Luck is one of the most important factors irrespective of the sport you are playing. When skills and strength match and result in a draw, it all comes down to the luck factor.
There have been many great players in the history of football that have gone down this road of hard luck and faced disappointments. Let us take a look at the players who lost in the finals of both UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup in the same year and rank the Top 5 unluckiest players in Football history.
5. Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a former Dutch winger who played for some of the best teams in the world. His senior career was spent with Premier League club, Chelsea, La Liga club Real Madrid, and Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.
In his decade-long stay with Bayern Munich, Robben played a total of 201 league matches scoring 99 goals. With Bayern, he went to the Champions League final in 2010 and lost it to Inter Milan. To add to his bad luck, his Netherlands team with him also lost the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
4. Mark van Bommel
The same tragedy was witnessed on his fellow teammate Mark van Bommel. Midfielder for Bayern Munich and Netherlands national football team, Mark had to face two upsets in a single year when he lost the Champions League and World Cup in 2010.
3. Dejan Lovren
One of the finest centre backs in the world, Dejan Lovren was the star defender for the Premier League club Liverpool. He played 131 league matches for the club and was part of the squad that won the Premier League season 2019-2020.
However, a year ago he went through a big heartbreak as Liverpool lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid and his national team Croatia lost in the 2018 FIFA World Cup against the reigning champions France.
2. Thierry Henry
Arsenal’s all time leading goalscorer, Thierry Henry is one of the greatest players of all time. He played 254 Premier League matches with Arsenal and scored 174 goals for them. In the year 2006, he lost the UEFA Champions League finals with them. Also losing the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the finals against Italy in the penalty shootouts.
1. Michael Ballack
There is nothing more sadder than Michael Ballack’s career. Even after trying so hard and giving his everything he could never win a World Cup. He came 2nd in the 2002 World Cup and 3rd in 2006 World Cup.
2002 was not his year at all as he lost 3 Tournament finals and his team finished second in Bundesliga. He lost the UEFA Champions Leaegue final, World Cup final and the DFB-Pokal finals as well.
