belgian goalkeeper made an XXL match in front of Mohamed Salah's Liverpool.

Dominated throughout the game, the Merengues were able to count on their last bastion. In total, Courtois made nine saves, including six ahead of the unlucky Mohamed Salah. Without him, Real would not have won this Champions League.

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