L’Equipe, the esteemed French sports publication, is notorious for its stringent player ratings. A perfect 10 from them is a rare and coveted honour, reserved for truly exceptional performances.
Here, we delve into the exclusive club of 16 players who have achieved this feat, along with the dazzling displays that earned them a place in history.
The French news outlet L’Equipe is notoriously strict in its scoring system, but there are rare performances that leave them awestruck, awarding a perfect 10/10.
Ademola Lookman etched his name in Atalanta and Europa League history by scoring a stunning hat-trick to win the Italian side’s first European trophy, ending Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten run.
His extraordinary performance earned him a place in the exclusive club of players to receive a 10/10 rating from L’Equipe.
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Here are the 16 players who have achieved this remarkable feat:
1. Franck Sauzee & Bruno Martini – France U21s 3-0 Greece U21s, 1988
Sauzee netted a brace while Martini made crucial saves in the European Under-21 Championship final, leading to their perfect scores.
2. Oleg Salenko – Russia 6-1 Cameroon, 1994
Salenko scored five goals in a single World Cup match, sharing the Golden Boot despite Russia not advancing past the group stage.
3. Lars Windfeld – Aarhus 1-0 Nantes, 1997
Windfeld’s exceptional saves helped Aarhus achieve a surprise victory over Nantes in the UEFA Cup.
4. Lionel Messi – Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal, 2010
Messi’s four-goal masterclass helped Barcelona overcome a 2-2 first-leg draw in the Champions League quarter-finals.
5. Lionel Messi – Barcelona 7-1 Bayer Leverkusen, 2012
Messi set a Champions League record by scoring five goals in a single game.
6. Robert Lewandowski – Borussia Dortmund 4-1 Real Madrid, 2013
Lewandowski’s four goals in the semi-final marked a shift in European football dominance towards Germany.
7. Carlos Eduardo – Guingamp 2-7 Nice, 2014
Eduardo scored five goals, including a stunning free-kick, in this Ligue 1 match.
8. Neymar – Paris Saint-Germain 8-0 Dijon, 2018
Neymar’s four-goal performance in this Ligue 1 match ended a four-year streak without a 10/10 rating.
9. Dusan Tadic – Real Madrid 1-4 Ajax, 2019
Tadic played a pivotal role, scoring once and assisting twice, in Ajax’s remarkable Champions League comeback.
10. Lucas Moura – Ajax 2-3 Tottenham, 2019
Moura’s hat-trick, including a last-second winner, propelled Tottenham to the Champions League final.
11. Serge Gnabry – Bayern Munich 7-2 Tottenham, 2019
Gnabry’s four goals against his former club marked his emergence as a global superstar.
12. Kylian Mbappe – France 8-0 Kazakhstan, 2021
Mbappe became the first French player to score four goals in a single game during this World Cup qualifier.
13. Alban Lafont – Nantes 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain, 2022
Lafont’s incredible goalkeeping helped Nantes secure a historic win over PSG.
14. Erling Haaland – Manchester City 6-3 Manchester United, 2022
Haaland’s hat-trick and assist in the Manchester derby earned him a 10/10 rating.
15. Dominik Livakovic – Croatia 1-1 Brazil (pens 4-2), 2022
Livakovic’s heroics in the World Cup quarter-final, including 11 saves and a crucial penalty stop, earned him top marks.
16. Erling Haaland – Manchester City 7-0 RB Leipzig, 2023
Haaland scored five goals in the Champions League last-16, though his quest for a double hat-trick was halted by a substitution.
17. Ademola Lookman – Atalanta 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen, 2024
The latest inductee to the exclusive club is Ademola Lookman.
Lookman’s hat-trick in the Europa League final ended Leverkusen’s unbeaten streak and secured Atalanta’s historic victory.
These performances exemplify the extraordinary talent and unforgettable moments that can leave even the toughest critics at L’Equipe in awe.
