Who is the ultimate big-game scorer in football history?

http://eircomsports.eircom.net/News/greatest-big-game-scorer.aspx

Who is the ultimate big-game scorer in football history?

The key list: most likely to decide a big game

Code:

Player  Big games      Decisive goals  Ratio
Pele            31      12      0.39
Leo Messi      41      16      0.37
Ronaldo)        97      35      0.36
Eusebio        33      11      0.33
Di Stefano      63      20      0.32
Michel Platini  57      18      0.32
David Villa    53      17      0.32
Gerd Muller    63      20      0.31
Rivaldo        59      17      0.29
Didier Drogba  82      27      0.29
van Basten      46      13      0.28
Denis Law      53      12      0.27
Thierry Henry  95      26      0.27
Ian Rush        74      27      0.27
George Best    54      14      0.26

The most likely to score in any given big game

Code:

Player  Big games      Number of individual games scored in    Ratio
Pele            31      19      0.61
Eusebio        33      18      0.55
Di Stefano      63      34      0.54
Gerd Muller    63      32      0.51
Ronaldo        97      49      0.49
Leo Messi      41      20      0.49
Michel Platini  57      28      0.49
Rivaldo        59      27      0.46
Ferenc Puskas  37      17      0.46
David Villa    53      24      0.45
Shevchenko      43      19      0.44
Romario        34      14      0.41
C.Ronaldo      86      35      0.41
Denis Law      53      21      0.4
Ronaldinho      86      35      0.41

Most goals per big game

Code:

Player  Games  Goals  Ratio
Pele            31      32      1.03
Eusebio        33      27      0.81
Di Stefano      63      49      0.78
Leo Messi      41      31      0.76
Gerd Muller    63      47      0.75
Romario        34      25      0.74
Ronaldo        97      65      0.67
Ferenc Puskas  37      23      0.62
Rivaldo        59      36      0.61
David Villa    53      31      0.59
Michel Platini  57      33      0.58
Shevchenko      43      24      0.55
Denis Law      53      28      0.53
Ian Rush        74      39      0.53
C.Ronaldo      86      42      0.49

Seems like Messi is right up there with the most decisive goal scorers of all-time, counting also his creating and assisting, he's probably also one of the, if not the most decisive player(s) of all-time.

What qualifies as a big game? Beacuse that's kind of a huge deal considering the nature of this comparison.

In before "no such thing as big games in Brazil"

BTW: Zealous!

Zealous wrote:What qualifies as a big game? Beacuse that's kind of a huge deal considering the nature of this comparison.

look at the link

pele eusebio

Ganso wrote:

Zealous wrote:What qualifies as a big game? Beacuse that's kind of a huge deal considering the nature of this comparison.

look at the link

I saw it and in the last point it basically says "any game we think is essential also counts".

Having said that this list makes sense. All the big hitters seems to be present. Pele, Eusebio and Don Alfredo being up there is not a surprise at all. I also wonder how Di Stefano's age affected his numbers because he played well into his thirties.

BTW: Viva <3

What Ronaldo is that btw? kinda confusing

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:What Ronaldo is that btw? kinda confusing

Since another entry is "C. Ronaldo", I'd assume that "Ronaldo" is the real Ronaldo.

Didn't see the C.Ronaldo entry

VivaStPauli wrote:In before "no such thing as big games in Brazil"

BTW: Zealous!

Judging by Pele's big game numbers it's right though?

Not really, no one else in Brazil besides Pele was getting Pele level numbers so it couldn't have been that easy.

Zealous wrote:Not really, no one else in Brazil besides Pele was getting Pele level numbers so it couldn't have been that easy.

Umm, Romario?

Pele 600 official goals in Brazil, 31 big games
Romario 500 official goals in Brazil, 34 big games

So only two players (who are considered all time greats) over the span of 57 years... lol

Zealous wrote:So only two players (who are considered all time greats) over the span of 57 years... lol

Umm,

Zico 400 official goals in Brazil, big games ?

Another statistic that does not account for the contributions of the teams at all, nor of the quality of the opponents at those big game.
frankly, it is a meaningless statistic. Especially since it does not even incorporate assists for those same players.

That being said, most of the names in the list are GOAT players. It just shows that statistics may support what real analysis finds out.

Harmonica wrote:

Zealous wrote:So only two players (who are considered all time greats) over the span of 57 years... lol

Umm,

Zico 400 official goals in Brazil, big games ?

I don't think we're on the same page here. I'm saying that no body during Pele's time was producing Pele's numbers in Brazil, hell very few players through out modern times have been able to do so. You are name dropping players but they are players who are considered among the best of all time.

Now I'm not sure what you are implying exactly but my guess is that Brazil was a pub league or something like that. Now even if it was, Pele was clearly only one doing what he was doing at the time and he even managed to shine with Brazil in all of the World Cups he's played in. Now you could argue that guys like Garrincha, Jarzinho and Rivellino were also very good but again these are players who are among the best ever. The only way to prove what you are claiming is to show me the numbers of a player who is universally agreed to be rubbish who is similar to Pele.

Hell forget the numbers, just use your eyes, the guy was obviously really really good because he was doing some amazing things in less than amazing conditions/playing environment.

Is that Cristiano Ronaldo?

Yohan Modric wrote:Is that Cristiano Ronaldo?

Just read the bloody thread, mate. :p

Had to scroll down to see Ronaldo's name.

- international tournament knock-out stages and group matches in which a result was essential
- semi-finals and finals in domestic cup competitions
- any match against those in the top three of their domestic division or historically-established rivals
- any league match where, due to a league, Champions League, relegation or simple record, a result was essential.

I have my doubts about what qualifies as a big game. Semi-final of a local cup competition? If it were a "big game" then surely Barca wouldn't play Pinto in such a game as they did last week?

And it seems a lot of these are subjective. "Group stage games in which a result is decisive", how do you determine this? How do you realistically get this sort of data for all players historically? Could be a lot to pick and choose from.

Also "top 3 in the division or historical rival", so would Barca-Espanyol be considered a big game?

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

- international tournament knock-out stages and group matches in which a result was essential
- semi-finals and finals in domestic cup competitions
- any match against those in the top three of their domestic division or historically-established rivals
- any league match where, due to a league, Champions League, relegation or simple record, a result was essential.

I have my doubts about what qualifies as a big game. Semi-final of a local cup competition? If it were a "big game" then surely Barca wouldn't play Pinto in such a game as they did last week?

And it seems a lot of these are subjective. "Group stage games in which a result is decisive", how do you determine this? How do you realistically get this sort of data for all players historically? Could be a lot to pick and choose from.

Also "top 3 in the division or historical rival", so would Barca-Espanyol be considered a big game?

Not to mention the last point where "a result was essential" that is just really vague.

Zidane. His record speaks for itself.

sportsczy wrote:Zidane. His record speaks for itself.

The same Zidane who consistently flopped in CL finals at club level until that wonderful volley against Leverkusen?

Zealous wrote:

Ganso wrote:

Zealous wrote:What qualifies as a big game? Beacuse that's kind of a huge deal considering the nature of this comparison.

look at the link

I saw it and in the last point it basically says "any game we think is essential also counts".

Having said that this list makes sense. All the big hitters seems to be present. Pele, Eusebio and Don Alfredo being up there is not a surprise at all. I also wonder how Di Stefano's age affected his numbers because he played well into his thirties.

BTW: Viva <3

As such, in order to attempt to investigate which modern and historical players truly rise to the occasion, we looked at their records in four main types of game:

international tournament knock-out stages and group matches in which a result was essential
semi-finals and finals in domestic cup competitions
any match against those in the top three of their domestic division or historically-established rivals
any league match where, due to a league, Champions League, relegation or simple record, a result was essential.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

sportsczy wrote:Zidane. His record speaks for itself.

The same Zidane who consistently flopped in CL finals at club level until that wonderful volley against Leverkusen?

No. The one that scored 3 goals in 2 WC finals... dominated play in WC 2006, including MOTM against Spain, Brazil and Portugal to get to finals. Was the only reason France NT qualified to begin with in WC 2006. Completely dominated Euro 2000. Not to mention the rest of it.

When pressure was at its highest... which is how i rate WC and Euro... he was at his best.