10 great players who have never won a title with their country
There are many incredible footballers who have failed to win a title with their national team. These are the biggest names who have suffered this fate...
Leo Messi (Argentina)
The Argentinian ace has managed to win five Balon d'Or's. However, with Atgentina he has only ever come close to lifting a title, making it to the World Cup and Copa America final. In 2008 he won a gold medal at the Olympic Games, but it doesn't count as it was a sub-23 tournament.
Johan Cruyff (Holland)
The legendary Barcelona and Ajax player was capable of changing the world of football. Although he picked up ten titles with his clubs, he didn't lift anything with the Dutch national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo, another of the stars who is still playing, hasn't experienced any international glory with Portugal. He came agonisingly close at Euro 2004, but the hosts fell at the last hurdle to Greece in the final.
Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
One of the most well-known players in the history of football, Puskas reached the 2954 World Cup final, but Germany ended up claiming the title.
Eusebio (Portugal)
Eusebio triumphed with Benfica, but not with the Portugal national team. He was on-form at the 1966 World Cup with Portugal as favourites, but in the end they had to settle for third place.
Roberto Baggio (Italy)
This player will forever be remembered in the history of the Italian national team, however maybe for the wrong reasons, after he missed the decisive penalty in the 1994 World Cup, which crowned Brazil as champions.
Michael Ballack (Germany)
The talented midfielder came very close to lifting a title on two occasions. The first was in the 2002 World Cup, when he was sent off in the final, and the second in the Euro 2008 final against Spain.
Zico (Brazil)
The famous striker who triumphed with Flamengo couldn't achieve glory with Brazil. He was in the international setup for a long time, however it was during the period in which the Brazilian national team won nothing.
Michael Laudrup (Denmark)
The skillful Michael Laudrup triumphed with every club he played at, lifting titles with Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Ajax. However, he wasn't in the team when his country won the European Championship.
Paul Gascoigne (England)
The English legend who played for clubs like Newcastle, Tottenham and Lazio could only reach the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup.