The Players Who Received The Perfect 10/10 Rating From L'Equipe
- Think Football Ideas
- Jul 2
- 8 min read
In a sport bursting with passion, drama, and unforgettable moments, there’s one mythical mark of individual brilliance: a 10/10 from L’Équipe. The French newspaper is famously stingy with praise, rating performances with the precision of a Michelin-starred critic. So when they hand out that rare perfect score, the football world pays attention.
Since 1988, only a select few have earned this honour. Even legends like Cristiano Ronaldo have fallen short. But 17 players have etched their names into this elite club. Here's a journey through every player who earned L’Équipe’s perfect 10.
Below Are The Players Who Received The Perfect 10/10 Rating From L'Equipe
1. Franck Sauzee’s U21 Masterclass Against Greece
Year: 1988 | Team: France U21 | Opponent: Greece U21 | Competition: U21 Euro Final (2 goals)
Back in 1988, France U21 faced Greece U21 in the second leg of the European Championship final. Franck Sauzee put on an exhibition, scoring twice in a commanding 3-0 win that sealed the title for Les Bleuets.
His commanding midfield presence and clutch finishing earned him the first-ever L’Equipe 10/10 rating. It was a milestone moment, not just for Sauzee, but for the concept of a perfect rating itself. And yes, it set the tone - brilliance under pressure is the standard.
2. Bruno Martini’s Heroics In The Same Historic Match
Year: 1988 | Team: France U21 | Opponent: Greece U21 | Competition: U21 Euro Final (goalkeeper heroics)
Incredibly, the same game birthed another 10/10. Goalkeeper Bruno Martini was a brick wall between the sticks against Greece U21. While Sauzee stole headlines for his goals, Martini was unbeatable at the back, making crucial saves and commanding his box with total authority.
It was the perfect blend of flair and fortitude, and L’Equipe wasted no time recognising both players with the highest honour. The bar had been set, and perfection could come from either end of the pitch.
3. Oleg Salenko’s Five-Goal Firestorm In USA ’94
Year: 1994 | Team: Russia | Opponent: Cameroon | Competition: FIFA World Cup (5 goals)
Fast forward to the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Oleg Salenko made history by scoring an astonishing five goals in Russia’s 6-1 demolition of Cameroon. It remains the most goals scored by a single player in a World Cup match.
The magnitude of that achievement made a 10/10 rating inevitable. Even though Russia didn’t progress from the group, Salenko’s name was etched into football folklore and the pages of L’Equipe history.
4. Lars Windfeld’s European Night Of Goalkeeping Glory
Year: 1997 | Team: Aarhus | Opponent: Nantes | Competition: UEFA Cup (GK brilliance)
In 1997, Danish goalkeeper Lars Windfeld was the unexpected hero as Aarhus GF knocked Nantes out of the UEFA Cup.
After drawing the first leg, Windfeld put in a legendary performance in the second, making save after save to preserve a 1-0 win. His shot-stopping was nothing short of supernatural that night. For L’Equipe to give a goalkeeper a 10/10, you know it had to be special. This was the kind of performance that makes underdog stories immortal.
5. Lionel Messi’s First Dance With Perfection Against Arsenal
Year: 2010 | Team: Barcelona | Opponent: Arsenal | Competition: UEFA Champions League (4 goals)
The year was 2010. Arsenal travelled to the Camp Nou for a Champions League quarter-final, only to be torn apart by a then 22-year-old Lionel Messi. He scored four goals in a devastating solo show, blending dribbling, composure, and finishing into a masterclass.
L’Equipe were convinced: this was footballing poetry in motion. It was Messi’s first 10/10, but not his last. It also signalled that even the game’s golden boys could elevate to divine status on the right night.
= Messi Again: Five-Star Show Versus Leverkusen
Year: 2012 | Team: Barcelona | Opponent: Bayer Leverkusen | Competition: UEFA Champions League (5 goals)
Two years later, in 2012, Messi did it again, but this time, it was against Bayer Leverkusen. Scoring five goals in a single Champions League game is unheard of, but Messi made it look effortless in a 7-1 rout.
The performance was otherworldly, yet clinical, and L’Equipe rewarded it with another perfect score. He became the first player in history to receive two 10/10s. It was official: Messi wasn’t just great; he was rewriting the rules of greatness.
6. Lewandowski’s Four-Goal Blitz Versus Real Madrid
Year: 2013 | Team: Borussia Dortmund | Opponent: Real Madrid | Competition: UEFA Champions League (4 goals)
In 2013, Robert Lewandowski shocked the football world by putting four past Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final while playing for Borussia Dortmund. It was a performance of pure instinct, timing, and technical brilliance.
Madrid had no answers, and neither did the L’Equipe critics. A 10/10 was deservedly his. In a competition where margins are razor-thin, Lewy carved out a legacy moment that put him among the continental elite.
7. Carlos Eduardo’s Five-Goal Riot In Ligue 1
Year: 2014 | Team: Nice | Opponent: Guingamp | Competition: Ligue 1 (5 goals)
October 2014, Ligue 1. Nice thrashed Guingamp 7-2, and Brazilian midfielder Carlos Eduardo stole the show with five goals. His timing, variety of finishes, and total control over the match left fans and analysts stunned.
Often overshadowed by bigger names, Eduardo seized his moment. It wasn’t a Champions League night, but that didn’t matter. L’Equipe recognised the spectacle for what it was: pure, unfiltered footballing brilliance.
8. Neymar’s Six Contribution Showstopper Versus Dijon
Year: 2018 | Team: PSG | Opponent: Dijon | Competition: Ligue 1 (4 goals, 2 assists)
In January 2018, Neymar turned a routine league match into his own personal theatre. PSG's 8-0 win over Dijon saw the Brazilian rack up four goals and two assists.
The crowd begged him to let Cavani take a penalty to break a club record. Neymar didn’t, but even that drama couldn’t overshadow his artistry. L’Equipe gave him the nod: 10/10. Love him or loathe him, when Neymar is in the mood, he is simply unstoppable.
9. Dusan Tadic’s Wizardry At The Bernabeu
Year: 2019 | Team: Ajax | Opponent: Real Madrid | Competition: UEFA Champions League (1 goal, 2 assists)
March 2019. Real Madrid were humbled at home by a slick Ajax side, led by Dusan Tadic. The Serbian playmaker scored one and assisted two in a famous 4-1 win that sent Ajax through to the Champions League quarters.
His vision, composure, and daring earned him a place in L’Equipe’s hall of perfection. On a night where everything clicked for Ajax, Tadic was the conductor of chaos.
10. Lucas Moura’s Second-Half Hat-Trick Against Ajax
Year: 2019 | Team: Tottenham | Opponent: Ajax | Competition: UEFA Champions League Semis (2nd half hat-trick)
In one of the most unforgettable nights in Champions League history, Lucas Moura etched his name into folklore. It was May 2019, and Tottenham were dead and buried at halftime, trailing Ajax in the semi-final.
But Moura, the Brazilian forward, unleashed a breathtaking second-half hat-trick to complete an impossible comeback. Spurs were going to the final, and Lucas had performed magic. It wasn’t just clutch, it was cinematic. L’Equipe didn’t hesitate: 10/10.
11. Serge Gnabry’s Revenge Tour Versus Tottenham
Year: 2019 | Team: Bayern Munich | Opponent: Tottenham | Competition: UEFA Champions League (4 goals)
Just months after leaving London, Serge Gnabry returned with a vengeance. Playing for Bayern Munich, he dismantled his old rivals Tottenham with four superb goals in a ruthless 7-2 Champions League group stage win in October 2019.
From long-range strikes to clinical finishes, Gnabry was untouchable. The Emirates may not have believed in him, but L’Equipe sure did. His performance was pure firepower and flair rolled into one. He earned his perfect 10.
12. Kylian Mbappé’s Kazakh Carnival In Paris
Year: 2021 | Team: France | Opponent: Kazakhstan | Competition: World Cup Qualifier (4 goals)
November 2021 saw Kylian Mbappé put on a clinic in a World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan. The PSG star bagged four goals in an 8-0 win, reminding everyone why he’s considered a generational talent.
It was a mix of electric pace, movement, and icy composure in front of goal. Mbappé danced through defenders and finished like a seasoned striker. L’Equipe, tough as they are, had no choice. This was football in turbo mode. 10/10.
13. Alban Lafont’s Wall-Like Display Against PSG
Year: 2022 | Team: Nantes | Opponent: PSG | Competition: Ligue 1 (GK heroics vs 72% possession)
In February 2022, Alban Lafont stood tall, literally and figuratively, against Paris Saint-Germain. Nantes ran out 3-1 winners, but it was the young goalkeeper’s jaw-dropping heroics that stole the spotlight.
PSG had 72% possession and nine shots on target, yet Lafont turned away almost everything they threw at him. Commanding, agile, and fearless, he made save after save to deny stars like Mbappé and Messi. L’Equipe couldn’t ignore it. The clean sheet may have been spoiled, but his rating wasn’t: 10/10.
14. Erling Haaland’s Derby Destruction Of Manchester United
Year: 2022 | Team: Manchester City | Opponent: Manchester United | Competition: Premier League (hat-trick in 6-3 win)
October 2022 brought Manchester United to the Etihad and into the path of Erling Haaland. In a 6-3 Premier League mauling, the Norwegian machine bagged a hat-trick and added two assists for good measure.
It was brutal, surgical, and entirely one-sided. His combination of strength, speed, and instinct had United defenders in knots. For L’Equipe, the decision was simple. This was dominance on every level. A perfect 10.
= Haaland Again: Five Goals, One Half Against Leipzig
Year: 2023 | Team: Manchester City | Opponent: RB Leipzig | Competition: UEFA Champions League (5 goals)
March 2023, Champions League Round of 16. Manchester City hosted RB Leipzig and Haaland went supernova. He scored five goals in just over 60 minutes before being subbed off, likely the only thing stopping him from more.
It was a wrecking-ball performance that included power headers, poacher’s finishes, and a hunger that couldn’t be quenched. L’Equipe handed him his second perfect 10, joining Messi as the only other double recipient.
15. Ademola Lookman’s Europa League Final Hat-Trick
Year: 2024 | Team: Atalanta | Opponent: Bayer Leverkusen | Competition: Europa League Final (hat-trick)
May 2024. Unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen met Atalanta in the Europa League final, and were stunned. Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman delivered a performance for the ages, scoring all three goals in a 3-0 win that gave Atalanta their first European trophy.
Each goal was a showcase of pace, finesse, and pure hunger. The stakes were massive, the moment even bigger. Lookman’s 10/10 wasn’t just earned, it was thunderously demanded by his brilliance.
16. Donovan Leon’s Goalkeeping Clinic Versus PSG
Year: 2024 | Team: AJ Auxerre | Opponent: PSG | Competition: Ligue 1 (11 saves, 0-0 draw)
Later that same year, AJ Auxerre’s Donovan Leon pulled off one of the most absurd goalkeeping performances Ligue 1 has seen. Against a full-strength PSG, he made 11 saves and kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw.
From Neymar to Mbappé, they all tried and failed to beat him. Leon stood like a gladiator, defying every expectation. L’Equipe tipped their hat: another 10/10, this time to a veteran shot-stopper who had his day in the sun.
17. Desire Doué’s Coming Of Age In The Champions League Final
Year: 2025 | Team: PSG | Opponent: Inter Milan | Competition: UEFA Champions League Final (3 goal involvements, 5-0 win)
In 2025, all eyes were on PSG’s Champions League final against Inter Milan. But it was 19-year-old Desire Doue who stole the show.
With three goal involvements in a dominant 5-0 win, he became the youngest player to do so in a final. He was everywhere, assisting, scoring, and dictating the pace. It was a masterclass beyond his years, on the biggest stage of all. L’Equipe gave him the flowers: 10/10, and a star was born.
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