From Gyan to Rodriguez - Remembering World Cup one-hit wonders

World Cup one hit wonders GFX

The World Cup has given many players the platform to shine brightly - and then fizzle out. GOAL looks at some of the best.

There is a meme, often misquoted, that goes something like this:

Dudes just love sitting around and naming athletes.

And, unfortunately, there is some truth to it. Most sports fans, at some point, have found themselves in a room where the conversation becomes a contest of who can produce the most obscure name possible, preferably one that earns a knowing nod from everyone else.

Papiss Cissé or Julio Olarticoechea to name a few.

It's a ritual of sorts. And it's rather relevant when it comes to the World Cup. This tournament, over time, has birthed the careers of many a random footballer: some you don't expect, others you might have seen coming. But it is equally possible to burn too bright, too quickly. What about those guys? The ones who had their moment and never reached the same heights again? Well, they own a special place in the footballing world. And GOAL takes a look at them - the best one-hit wonders - ahead of the World Cup.

Asamoah Gyan

Asamoah Gyan, Ghana

In 2010, Ghana scored four goals at the World Cup. Gyan bagged three of them. His side was the definite surprise of the tournament, well-drilled, good going forward, immensely likable.

Gyan wasn't a totally unknown quantity - he played his club football for Rennes in Ligue 1. But he was by no means an established star. That tournament catapulted him into the mainstream, though. He bagged the winner against the United States in the round of 16. And even if it ended in heartbreak - an unforgettable penalty miss at the end of extra time against Uruguay in the quarter finals - Gyan remains a legend of the 2010 World Cup.

James Rodriguez Colombia Ivory Coast 2014 World Cup

James Rodriguez, Colombia

Who can forget James Rodriguez's volley for Colombia? At full speed, it's a blur: chest, step, bang, and the ball flies in. Slow it down, though, and it's even more impressive. Rodriguez knows exactly how much space he has at the edge of the 18-yard box, pops the ball up to avoid a center back, and steps into the shot perfectly. It's so, so difficult to do, and Rodriguez made it look laughably easy.

But he was so much more than that one goal. Rodriguez finished the 2014 World Cup with six goals, claiming the Golden Boot as a result. Real Madrid, watching from afar, spent big to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu. And he rather fizzled out. Rodriguez was too much of a maverick for a side that already contained Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema. They didn't need a mercurial No.10, and Rodriguez was just that. He bounced around after and is now (sort of) without a club.

FBL-WC-2022-MATCH62-FRA-MAR

Sofyan Amrabat, Morocco

Amrabat is perhaps encapsulated in one tackle. Early in the second half of Morocco's semifinal clash with France, the midfielder showed a little bit too much of the touchline to Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman obliged and dashed down the left. And that should have been it. Those sorts of sequences usually end up with the ball in the net.

Except for Amrabat, then a pretty much unknown center midfielder, stuck with the play. He chased Mbappe down and put in a memorable slide tackle, keeping his side in the game. It was the defining act of the Moroccan's 2022 World Cup, where he burst onto the scene with a series of commanding performances. He was part of the reason the African side made a run to the semis. But he also fizzled out remarkably quickly. A Man United move never made much sense, and he was a bit-part player at Betis last year.

South Africa v Mexico: Group A - 2010 FIFA World Cup

Siphiwe Tshabalala, South Africa

He scored a goal so good that he had Peter Drury commentating in another language. Tshabalala bagged the opener for South Africa against Mexico at the 2010 World Cup with an immense run and smack into the top corner - before topping it off with a celebration that came to define the tournament.

And that was more or less it. Tshabalala's goal was nominated for the Puskas award. South Africa struggled as a host nation. Tshabalala went on to have an agreeable club career in South Africa and Turkey. But that moment - and that tournament - will live long in the memory.

El-Hadji Diouf Senegal 2002

El Hadji Diouf, Senegal

Liverpool bought Diouf before the 2002 World Cup in the hope that the then-21-year-old would offer an extra attacking punch to a XI that already included reigning Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen. And at the time, they must have been convinced they were getting a gem. Diouf lit up South Korea and Japan, scaring opposing defenses with his pace and creativity. It was enough to earn him a World Cup best XI selection and get Senegal to a quarterfinal in their first-ever appearance at the tournament.

Indeed, stardom seemed inevitable. But it all went quite wrong, quite quickly. Diouf never settled at Liverpool and spent the majority of the rest of his club career bouncing around. His best goal return in a single season came in 2004, when he bagged nine for Bolton.

Saeed Al-Owairan Saudi Arabia 1994

Saeed Al-Owairan, Saudi Arabia

Watch this goal.

Star, right? Nope. Al-Owairan scored 14 goals in official competition for Saudi Arabia. That was number 13. As for club football, his tale is unremarkable. Al-Owairan spent all of his time at Al Shabab of the Saudi Pro League, largely due to the fact that Saudi law then prevented players from going abroad for club football. One of the greatest Asian footballers of all time? Sure. But the world never quite saw what he was capable of - except for one day of magic.