Summary
Renowned forwards like Wayne Rooney and Erling Haaland scored hat-tricks on their debut.
Gianluigi Buffon shone with a clean sheet on his Serie A debut at age 17.
Young talents like Alan Shearer and Zinedine Zidane had impactful debuts.
Football debuts often draw significant attention. While some players produce a man-of-the-match performance in their first game, others can struggle to perform under the increased pressure. This list will take a look at when debuts have gone to plan, with memorable moments and goals from players that have started on a positive note, including both domestic and international matches.
It is easier for forwards to make an impression on their debut, as one moment can make a lasting impression on their supporters. There is room for one goalkeeper, though, who had a standout performance in his first Serie A match at the age of 17. Here is a closer look at the best debuts in football history.
Ranking factors:
Memorable goals - An impressive goal scored in the match.
Context - Media attention on a player making his debut ahead of the game.
Importance of performance to result - Importance of individual players' performance to the result.
Domestic and international - Club and national team matches included.
Ranking the 10 Greatest Debuts in Football History
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10 Ronaldo
Real Madrid 5-2 Alaves - 6th October 2002
Ronaldo enjoyed a decorated career, playing for the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Real Madrid. His debut for Los Blancos was on 6th October 2002, signing from Inter in the summer. Against Alaves in La Liga, Madrid were 2-1 up just after the hour mark. The Brazilian forward came on in the 63rd minute and after only 61 seconds he extended the home side's lead.
He perfectly brought down a cross from the left wing before firing the ball past the goalkeeper with his right foot. Thirteen minutes later, he doubled his tally, slotting the ball home in the box after a slick Madrid move. In the closing stages, Ronaldo missed a golden opportunity for his hat-trick but, ultimately, the Brazilian went on to score 104 goals for the Spanish giants.
9 Zinedine Zidane
France 2-2 Czech Republic - 17th August 1994
France failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup and were desperately in need of an emerging star to give them hope for the future. On 17th August 1994, they faced Czech Republic in a friendly in Bordeaux. At half-time, the hosts found themselves 2-0 behind with Tomas Skuhravy and Daniel Smejkal scoring the goals for the visitors.
After 63 minutes, the French head coach, Aime Jacquet, brought on a 22-year-old attacking midfielder named Zinedine Zidane. In the first 20 minutes of his cameo, Zidane struggled to get into the game, as an experienced Czech Republic side looked to hold out for an impressive away win.
The young Frenchman had other ideas, though, gliding past two midfielders and hitting the ball into the top corner from long-range to halve the deficit with five minutes to go. Two minutes later, he equalised for France - this time powerfully heading home from a corner. Zidane had arrived on the international stage and in some style.
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8 Alan Shearer
Southampton 4-2 Arsenal - 9th April 1988
alan shearer southampton
After spending time in the youth team at Southampton, Alan Shearer made his debut for the club at 17-years-old. Danny Wallace, who was the Saints' main striker, was ruled out of the game against Arsenal in the First Division, meaning Shearer stepped up in his absence. The young forward opened the scoring after only five minutes, heading a low cross past John Lukic.
Kevin Bond scored an own goal to put the visitors level, but Shearer doubled his tally with another header in the 34th minute. Mark Blake extended the hosts' advantage just before half-time and then the 17-year-old completed his hat-trick in the 49th minute - scoring a rebound after his first effort hit the crossbar. Shearer was the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the English top-flight - beating Jimmy Greaves' record.
7 Sergio Aguero
Manchester City 4-0 Swansea - 15th August 2011
sergio aguero
After Manchester City were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group in the summer of 2008, they signed a number of high-profile players. It took time for the Sky Blues to get the right signings through the door, but even the most optimistic City fans would not have anticipated the impact Sergio Aguero would make at the club. The Argentinian signed from Atletico Madrid for a fee worth £35 million in July 2011 and made his debut on 15th August against Swansea City in the Premier League.
Aguero was introduced in the 59th minute with City 1-0 up thanks to an Edin Dzeko strike. Nine minutes later, he scored his first goal for the club, tapping in a Micah Richards cross at the back post. He also assisted David Silva's goal three minutes later and doubled his tally in the 91st minute when he picked the ball up from 25 yards out and fired the ball past Michael Vorm with a powerful right-footed shot. The Argentinian went on to win five Premier League titles for City before leaving in 2021.
6 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
LA Galaxy 4-3 LAFC - 31st March 2018
Zlatan Ibrahimović celebrates a goal against Los Angeles FC
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not someone who shies away from big moments. After a stellar career in Europe for Inter Milan, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, he moved to the USA to join LA Galaxy in 2018. He started on the bench for the club's home match against LAFC on 31st March 2018. They found themselves 3-1 down when the Swedish striker was introduced in the 71st minute.
Two minutes later, Chris Pontius halved the deficit after Galaxy had previously found themselves 3-0 down. In the 77th minute, Ibrahimovic completed the comeback, scoring a remarkable half-volley from 40 yards past Tyler Miller. He wasn't done there, though, heading home Ashley Cole's cross in the 91st minute to mark his MLS debut in dramatic fashion.
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5 Fabrizio Ravanelli
Middlesbrough 3-3 Liverpool - 17th August 1996
After finishing 12th in the 1995/96 Premier League season, Middlesbrough signed the likes of Emerson and Italian forward Fabrizio Ravanelli ahead of the 1996/97 campaign. On the first day of the season, they faced Liverpool at home and the visitors went 1-0 ahead after only four minutes through Stig Inge Bjornebye.
Ravanelli, who was making his debut for the home team, responded with a penalty kick midway through the first-half, to bring the teams level. He also cancelled out Liverpool's second goal 10 minutes later, sliding home a cross from the right-hand side with his left-foot. Robbie Fowler put the Reds ahead for the third time in the 65th minute, but the Italian striker completed his hat-trick with nine minutes to play, dragging a left-footed shot past David James.
4 Gianluigi Buffon
AC Parma 0-0 AC Milan - 19th November 1995
Parma started the 1995/96 Serie A season impressively, losing only one out of their first nine matches - a 3-0 defeat against Sampdoria. Ahead of the club's home game against a star-studded AC Milan team on 19th November, though, they were without starting goalkeeper Luca Bucci, who was injured.
Parma coach Nevio Scala had a choice between Alessandro Nisto, an experienced Serie A goalkeeper, or the 17-year-old Gianluigi Buffon. He chose the latter, much to the surprise of fans and pundits alike, but the Italian goalkeeper put in a heroic display, denying the likes of Roberto Baggio and George Weah with impressive saves throughout the game. He kept a clean sheet on his Serie A debut in a 0-0 draw against the star-studded Milan side and later described his emotions before the game:
“On the way to the stadium I noticed that everyone on the coach was surprised to see me there and maybe a little worried that I’d be starting the match. That’s why I turned to (team-mate) Alessandro Melli and said, “I hope Milan get a penalty today so I can save it.
“I knew that my performances in training in the week leading up to the Milan game would convince Scala to pick me.”
3 Erling Haaland
Augsburg 3-5 Borussia Dortmund - 18th January 2020
Haaland in Champions League with Dortmund
After impressing at Red Bull Salzburg, there was significant interest in Erling Haaland throughout the 2018 summer transfer window. Eventually, Borussia Dortmund agreed a deal at the end of December 2018 - a few days before the January window opened. The Norwegian striker made his debut for Dortmund on 18th January 2020 in a Bundesliga game away at Augsburg.
The visitors were 3-1 down in the 56th minute, prompting Lucien Favre to put their new man on. Three minutes after he came on the pitch, Haaland struck a left-footed shot in off the post to restore hope for Dortmund. Jadon Sancho equalised for the away team two minutes later and the Norwegian completed the turnaround in the 70th minute when he tapped home a Thorgan Hazard pass. The 19-year-old scored his third with 11 minutes to play, slotting a left-footed strike past the Augsburg goalkeeper - becoming the second-youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga.
2 Wayne Rooney
Manchester United 6-2 Fenerbahce - 28th September 2004
Wayne Rooney impressed as a teenager at Everton between 2002 and 2004. This prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him in the summer of 2004. The English forward made his debut in a Champions League game against Fenerbahce on 28th September in front of an expectant Old Trafford crowd. After Ryan Giggs' seventh-minute opener, Rooney opened his account 10 minutes later, lofting a left-footed shot over the goalkeeper.
He doubled his tally in the 27th minute, picking the ball up from Ryan Giggs and slotting the ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards out. There was time for one more, though, as he completed his hat-trick in the 54th minute - curling a free-kick on the edge of the box into the top corner. Rooney finished the match with three goals and an assist - an impressive way to introduce himself to the home crowd.
1 Alvaro Recoba
Inter Milan 2-1 Brescia - 31st August 1997
Alvaro Recoba and Ronaldo arrived at Inter Milan in the summer of 1997 and both made their debuts on the opening day of the 1997/98 Serie A season against Brescia. The Brazilian started for Luigi Simoni's side, while Recoba was named as a substitute. It was a tactical affair as Brescia defended resolutely throughout and frustrated the home crowd.
A minute after Recoba came on in the 72nd minute, the visitors went ahead through Dario Hubner. The Uruguayian responded eight minutes later, though, with a stunning left-footed strike from 20 yards out. Inter then won a free-kick from 30 yards out with five minutes to play, prompting Recoba to step up and curl a left-footed effort into the top corner again to complete the comeback. Inter won the game 2-1 and Recoba had introduced himself and his magical left foot on the world stage.
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Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and Juventus - correct as of 11/02/25.