Skip to main content

Small Teams' Stars Who Led Their Nations to Major Tournament Debut

 


Several small teams’ star players made significants contributions to their countries' historic major tournament debuts.

Making a debut in a major tournament, whether continental or international, is a significant milestone in national team development. It does not only showcase their team's progress, but also demonstrates their ability to compete at the highest level.

Qualifying at the major competition might be easier for the established team but not for the minnows. They only have their one or two star players to count on for reaching that stage. Some of them might have contributed so heavily that they seemed to carry the whole team on their own, while others have been lucky enough to get help from a strong team.

Napoli’s Kvicha Kvaratshelia is the most current example of the latter. He did not have to carry Georgia on his shoulder alone to seal one spot in their first major tournament, EURO 2024 next summer, after thumping Greece on penalties last Tuesday, March 26th. Georgia also have Valencia goalie, Giorgi Mamardashvili as their key man.

The winger nicknamed Kvaradona does not have to wait for long to experience his first major international competition after his breakout. He just helped Il Partenopei clinching their first Serie A title in 33 years last year.

While some top players were able to help their country make their first major competition debut relatively immediately, others had to work harder than anticipated. Ukraine's Andry Shevchenko was the most prominent example. He began to emerge in the late 1990s, with Dynamo Kiev when they dismantled Barcelona 4-0 in Camp Nou in UCL 1997 and reached UCL semifinal two years later. He even won it with AC Milan in 2003. Nonetheless, Sheva only led Ukraine to their major tournament debut in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when he was no longer in his peak. Here are the former stars players who helped their country their debut in major competition during their prime years.

Teemu Pukki (Finland)

The former Norwich City frontman was the key figure in Finland’s success to make their major tournament debut in EURO 2020. Pukki is Finland’s all-time leading top scorer with 40 goals in 120 caps. He rose to prominence after leading Norwich to promotion in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 seasons, having won the Championship's top scorer award with 29 goals in the former campaign. His tally decreased in his Premier League season debut as he only contributed 11 goals and three assist.

Pukki remained lethal in the international fixtures. He scored 10 goals in 10 games of EURO 2020 qualifiers eventually helped Finland qualify to their first ever major competition, including a brace to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 and a winning goal from a penalty spot while thumping Greece 1-0. Finland qualified as a runner up accompanying the eventual champions, Italy.

Unfortunately, in the final round, the current Minnesota United man failed to score a single goal. His team did pick up a narrow 1-0 win over Denmark at the opener but suffered defeats in the remaining two matches versus Russia and Belgium.

Pukki’s notable individual awards:

-          EFL Championship Top Scorer: 2018/19

-          EFL Championship Best Player: 2018/19

-          Finnish Player of the Year: 2019, 2020.

-          EPL Player of the Month: August 2019.

Edin Dzeko (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

The current Fenerbahce man is Bosnia’s football hero. He has been the key man in the team since his international debut. Dzeko also led Bosnia and Herzegovina make their major tournament debut in 2014 FIFA WorldCup.

His name emerged at the top level when he brought Wolfsburg to win their first Bundesliga in 2009 and won Bundesliga top scorer award a year later. He later joined Manchester City and was part of the side that won their first EPL title in over 40 years in 2012.

In 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Bosnia was lucky enough to be seeded with no elite sides. Being grouped with Greece, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Lichtenstein, Dzeko and Co qualified automatically as a group leader. The former Roma and Inter frontman netted 10 times plus provided six assists in the process. In the final round, he still managed to score one while Bosnia won 3-1 over Iran at the group stage, although they could not go through to the round of 16.

Dzeko’s notable individual awards:

-          Bundesliga Top Scorer: 2009/10

-          Serie A Top Scorer: 2016/17

-          Europa League Top Scorer: 2016/17

-          DFB Pokal Top Scorer: 2008/09

-          Bosnian Player of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2012

Zlatko Zahovic (Slovenia)

He was the most famous Slovenian footballers in late 1990s and early 2000s. Zahovic stole the spotlight after his stellar performance in FC Porto and Olympiakos. His goal scoring prowess significantly helped his country to make their major international debut in EURO 2000.

Zahovic’s contribution during the qualifiers was remarkable, with nine goals in his tally, including a brace against Greece which forced them to share spoils, plus one goal against Ukraine in the playoff. In Netherlands-Belgium, he demonstrated his eye for goals too by contributing three goals and one assist in the first two games versus Yugoslavia and Spain. Unfortunately, Slovenia headed to exit without a single win.

The former Valencia and Benfica man also helped his country qualify for its first World Cup two years later. However, his notorious clashes with his boss tarnished his reputation. He was even sent home after the opener in Japan-Korea 2002 due to a disagreement with the manager, Srecko Katanec.  

Marek Hamsik (Slovakia)

He is one of Napoli’s notable players in history and Slovakian’s key figure in their emergence in the major tournament. He rose to stardom when he joined Napoli in late 2000s and helped Slovakia make their international competition debut in 2010 FIFA World Cup. His contribution as a midfielder was incredible. At the age of 23, he demonstrated his leadership and playmaking abilities for the debutante.

In the qualifiers, he registered two goals and two assists. Both of his goals came in crucial games while thumping Northern Ireland 2-1 and mustering a 2-2 draw against Czechia. Meanwhile, his assist led to a winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Poland.

In South Africa 2010, he had already been named the captain and guided Slovakia to advance to the round of 16 in their debut. Hamsik even helped his team beat the reigning Champions Italy 3-2 in the final game of the group stage. The former Trabzonspor man carried on his incredible form as he led his country to qualify in EURO 2016 and 2020 respectively before hanging his boots.

Hamsik’s notable individual awards:

-          Serie A Young Player of the Year: 2009

-          Serie A Top Assists Provider: 2013 and 2014

-          Slovak Player of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2013-2018

Gylfi Sigurdsson (Iceland)

He was considered Iceland’s most promising talent in his peak years. Sigurdsson became well-known during his first spell in Swansea followed by his stint in Tottenham and the return to the Welsh side in 2014. He joined Everton afterwards and stayed with the Toffees until 2022 when he stumbled to the allegation on the inappropriate act against a minor victim.

During his prime, the 34-year-old attacking midfielder helped Iceland qualify to their first major international competition, EURO 2016. Sigurdsson notched six goals and one assist in the qualifiers, including winning goals while crushing Netherlands 2-0 and 1-0 respectively in both fixtures, and one goal in a 3-0 victory over Turkey.

In the final round, he also registered one goal against Hungary and one assist in a 5-2 defeat from the host France at the quarterfinals. Prior to their loss, Iceland managed to hold Portugal in a 1-1 draw at the opener and saw off England in the round of 16. The former Hoffenheim man also brought his country to seal one spot in 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Sigurdsson’s notable individual awards:

-          EPL Player of the Month: March 2012

-          Icelandic Player of the Year: 2010, 2012-2019


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Best Football Films based on true Football Stories

  Football films based on true events are not as common as we might hope, but the few that exist certainly stand out as some of the best. Unlike American football or basketball films, football (or soccer, as it's called in the U.S.) hasn't gained the same level of popularity or production in Hollywood. That’s understandable, given the sport’s limited appeal in the U.S. historically. However, with the country set to co-host the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup next year, more football films should be produced to build the hype and capture the spirit of the world’s biggest sporting event. Football movies have the unique ability to explore stories on and off the pitch — from a fan's perspective to tales centred around players, managers, or even lesser-known supporting characters. The following list focuses solely on those based on true events, highlighting the personal conflicts, dressing room dynamics, and emotional journeys that define real football legends. As we enjoy...

The Most Daring Journeyman Managers in History

  Not many gaffers opt to roam around the world to become journeyman managers in their careers and gain fair success.  Being a football manager, just like any other profession, needs a challenge to push the limit in their career, be it for the silverware, more noble missions like developing football in the remote countries, or simply for an adventure. It is quite rare to find one recently and thrive, especially at the top level.  One of the few such figures is probably Jorge Jesus. The Portuguese boss has currently signed for the post in Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr. It would be a challenge as well as an honour for him to lead Cristiano Ronaldo, something that he never had during his stints in Europe. Jesus mainly spent his career in his home soil and Turkey before venturing to South America and winning the prestigious title, Copa Libertadores 2019, with Flamengo. He is one of the few European gaffers who managed to do so. However, his experience in three contine...

Top Barcelona Stars signed from Espanyol

  More than 40 players were snatched by Barcelona from their city rival, Espanyol, for their first team, but only a few eventually thrived. Barcelona and RC Espanyol have been rivals for years, but it does not stop both sides from swapping players. Blaugrana did release more of their stars to their fellow Catalan side, but not exactly the opposite. Former Danish international Martin Braithwaite was the last one to play regularly for Espanyol in the 2022/23 season. This season, however, Hans Flick’s side does the opposite by signing Espanyol’s brightest talent last season, Joan Garcia. He was La Liga’s best shot stopper last season despite only helping his team finish at the lower table. In fact, Garcia is seemingly prepared to take up the number one spot from the club’s captain, Marc Ter Stegen. The German goalie has fallen out of favour under Hans Flick since his attitude ahead of the second leg of the UCL semifinal against Inter Milan last season. Should Garcia be able to p...