Players whose national team career is far more dazzling than their club career: “Ochoa Club” members’ review

In every international competition, we always think of this group of players: their brilliance is dim during the club season, but they can transform and become stars in their own right once they reach the national team. We specially selected a group of players whose "club career is far inferior to the performance of the national team", and the core criterion for this review is active players who are still playing for the national team - therefore, Klose, Podolski and other legendary veterans who first came to mind were not selected.

The following are the 10 players who are currently shining in the national team.

10. Brel Embolo (Switzerland)

Ordinary fans may not know which club (Rennes) this Cameroonian-Swiss forward currently plays for, but his national team scoring record is commendable: so far, he has contributed 21 goals to the Swiss team, and he also scored 2 goals each in the last World Cup and European Cup.

Whenever the "Swiss Army Knife" needs a savior, Embolo will always step forward to turn the tide. In 2025 alone, he scored 6 goals in 7 games for the national team; looking at the club scene, he has only scored 3 goals since January last year.

Once upon a time, Embolo was the youngest player to pass and shoot in a single game in the history of the Champions League, but this record was broken by Yamal last season. Now 28 years old, he is still a bright spot in the Swiss team's striker, but he has only scored 1 goal in Rennes' journey this season.

9. Livakovic (Croatia)

In the last World Cup, Livakovic led the team to win two penalty shootouts; in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals, he turned the tide in the penalty shootout again. His honor book includes the 2018 World Cup silver medal (when serving as a substitute) and the 2022 World Cup bronze medal - such national team achievements are enough to make many European giants' goalkeepers envious. Now, he is competing for the main goalkeeper position in the Girona team, and is still the best choice for the Croatian team's "first goal".

European football had been looking forward to Livakovic's joining for a long time, and there were even rumors that Bayern was interested in signing him. However, after leaving Dinamo Zagreb, he finally joined Fenerbahce. When Fenerbahce decided to bring in Ederson, Livakovic became "superfluous". Perhaps his talent will help the Catalan side stay in La Liga, but there is no doubt that we will see him at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

8. Enna Valencia (Ecuador)

He is the kind of player who is "remembered only once every four years", but we don't want to let this Ecuadorian forward be forgotten. Valencia has scored six consecutive World Cup goals for his country - in 2014 and 2022 (Ecuador did not participate in the 2018 World Cup). Now 35 years old, he has led his country to qualify for the World Cup for the second consecutive time. Unless something unexpected happens, we will see this "invisible hero" again in the summer of 2026.

During the World Cup qualifying stage, Valencia, who played for Pachuca, scored 6 goals, including a goal that defeated Argentina; Ecuador is currently ranked second in the standings, beating Uruguay, Colombia and Brazil. During his time in Europe, Valencia tried to join West Ham United and Everton, but the best performance of his career was dedicated to Fenerbahce - he only won the Turkish Cup with the team.

Needless to say, Enna Valencia is the top scorer in Ecuadorian team history with 48 goals.

7. Mitrovic (Serbia)

Mitrovic is the top scorer in Serbian team history, and his statistics are "outrageous": he scored 63 goals for the national team, while Tadic, who ranked second, only scored 23 goals. The striker's national team average of 0.60 goals per game is even better than Messi's.

As the captain of the Serbian team, he scored 3 goals in the last two World Cups and also participated in one European Cup (without scoring). But at club level, he never became a true superstar. Mitrovic won the league title with Partizan Belgrade, Anderlecht and Riyadh Crescent. He moved to the Saudi League at the age of 29 and moved to Al Rayyan in Qatar in the summer of 2025. He has now contributed 3 goals and 2 assists in 4 games.

However, he has won the English Champions League twice with Newcastle United and Fulham, and was elected the league's top scorer twice - for him, such European honors may be enough.

6. Kramaric (Croatia)

The 34-year-old Kramaric seems to have played for the Croatian team "all his life." All the glory of the Croatian team in the past ten years is inextricably linked to him. He currently scores 36 goals for the "Grid Army" and ranks third among the top scorers in team history.

With one more goal, he can tie Perisic (37 goals); but at the age of 34, it may be difficult to catch up with Davor Suker's team history record of 45 goals.

However, the forward is still in hot form: in the first 4 games of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, he scored 6 goals. Just as close to his international career is his bond with Hoffenheim - the club he has played for since 2016. When his teammates joined Bayern, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and other giants, he always stuck to this small German club and became the top scorer in Hoffenheim's history with 144 goals. He can be called "a true legend of German local football".

5. De Paul (Argentina)

There is no doubt that De Paul is the best player of his generation in Argentina, but for a long time, he has lacked attention and media exposure - after all, not many people will pay attention to Udinese's games. By the time the world finally took notice, he had been labeled "Messi's bodyguard," and that seemed to have become his "word."

Two America's Cup championships and one World Cup championship - such a resume is eye-catching enough for any player. But just when he became the absolute core of Atletico Madrid and was selected into La Liga's best team of the season, he made a decision: not only to accompany Messi in the national team, but also to fight alongside Messi in the club - so De Paul moved to Inter Miami.

Once upon a time, the talented forward Caniggia was recorded in history as "Maradona's partner"; now we see a similar trajectory in De Paul, except that the two will no longer celebrate with a "passionate kiss on the lips".

4. Pickford (England)

Since David Seaman, the England team has been longing for a stable main goalkeeper. Joe Hart had high hopes, but Guardiola changed his trajectory. Since 2017, Pickford has served as Everton's goalkeeper, and in the same year he was also selected for the England national team. England finally has the long-awaited defensive stability: even if there have been many doubts about Southgate's team, they have never been directed at the goalkeeper.

During this period, Pickford reached two European Cup finals with the England team and reached the semi-finals of a World Cup. Looking back at his club career: Everton is at best a "mid-table regular" in the Premier League, and has been mired in relegation in recent seasons.

But in the national team, no one can shake Pickford's main position. In October 2025, he became the first goalkeeper in England team history to keep "8 consecutive games without seals".

3. Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)

As Capello once commented, "Dib" (Martinez's nickname) may be a little "crazy" or even "stupid", but he knows how to perform at the highest level in major events at the highest level. In 2023 and 2024, Martinez was elected as the "World's Best Goalkeeper" for two consecutive years - and these two awards had nothing to do with his performance at Aston Villa. In 2024, he even beat Messi, who is still serving, to be elected Argentina's Player of the Year!

In the past three major international competitions (2021 America's Cup, 2022 World Cup, 2024 America's Cup), Martinez has been elected as the best goalkeeper of the tournament. But in the Premier League, he never came close to the honor of "Best Goalkeeper in the League".

2. Oyarzabal (Spain)

Oyarzabal is a typical player who is "indispensable because he adapts to the needs of the team" - although to be fair, 15 years ago, the Basque player might only be ranked fifth or sixth in the Spanish team's attack line. But times make heroes, and now he is a key part of the "Matador Legion".

Oyarzabal's best number of goals in a single season in La Liga is 13 goals (set at the age of 22). Now 28 years old, he scored 18 goals in all competitions last season.

But once he puts on the national team jersey, he seems to be transformed into "Torres in his prime" - with great speed; and like "Raul who is eager to score" - with a keen sense of smell; he has both "David Villa's tricky shooting skills" and "Alvaro Negredo's impact".

In the Spanish team's last 6 games, Oyarzabal contributed 5 goals and 5 assists; in 2025, only Haaland's national team scored more goals (15 goals) than him, followed by Oyarzabal with 10 goals. In addition, his winning goal in the 2024 European Cup final has been recorded in the history of Spanish football. Isn't this achievement enough?

Surprisingly, while other players in Real Madrid society (Merino, Zubimendi) were poached by wealthy clubs, and Kubo Takehide was also closely watched, Oyarzabal hardly aroused much transfer interest. The Premier League giants have not pursued him. Obviously, this player is seriously underestimated.

1. Depay (Netherlands)

If you put aside the national team career, Depay is just a typical player who is "full of talent but fails to realize half of his potential" - classified into the same category as Quaresma, Felix, Payet and other players who "love gorgeous football". He has tried many times to join a wealthy club, but always came up short of his "last breath". It is precisely because of this that his transformation in the national team is even more "magical" - here, he not only plays gorgeously, but his efficiency is top-notch.

Depay is the Dutch team's history's leading scorer and assists leader. You must know that this team not long ago also had members who were World Cup runners-up, as well as star players at their peak in Serie A and the Premier League, but no one can have such a huge impact on the team like him. You may argue that Depay would have been in the starting XI of the 2010 Dutch team, but the numbers don't lie: 54 goals and 35 assists in 106 games is definitely elite performance.

Perhaps Depay is just not lucky enough to be in the spotlight at one club for a long time like Robben. But to the Dutch team, he is already a legend. One day in the future, we may hear a song about him - and the singer is Depay himself.