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Football players have made headlines down the years for failing to score in open goals but few compare to these 10, among them some of the world’s best forwards.
Goals are what make football exciting and when they are scored in style, the scorers earn lots of admiration from fans.
However, not everyone is lucky to score and even the best,including the likes of Lionel Messi, miss chances that you would expect an everage player to score.
From Messi to Yakubu - Top 10 Shocking Misses in Football History
10. Lionel Messi - Argentina vs Trinidad and Tobago
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Argentine legend Lionel Messi has scored some great goals during the course of his career but during an international match for Argentina against Trinidad and Tibago, there was proof that even the best miss sitters as he could not convert from 30 centimetres.
A pass was laid on a plate for Messi who was through and with an open goal, the superstar blazed over what should have been a simple tap in.
9. Fernando Torres - Manchester United vs Chelsea (2011)
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In a moment which pretty much summed up Fernando Torres' spell at Chelsea, the forward initially produced a fantastic bit of skill to fool Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea before blazing an horrendous effort wide of the post.
Torres' side eventually suffered a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford as a brace from Rooney helped to secure victory for the Red Devils.
8. Edin Dzeko - AS Roma vs Palermo (2016)
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While playing for AS Roma in a Serie A clash, Edin Dzeko shot wide when it would have been easier to score.
The Roma striker had the opportunity to open the scoring against Palermo when the ball was played to him at the back post.
Unmarked, three-yards from goal, free from pressure and the entire goal at his mercy - somehow the former Manchester City forward contrived to put the ball wide of the far post.
7. Roberto Gagliardini - Inter Milan vs Sassuolo (2020)
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In June 2020, during the COVID-19-disrupted season, Roberto Gagliardini missed a glorious chance that would have perhaps secured victory for his club Inter Milan during a Serie A clash against Sassuolo.
The midfielder was quickest to react when Romelu Lukaku's shot was saved and had the goal at his mercy. Instead of firing the ball into the open net, he side-footed it onto the woodwork and Sassuolo were able to clear.
At the time, Inter Milan were leading 2-1 but after his costly miss, Sassuolo staged a fightback as the match ended 3-3.
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6. Neal Maupay - Brentford vs Cardiff (2017)
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During an English Championship match between Brentford and Cardiff City in November 2017, Neal Maupay produced one of the worst misses of the season after failing to score an open goal from six-yards out.
Having beaten the Cardiff goalkeeper, Maupay weighed up his options before dragging his shot wide of the mark, much to the amusement of Bluebirds fans behind the net.
5. Darwin Nunez - Luton Town vs Liverpool (2023)
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Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has a catalogue of missed sitters but none of them beats the one he could not convert against Luton Town in November 2023.
The Premier League match ended 1-1 but Liverpool should have won had it not been down to Nunez's extraordinary miss from a few yards out.
The Uruguayan blazed over when Mohamed Salah's header fell to him in front of an empty net, and was unable to convert several other opportunities.
4. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting - PSG vs Strasbourg (2019)
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Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting squandered one of the best chances while playing for Paris St-Germain against Strasbourg in November 2019.
Christopher Nkunku's shot was going in until Cameroon forward Choupo-Moting needlessly got a touch on the line and stabbed it on to the post.
It proved costly as PSG needed to win the match to wrap up the league with eight matches to go but could only draw 2-2 as they were made to wait for the title celebrations.
3. Randal Kolo Muani - France vs Argentina (2022)
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During the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, Randal Kolo Muani was brought on in the first half by Didier Deschamps to stop the momentum of Argentina.
He had the chance to win the match for France after Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick brought Deschamps’ men level on 3-3.
Kolo Muani’s big opportunity came in the 126th minute, when he found himself one-on-one with Emiliano Martinez but failed to convert the winning goal, with the Aston Villa keeper pulling off an outstanding save to take the game to penalties, where Argentina won.
2. Joshua Zirkzee - Bayern Munich vs Ajax (2021)
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Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee is currently frustrating the Red Devils fans over his decision making at the top end of the pitch but it looks like his profligacy did not start recently.
During a pre-season match while turning out for Bayern in July 2021, a young Zirkzee missed from an open goal against Ajax Amsterdam.
With the score at 1-1 just before halftime, the forward seemed like he would do everything right. The youngster rounded the Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer and moved closer to the empty goal. All he had left to do was to kick the ball into the net.
But the relaxed-looking 20-year-old then appeared to try and walk the ball over the goal-line instead, which allowed defender Perr Schuurs to get back and clear the danger just in the nick of time and prevent Zirkzee from scoring.
That miss earned him a lot of racist abuse on social media, forcing him to delete all his accounts.
1. Yakubu Ayegbeni - Nigeria vs South Korea (2010)
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At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the last group stage match was a must-win for Nigeria after two consecutive losses to Greece and Argentina.
Yakubu Ayegbeni and his teammates knew what was at stake after their first-half goal was canceled by two goals from their Asian counterparts.
Yusuf Ayila, after a dazzling run from the left wing, cut a comfortable ball to a waiting Yakubu who somehow diverted it wide.
This miss would eventually cloud everything Yakubu had achieved with Nigeria in the eyes of Super Eagles fans.
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