Top 10 Individual Athlete Performances of All Time

On October 17th, Game 4 of the National League Championship Series took place between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dodgers star player Shohei Ohtani would go on to drop one of the greatest performances in sports history to sweep the Brewers and send the Dodgers to a second straight World Series, which they would eventually win. Ohtani’s historic performance left me and many sports fans wondering: “Where does this rank among all-time individual athlete performances?” Hence, here’s an article that will give you the top 10 of these feats. 

You may be wondering: “What constitutes a great performance?” Well, let me answer that. My first rule is that it has to be a team game, so no Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, or Serena Williams. I acknowledge these athletes have done unbelievable things in athletics, but I am measuring a player who elevated their team. The second factor is the stage—did the player do this in the middle of July during the MLB regular season, or did they do it in a championship game in the playoffs? Third is x-factor/clutchness—would the team have won whether or not said player put in that level of play? I understand there are a lot I may have missed, so feel free to make your own list if you disagree with mine.

Let’s begin:

10. Trevor Lawrence vs Alabama, 2018 National Championship

Statline: 20/32, 347 yards, 3 TD 

The national title game against the best defense in the country, which consisted of eight future NFL draft picks, was no challenge too big for Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. At one point, he led five consecutive scoring drives and put the game away in the third quarter. His 74-yard touchdown pass to Justyn Ross was the second-longest touchdown pass in College football playoff history. Clemson’s 44-16 win against the unbeaten Crimson Tide served as Nick Saban’s largest margin of loss in his legendary tenure at Alabama. Oh, and as the kicker, Trevor Lawrence was a 19-year-old true freshman. 

9. Ohtani Game 4 vs Brewers, 2025 NLCS

Statline: 3-3, 3 HR, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 10 K

You could call it recency bias, but this is the greatest performance in the history of Major League Baseball. The stats speak for themselves. 10 strikeouts in 6 shutout innings is already a stellar pitching performance. But then going 3 for 3 at the plate and hitting 3 home runs is unbelievable. This game clinched a World Series berth for the Dodgers, and the crazy thing is, all three of those home runs would have been home runs in every single ballpark in the MLB. 

8.  Messi vs Man United, 2011 Champions League Final

Statline: 1 goal 

There were a lot of Messi performances I could have chosen from, but this one under the Wembley lights stood out to me the most. He was an orchestrator in the legendary Barcelona midfield, and he was untouchable. Smooth as silk, he influenced the game like no other player could. His long-range go-ahead stunner had legendary Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson shaking in his boots. The game ended 3-1, and Messi won his third Champions League, and Barcelona won their fourth. 

7. Pelé vs Sweden, 1958 World Cup Final

Statline: 2 goals, 1 assist 

A 17-year-old Pelé announced himself on the world stage, carrying Brazil to their first of 5 World Cups and Pelé’s first of 3. He was the youngest player to ever score in a World Cup final, scoring twice and assisting an additional time. Pele’s skill stunned the Swedish, and that’s when the world realized they had a once-in-a-generation prodigy on their hands. Pele would go on to forever change the beautiful game. 

6. Marta vs USWNT, 2007 Women’s World Cup Semi-Final 

Statline: 2 goals

The United States Women’s National Team was on a 51-game unbeaten run going into the final, then they had to face Marta. Her performance in Brazil’s 4-0 dismantling of the Americans included 2 goals, one of which is one of the greatest goals I’ve ever seen. Marta’s performance was so legendary that people don’t talk about her missed penalty in the final that saw Germany crowned as World Champions, but they instead mention this game. 

5. Brady vs Atlanta Super Bowl 51

Statline: 43/62, 466 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Ah, yes, we couldn’t get this far without a Tom Brady Super Bowl, and what better option than this historic comeback from Super Bowl 51? In the third quarter, the Patriots were down 28-3, an infamous scoreline. That was until Brady rallied the troops, played out of his mind, and led five straight scoring drives to erase the deficit. The Patriots won 34-28 in overtime. It was Brady’s fifth Super Bowl, surpassing Joe Montana’s four and cementing himself as the GOAT. 

4. Michael Jordan Game 5 vs the Jazz 1997 NBA Finals

Statline: 38 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists 

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease. Symptoms range from mild to severe and can include: fever, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. The night before Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan came down with a pretty serious case of the flu. The series was tied 2-2, and the game was in Utah. By that time, Jordan had won four rings and couldn’t be considered an underdog, but playing through severe illness added a new chapter to his legend. Jordan would go on to carry the Bulls to a memorable victory and would, in the next game, clinch his fifth championship. 

3. Michael Jordan Game 6 vs the Jazz 1998 NBA Finals

Statline: 45 points, 4 steals 

Yes, Michael Jordan finds himself here again, back-to-back times. This time, this is for his Game 6 performance against the Jazz the following year. While the stats are phenomenal and Michael Jordan dominated in his usual manner, it’s the final twenty seconds that make this special. Jordan steals the ball from Karl Malone, dribbles down the court, hits a crossover, and nails a 20-foot jumper to put the Bulls up by 1 with 5 seconds remaining. That jumper was the game-winner as the Bulls clinched a three-peat, and Jordan got his sixth ring. This was his final moment as a Chicago Bull, one that will live in honor. 

2. Maradona vs Belgium, 1986 World Cup Semi-Final

Statline: 2 Goals 

Diego Maradona is commonly known for his famous performance against England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup. However, in my opinion, his performance in the following round against Belgium is superior. Maradona scored a beautiful brace to take Argentina to the World Cup final, and he just dominated Belgium overall. His performance was majestic. It was like he was from another planet. 

1. Zidane vs Brazil, 2006 World Cup Quarter-Final  

Statline: 1 assist 

The numbers don’t jump off the page, but don’t let that fool you; this is the greatest performance ever seen on a football pitch and in my opinion, any in the history of team sports. Zinedine Zidane led an aging French team that was past its peak against the reigning world champions in Brazil. What ensued was perfection of the highest order. With every touch, he dissected Brazil with effortless elegance and showed complete mastery of the game. He made a Brazil team that had legends like Kaka, Ronaldinho, Cafu, and Roberto Carlos look like a load of lost amateurs. He created the only goal of the game with a pinpoint free kick to Thierry Henry and controlled the tempo from start to finish. True genius on the biggest stage.