5 club legends who never won/may never win a trophy with their country

Every footballer has always prized trophies above all else. Forget the nonsense about modern players preferring money over trophies, everyone wants to be part of a trophy-winning team.

The French national side; Les Bleus that won a World Cup (1998) and a European Championship (2000) had a lot of players who had/went on to win it all at club level. The likes of Thierry Henry, Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane, and others amassed an amazing medal haul at both club and national level.

However, that great team was bettered decades later by the all-conquering La Furia Roja of Spain. The World Cup (2010) and European Championships (2008 & 2012) added the gloss to spectacular club careers for some of the players. Andres Iniesta, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Xavi Hernandez, David Villa et al have individually earned medal collections bigger than most clubs have.

Some players have been merely good but have managed to amass an amazing trophy haul (a good example is Alvaro Arbeloa). Some players have been exceptional and yet have an almost empty trophy cabinet (e.g Ronaldo Luiz Nazario De Lima).

However, some exceptional players have been unlucky. These set of legends have won almost everything there is to win at club level. Unfortunately, success with their national sides is one that eluded them throughout their stellar careers.

A lot of great players fit into this category. However, this article will take a look at 5 of the greatest of them all;

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#5 Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

Cruyff was the talisman for the Oranje but never lifted a trophy for his nation

As a player, there are few that can share the same stage as this Dutch maestro. As a coach, his ideas and philosophy have inspired millions of players and lots of coaches.

Cruyff is, without doubt, the greatest player ever to come out of Netherlands. When one looks back at the illustrious names that have emerged from that football-mad nation, this is high praise indeed.

Playing in the number 10 role, his magical dribbles, amazing passes and great finishing won him a lot of trophies. During his time with boyhood club Ajax, he became the team's talisman, winning 8 Eredivisie titles and 5 KNVB Cups.

With Cruyff pulling the strings, de Godenzonen as Ajax is known won three consecutive European Cups (UEFA Champions League) between 1971-1973. He won the Ballon d'Or thrice in his career and won major trophies as player and manager at FC Barcelona and Feyenoord.

Unfortunately, this all-time great never got to know what it felt like to win a trophy with his nation. Der Oranje was majestic in the 1974 World Cup Finals sweeping every opponent aside with their brand of Total Football. However, they failed at the last hurdle, losing to hosts West Germany.

Despite his 33 goals in 48 appearances and playing in one of the most talented generations in Dutch history, Cruyff never won a trophy for his nation.

#4 Luis Figo (Portugal)

Despite playing with some very talented players, Figo's Portugal career was barren

The 1990s and early 2000s was a golden age for the 4-4-2 formation. This was a system that saw a team play with two wingers, a playmaker, and a defensive midfielder.

In this timeline, few right-wingers were as good/influential as the great Figo. The Portuguese star was a marvel to behold as his dribbles, feints, crossing, and goals delighted fans from Catalonia to Madrid.

A product of the famous Sporting Lisbon academy that produced the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma, and other fantastic wingers, Figo was a player, unlike many others.

He was never the fastest player in the world. However, his ability to glide past opponents while keeping possession made him a nightmare for left-backs. This saw him play influential roles for Sporting, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He was very successful trophy-wise at club level, winning 21 trophies including a UCL with Real Madrid in 2002.

However, he never got the same returns with his national side. The “Selecção das Quinas" ("Team of the Five") of Figo's era was made up of players who had won a World Cup at the junior level (U-20 World Cup in 1992). In spite of that amazing quality, the team never really fulfilled its potential.

The painful loss on home soil to Greece in the final of Euro 2004 was the closest he ever came to getting silverware for his nation.

#3 Paolo Maldini (Italy)

A god amongst defenders, Maldini's Italy career never got the glory it deserved

If 10 people across the world were asked to name the greatest left-back of all time, about 90% will name Maldini. The classically handsome son of another great footballer/good coach; Cesare Maldini, he added an elegance to the fullback role that didn't exist before him.

A true great in every sense of the word, Maldini spent his entire career at Italian giants AC Milan. With the Rossoneri, he won everything there was to win. 8 Scudetti and 5 UCL titles do not tell the complete story of the amazing trophy haul he earned while at the San Siro.

His strength, pace, tenacity, intelligence and sense of timing made him a winger's nightmare. Many a terrific right winger became frightened mouses when they had to come up against this majestic player.

Few players will ever be able to match the longevity and effort Maldini gave for the Azzurri of Italy. However, it was an effort that never yielded the desired result. He appeared 126 times for the Italian national side and in every World Cup from 1990-2002.

However, like Cruyff and Figo, finals heartache was to be his portion. In the 1994 (USA) World Cup final, a missed Roberto Baggio penalty saw Brazil win its 4th world title.

Bigger heartache followed. In the 2000 European Championship final, Italy was minutes away from winning until a late Sylvain Wiltord goal gave France an equalizer and sent the game into extra-time. David Trezeguet's Golden Goal meant more finals misery for Maldini.

To add insult to injury, the 2006 World Cup won by the Azzurri was the first one that he missed following his retirement in 2002.

#2 Raul Gonzalez (Spain)

Raul may be one of the unluckiest players in history

Until the arrivals of Ronaldo (Real Madrid) and Villa (Spain), nobody had worn the number 7 shirt for both teams the way Raul did. The central figure for club and country for the majority of his career, the quiet, soft-spoken striker was the definition of world-class.

Not particularly fast, not the strongest nor the most skillful, few people gave the frail-looking Raul a chance to succeed. However, he did succeed and in so many different ways.

Taking over as Los Merengues' main man following the retirement of Hugo Sanchez, the young Raul impressed everyone with his work ethic and goalscoring instinct. Displaying a killer's mentality in front of goal, he was at the same time a great goalscorer and a scorer of great goals.

Despite the many managerial and presidential changes at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, he continued to bang in the goals with reckless abandon. As talisman and captain, he won 7 La Liga and 3 UCL titles among other titles with Real Madrid. He was the club's all-time record goalscorer and the record goalscorer in UCL history (records that have since been broken by Cristiano Ronaldo).

However, his career for La Furia Roja was one filled with lows and almost zero highs. He was the leading goalscorer for the Spanish national side with 44 goals in 102 games (a record that has also been broken by Villa). He never got to a final or even semi-final with his beloved Spain.

His dropping by Luis Aragones from the European Championships in 2008 generated a storm in Spain. However, it proved to be a masterstroke as the team went on to win Spain's first title in 44 years.

#1 Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Messi's Argentina career has been one of frustration and few highs

Whenever the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) conversations are being had, Messi's name is always in the mix. This is because, minus Diego Maradona, the world has never seen a player like him before. La Pulga Atomica has become a part of highlight reels across the globe and a symbol for a generation of footballers and fans.

At club level, it is easier to mention what he has not won as listing what he has won will take considerable time. La Liga (9), UCL (4), Copa Del Rey (6) crowns are among Messi's amazing trophy haul in FC Barcelona colours.

At this juncture, it is safe to say that by the time he retires (hopefully not until he is 60), he would have become the greatest footballer in the storied history of the Blaugrana. His rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo is one that has held the world spellbound over the last decade.

However, in terms of international achievements, the Portuguese superstar edges the Argentine magician. Messi is currently La Albiceleste's record all-time goalscorer with 65 goals in 128 appearances.

However, in spite of his goals and assists, Argentina has remained trophyless since 1993. The pain of losing three finals consecutively; Copa America (2015 & 2016) as well as the World Cup (2014) is one that will haunt him forever.

It remains unclear if Messi will return to the Argentina fold. Most people would be praying he gets a chance to finally lift some national silverware.