What Is La Remontada? The 10 Greatest Comebacks In Soccer History
Football is capable of producing awe-inspiring drama: from last-minute winners that cause a stadium to explode, to heartbreaking penalty shootouts that leave players dropping to their knees in agony, the sport contains a huge amount of emotion that's always waiting to bubble over the surface.
One football phenomenon that can cause the passions of players, fans, and coaches to erupt uncontrollably is the comeback. When a team clutches victory from the jaws of defeat, it makes that win even sweeter and gives the celebrations an extra edge.
In this article, we're going to be diving into why comebacks are so special and mapping out 10 of the greatest comebacks in soccer history, from recent clashes to old 20th-century ties that have been etched in the history books for decades.
What Is A Comeback In Soccer?
In soccer, 'comeback' is a word used to describe when a team comes from behind to achieve a positive result in a game that they were losing. Some comebacks are more dramatic than others; turning around a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1, for example, is fairly common and hardly warrants the use of the term comeback at all.
However, if a side is 3-0 down and turns things around to win 4-3, that's a hugely significant and impressive comeback.
Over the years, certain teams have become well-known for their ability to come back from losing positions and get a result. Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, for example, were renowned for their late surges, with successive last-minute winners leading to the coining of the term 'Fergie Time' to describe the dying embers of a game involving the Red Devils.
That being said, a comeback doesn't necessarily have to end with the team achieving victory and securing three points or passage to the next round of a cup competition. The score could also end level; after all, securing a draw after being three or even four goals down in a game is a serious accomplishment.
What Does La Remontada Mean?
In recent years, the term 'La Remontada' has become widely used in football. This phrase comes from the Spanish verb 'remontar', which is a versatile word that can mean several things, including "to soar", "to climb" or "to turn around".
In the world of football, 'La Remontada' means "the comeback" or "the recovery".
Today, Spanish-speaking football fans use 'La Remontada' to reference all sorts of different comebacks, in domestic, continental and international soccer. However, the widespread use of this word can be traced back to a specific moment: the incredible performance from Barcelona in the Last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in March 2017.
Playing against PSG in the second leg having recorded a disastrous 4-0 loss in the first, Barca somehow managed to turn things around with a whopping 6-1 victory that dragged them through to the quarter-finals with a 6-5 aggregate win.
It's a result that has become a massive part of modern Champions League folklore, and it's helped established 'La Remontada' in the popular parlance. But how does this game rank in our list of the 10 greatest comebacks in soccer history?
The 10 Greatest Comebacks In Soccer History
Many incredible comebacks have taken place throughout the history of football, so pinning down 10 of the best is no easy task. However, we reckon these are the cream of the crop.
#10. West Germany vs Hungary, 1954
Back in 1954 Germany weren't the titans of world football they are today, and a tactically advanced Hungary team with stars like Ferenc Puskas were the favourites to win the World Cup.
However, after grabbing a two-goal lead in the first eight minutes, they saw what would've been a historic victory snatched away from them as West Germany levelled things before scoring a dramatic winner in the 84th minute. The match has since gained the nickname 'The Miracle of Bern' after the Swiss city this comeback took place in.
#9. Deportiva La Coruna vs AC Milan, 2004
Deportiva La Coruna have spent the last few years languishing in the Spanish second division, but not too long ago the Galician club was competing with Europe's best. After reaching the quarter-finals of the 2003/04 Champions League, the underdogs were humbled with a 4-1 defeat at the San Siro.
Head coach Javier Irureta insisted "miracles often happen" in football, and he was right; the Spanish outfit went on to unexpectedly smash the former European champions 4-1 in the return leg, charting their course to the semi-finals and going down in history as the architects of one of the best Champions League comebacks ever.
#8. Spain vs Malta, December 1983
This was actually when the term 'La Remontada' first became well-known in Spain. The national team faced Malta in a crucial qualifier for the 1984 European Championships, with the Spanish needing to win the fixture by a whopping 11 goals to top their group ahead of the Netherlands.
After a Maltese equaliser pegged Spain back to 1-1 on 24 minutes, that result looked highly unlikely; however, an unbelievable rally in the second half meant they managed to win the match 12-1 in the end, ultimately progressing to the finals.
#7. Real Madrid vs Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1985
Discussing his team's hopes against Arsenal in the 2024/25 Champions League, Jude Bellingham said: "There's an expectation from Real Madrid that when we get into these kind of holes we can come back, even if it's a really tough one."
This feeling largely stems from a series of epic Champions League nights contested during the last few years, but one game that potentially tops all those recent comebacks is this 1985 third-round tie against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the European Cup.
Having been slapped 5-1 in the opening leg, a late surge in the return leg led to Los Blancos drawing 5-5 and securing an away goals victory at the Bernabeu.
#6. Newcastle vs Arsenal, 2011
In February 2011, Arsene Wenger's Gunners were still in with a chance of winning the Premier League title, and when they reached half-time at St James Park with a whopping 4-0 lead, it looked like they'd be heading back to London with all three points.
But it wasn't to be; buoyed by a red card shown to Arsenal's Abou Diaby, the Toon mounted an extraordinary second-half comeback, with two penalties from Joey Barton sandwiching a close-range Leon Best strike before Cheick Tiote smashed in a stunning equaliser on 87 minutes to complete one of the Premier League's most incredible comebacks of all time.
#5. Manchester United vs Bayern Munich, 1999
The scale of the comeback mounted by Manchester United in this match doesn't compare to the herculean effort of that Newcastle game, but the reward was much, much bigger. Trailing 1-0 in the dying minutes after a disappointing performance, the Red Devils looked destined to lose the 1999 Champions League final and miss out on a record-breaking European and domestic treble.
Thanks to David Beckham's wand of a right foot, however, they flipped the game on its head: two successive corners were scrambled into the net by impact substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and Sir Alex Ferguson lifted his first European Cup in dramatic style.
#4. Manchester City vs QPR, 2012
This game didn't just land Manchester City their first ever Premier League title, it also gave us one of the most iconic moments of football commentary ever. Trailing 2-1 to lowly QPR with just minutes to go and the league title on the line, Manchester City were first given a glimmer of hope by an Edin Dzeko equaliser in the 92nd minute.
Then, deep in stoppage time, the ball landed with Argentina striker Sergio Aguero… and the rest is history. City's 3-2 win over the West London side that day remains one of the Premier League's most exciting moments in recent years.
#3. Liverpool vs Barcelona, 2019
Liverpool have serious pedigree in continental competitions — they've won the European Cup on six occasions and showcased some incredible displays en route to glory over the years.
Their 4-3 aggregate triumph over Barcelona in the semi-finals of the 2018/19 Champions League is right up there with the best of them, not just for the size of the achievement, but also for the stakes involved. Reeling from a Messi-inspired demolition at Camp Nou, they entered the second leg knowing what they needed to do to progress, and they didn't disappoint.
Inspired performances from the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Divock Origi, and Georginio Wijnaldum led to an emphatic 4-0 victory that sent them to the final. "The belief in the changing room is incredible," said captain Jordan Henderson after the game. "We knew we could pull something off."
#2. Liverpool vs AC Milan, 2005
Mention "that night in Istanbul" to any Liverpool fan over the age of 30, and they'll light up. 3-0 down at half-time to Italian giants AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, their hopes of winning some elusive silverware looked slim.
That was before Rafa Benitez's team launched an extraordinary second-half comeback, with goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer, and Xabi Alonso pushing the game to extra time, before goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek became the hero of the day in the resulting penalty shootout and helped complete a historic Remontada on the biggest possible stage.
#1. Barcelona vs PSG, 2017
The biggest comeback in UCL history, and the game that popularised the term 'La Remontada'. Having been humiliated with a 4-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes in the first leg, Barca entered this Last 16 second leg tie looking down and out.
But Messi, Neymar and co. had other ideas; they surged into a 3-0 lead with most of the second half yet to play, and after Edinson Cavani clawed a goal back for PSG, the Catalan club rallied again, with Neymar sparking a dramatic turnaround in the dying minutes.
His double levelled things up, before a Sergi Roberto goal in the 95th minute stunned the Ligue 1 contenders and sent Barca through to the final eight. An unforgettable Champions League night, and one of the best comebacks in football history.
Next up, why not check out our guide to the top 10 Premier League comebacks of all time?
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