The Distinguished Final Specialists at the top level throughout history

 A number of legendary names have become final specialists at the top level throughout history, with very few players able to match such a record, even today.

The 2025  FIFA CWC might have been over, but the final in East Rutherford left a remarkable note beyond just Chelsea’s stunning win over the UCL champions, PSG. The emergence of Cole Palmer as a new star for England might have been anticipated, yet his constant contribution in finals seems too obvious to deny. The former Manchester City man has become the new final specialist among football’s elite.

His record of contributing in finals—either through goals or assists—continues to grow, and Palmer could potentially reach new heights to cement his status as the greatest final specialist in history. The Blues star’s contribution rate in finals is already at 75%, even higher than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and, most recently, Kylian Mbappe.

Cole Palmer already made his mark during his time at the Etihad, scoring in the 2023 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, followed by a goal in the Community Shield against Arsenal. Unfortunately, that was not enough to convince Pep Guardiola to secure his spot in the starting lineup. Eventually, he left to join The Blues, where he was guaranteed regular minutes, and he has repaid that faith ever since, scoring 43 goals and setting up 29 times.

The 23-year-old versatile forward became a key figure in Chelsea’s triumphant 2025 UEFA Conference League campaign, providing two assists in the final. In the 2025 FIFA CWC, he bagged a brace and set up one more. He also continued delivering his lethal touch in the final third with The Three Lions, netting an equalizer in the EURO 2024 final before ultimately losing to Spain. Previously, he had scored the winning goal against the same side in the EURO U21 final in 2023.

So far, the only two finals where Palmer failed to impress were the 2022 Community Shield—when he only came off the bench—and the 2024 EFL League Cup final, as The Blues fell short against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Throughout history, Palmer is not yet the best final specialist, but he has already secured a spot in the top five. The Manchester-born frontman currently ranks fourth, just ahead of the Argentine talisman Lionel Messi. So, who are the top three? Check them out below. 

The percentage is calculated based on the total number of finals in which players made direct contributions (goals or assists) at both club and international levels, divided by the number of finals they appeared in. Players included in the list must have appeared in at least seven finals at the elite level, excluding regional local competitions like Brazil’s Campeonato Carioca or Spain’s Catalan Cup, and friendly tournaments.

Pelé (Brazil)

The Brazilian legend is undeniably one of the best final specialists in history. He thrived not only with the Seleção but also with both of his clubs, Santos and New York Cosmos. His contribution rate in finals was 75%.

Pelé’s most notable performances in finals came during the 1958 and 1970 FIFA World Cups, which were literally his first and last editions on the global stage. The Santos star bagged two goals in a 5–2 rout against hosts Sweden in Stockholm and netted the opener plus set up two more goals in the 1970 final in Mexico. At the Azteca Stadium, Pelé once again helped the Canarinha thrash their opponents, beating Italy 4–1. Sadly, he was not part of the lineup in the 1962 edition due to injury, featuring only in the first two games.

At the club level, his most memorable performance was in the 1962 Intercontinental Cup. The forward, whose real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, played a key role in Santos’ victory over Benfica. They thrashed the Portuguese giants 8–4 on aggregate. Pelé registered five goals and two assists, including a hat-trick in the 5–2 away win at the Estádio da Luz.

Pelé also scored twice in the following year against AC Milan, but only in the first leg, which they lost 4–2 at San Siro. He did not take part in the reverse fixture or the playoff decider.

Prior to the Intercontinental Cup showdowns, Pelé contributed heavily in Santos’s Copa Libertadores final victories over Peñarol in 1962 and Boca Juniors in 1963. He notched two goals in the former and recorded a goal and an assist in the latter.

The only finals where Pelé failed to make a direct contribution were the 1968 Intercontinental Super Cup and the 1977 NASL final with New York Cosmos. The former was a one-off tournament contested by past Intercontinental Cup winners, where Santos beat Inter Milan 1–0. The latter was part of the early version of the MLS, the U.S. domestic competition.

Luis Suárez (Uruguay)

The Uruguayan veteran striker is known for his lethal finishing, pace, acceleration, and his infamous ‘unusual habit’—biting opponents, most notably Italy center-back Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 FIFA World Cup group stage.

However, Suárez’s antics became a thing of the past once he moved to Barcelona in 2014. Playing alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, Suárez was the missing piece in forming a deadly trident for the Catalan side, bringing instant success for Blaugrana.

The current Inter Miami frontman has become one of the most recent final specialists, with a finals contribution rate of 76.9%, even higher than that of Messi. He consistently made contributions in almost every final he appeared in, whether for club or country. The only time Suárez failed to contribute was during his stint at Liverpool. He was unable to register a goal or assist when The Reds played in the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals in 2012.

The Salto-born striker’s most memorable performances came in the 2015 UEFA Champions League final—when Barcelona crushed Juventus 3–1 in Berlin—and the 2011 Copa América final, where he scored one and assisted another as Uruguay dismantled Paraguay 3–0.

Ronaldo Luís Nazario (Brazil)

The best final specialist so far is Ronaldo—the Brazilian, not CR7. The former star of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, and AC Milan has the highest contribution rate in finals: 86.6%. This is significantly higher than any other top player in history. (For comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo’s ratio is only 51.2%.)

Ronaldo Luís won almost every major title with his clubs and country, except ironically two of the most prestigious continental competitions: the UEFA Champions League and Copa Libertadores. In fact, he was never able to help his teams reach the final in either tournament.
The prolific Brazilian striker contributed heavily in nearly every final he played.

His most unforgettable performances came in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup with Brazil and Barcelona respectively. He was the only goalscorer in both finals. He also scored one goal each in the 1998 UEFA Cup final with Inter Milan, the 2002 Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid, and in the Copa América finals of 1997 and 1999.

The only finals where Ronaldo failed to make a difference were the 1998 FIFA World Cup final—due to his mysterious illness before kickoff—and the 2000 Coppa Italia final, where he was only on the pitch for six minutes before suffering another injury.

The top eleven final specialists

Name	Number of finals throughout their career	Total percentage of contributing in the finals
Ronaldo Luiz Nazario	15	86,6 %
Luis Suarez	13	76,9 %
Pele	8	75 %
Cole Palmer	8	75 %
Lionel Messi	41	73,1 %
Michael Platini	11	72,7 %
Gabriel Batistuta	7	71,8 %
Diego Maradona	10	70 %
Neymar	23	69,5 %
Johan Cryuff	13	69,2 %
Gerd Muller	13	61,5 %