Solo runs are a very exciting thing to watch in football. It's always enthralling to see players make tireless runs on the pitch, dribbling past opposition players. Over the years, there have been some very impressive solo runs made by footballers and we will discuss the top 10 out of these.
10. Roberto Baggio vs Czechoslovakia, 1990
One of the best Italian footballers of all time, Baggio was one of the best players of the 1994 World Cup but Italia '90 was where he first shone for his nation. Following 1-0 wins over Austria and the United States, the Azzurri were up against Czechoslovakia at the Stadio Olimpico.
An early goal from Salvatore Schillaci put Italy 1-0 up and 70 minutes later, Baggio gave us one of the finest World Cup solo goals ever. After a one-two with Giuseppe Giannini, the then-23-year-old was in possession and brilliantly ran past a few Czechoslovak players before slotting the ball past goalkeeper Jan Stejskal.
This goal from Baggio is often considered to be the best goal of the 1990 World Cup and it was scintillating runs like these why people loved watching him play.
9. Neymar vs River Plate, 2015
One of the finest footballing talents of the 21st century, Neymar has often dazzled spectators with his skills, dribbling, and goals among others. He has often baffled opponents with his trickery and one such instance took place back in 2015.
It was the Club World Cup Final and Barcelona were playing River Plate. During the match, Neymar received a pass from Jordi Alba and then made a fine run, dribbling a few opponents in the process before a challenge from defender Eder Alvarez Balanta put the ball out of play.
The Brazilian was unable to find the net but dazzled the spectators through a terrific run. Barcelona eventually won the match 3-0 with Neymar assisting twice.
8. Ronaldo vs Compostela
One of the greatest players of all-time, Ronaldo had only season at Barcelona but his impact was massive, netting 47 goals in 49 matches across all competitions.
The Brazilian scored some terrific goals for the Blaugrana but arguably the best of them came against now-fourth-tier club Compostela. During the match on October 12 1996, Ronaldo received the ball and overcoming a tussle with Said Chiba, he made a fine run towards the penalty area and found the net after dribbling past two defenders. Barcelona eventually won the match 5-1 with the Brazilian scoring twice.
The following day, the headline in Spanish newspaper AS read: 'Pele Returns'. This goal is often considered to be one of the best Ronaldo has ever scored. Despite spending just one season at Barcelona, El Fenomeno had the most prolific one of his career during his short stint, scoring 47 goals in 49 matches and was eventually awarded the Ballon d'Or.
One can only wonder how high would Ronaldo be regarded had he not faced all those injuries.
7. Gareth Bale vs Barcelona, 2014
In his prime, the Welshman was considered among the best players in the world and was renowned for his pace. Bale displayed a fine example of his speed six years ago during the Copa Del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Angel di Maria put a Ronaldo-less Los Blancos ahead after only 11 minutes but Marc Bartra headed in the equalizer during the second half.
With five minutes left on the clock, Bale who had a goal disallowed during the match received the ball at the halfway line. He outran Bartra and made a quick run towards the penalty area before beating goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto to score the winner for Real Madrid.
This was Bale's first goal in a Clasico and it's undoubtedly among the finest the Welshman has scored throughout his career.
6. George Weah vs Verona, 1996
One of the greatest footballers to have come out of Africa, the Liberian President is a highly revered figure in AC Milan and dazzled spectators through a sensational run which saw him eventually find the net.
It was the Rossoneri's first Serie A fixture of the 1996/97 season and their opponents were Verona. Despite conceding first, Milan scored twice through Marco Simone.
In the 85th minute, Verona won a corner and the ball eventually fell towards Weah who made a run from one end to another, beating a number of opposition -players on the way before striking the ball past keeper Attilio Gregori.
Milan won the match 4-1 and this remarkable solo goal remains one of the if not the best goal scored by the former Ballon d'Or winner.
Here starting from 1:40 and ranked as Weah's best goal for the club:
5. Saeed Al-Owairan vs Belgium, 1994
Firsts are always special and Saudi Arabia's maiden appearance at the FIFA World Cup was indeed a special one. A key reason behind that was Saeed Al-Owairan who scored a memorable goal during the competition.
It was the Saudis' final group game and Belgium were their opponents. Having previously beaten Morocco 2-1 after losing by the same scoreline to Netherlands, the Asians needed to win this game in order to qualify for the knockout stages.
Early during the match, Frank van der Elst's attempted pass to Enzo Scifo saw the latter being unable to hold on to it and Saudi Arabia had the possession.
Al-Owairan received a pass and made a fine run to the Belgian penalty area. After getting past Dirk Medved and Michel De Wolf, the Saudi No.10 got the better of Rudi Smidts before shooting past goalkeeper Michel Preud'homme.
It turned out to be the only goal of the game and Saudi Arabia were through to the last 16 of the World Cup where they'd get eliminated by eventual semifinalists Sweden.
Al-Owairan's spectacular run and finish dazzled all those watching at the RFK Stadium in Washington and it is widely regarded to be one of the finest goals in World Cup history.
4. Ryan Giggs vs Arsenal, 1999
The Welshman didn't feature very regularly during Manchester United's treble-winning season due to injury. However, he had his moments of brilliance and one of them came in the Red Devils' FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.
After a goalless draw in Villa Park, a replay took place at the very same venue. Both sides scored a goal before United were down to ten men after Roy Keane received a second yellow card for a foul on Marc Overmars. The match eventually went to extra time and the score was unaltered after the first half.
Four minutes into the second half, Patrick Vieira gave away the ball to Giggs wh made a terrific run to the Arsenal penalty area, dribbling past Vieira, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown before finding the net through a powerful left-footed shot.
The Welshman's goal saw Man United reach the FA Cup Final where they beat Newcastle United 2-0.
3. Lionel Messi vs Athletic Bilbao, 2015
This is another one that involves a Copa Del Rey Final. The year was 2015 and Barcelona were up against Athletic Bilbao.
The Blaugrana opened the scoring after 20 minutes thanks to a piece of individual brilliance from Messi. After receiving a pass from Dani Alves on the right flank near the halfway line, the Argentine made a fine run to the Bilbao penalty area, beating four defenders before scoring past goalie Iago Herrerin.
Barcelona eventually won the match 3-1 with Messi scoring twice but his first goal stole the headlines. It was eventually nominated for a Puskas but lost out to Wendell Lira's bicycle kick.
2. Lionel Messi vs Getafe, 2007
This is probably the goal that made football fans get a little hint of what Messi would become in the upcoming years. Barcelona were up against Getafe in the Copa Del Rey semifinals.
The first leg took place at Camp Nou and the hosts opened the scoring thanks to Xavi. During the 30th minute, Messi collected the ball close to the halfway line and made one of the most entertaining solo runs in football history in a remarkable show of pace and skill.
The Argentine who was a teenager at the time dribbled past four defenders and the goalkeeper before finding the net with an angled shot from his right boot.
Messi has scored some spectacular goals but this one is arguably his finest.
1. Diego Maradona vs England, 1986
Maradona made the 1986 World Cup his own through a string of outstanding performances. The Argentine did well during the group stages but his best was seen during the knockouts.
La Albiceleste were up against old rivals England in the quarterfinals and Maradona opened the scoring through one of the most controversial goals in football history.
However, just four minutes later, the then-Napoli star produced a piece of brilliance. After receiving the ball close to the halfway line, Maradona made a stunning run to the England penalty area, dribbling past Peter Beardsley, Steve Hodge, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick before going past Peter Shilton and finding the net.
The Argentine's display against England made headlines and his goal is still often considered to be the greatest goal in the history of the football World Cup. His finish was good but the way he dribbled past all those English players was truly genius.
