Sometimes, bad luck creates legends. Here’s how injuries to key players opened the door for underdogs to rise and become stars.
In football, injuries are usually seen as nothing but setbacks—moments that derail careers, seasons, or even title races. But occasionally, fate has a funny way of turning disaster into destiny. When one player falls, another rises. This season and many before it, we’ve seen how an untimely injury gave a young prospect or forgotten name the spotlight—and they seized it with both hands.
Let’s take a look at 7 incredible cases where injuries accidentally created stars.
7. Mario Balotelli – Inter Milan
Season: 2007–08
Injury to: Zlatan Ibrahimović
Club website: Inter Milan Official
Back in 2007, Inter Milan faced a striker crisis. Zlatan Ibrahimović had knee issues, and Hernán Crespo wasn’t fit either. Enter 17-year-old academy talent Mario Balotelli. He scored twice on his debut in the Coppa Italia, then netted in Serie A and the Champions League. By the end of the season, he had 9 goals and a Scudetto. Without Zlatan’s injury, “Super Mario” might have waited much longer for his chance.
6. Nick Pope – Burnley
Season: 2017–18
Injury to: Tom Heaton
Club website: Burnley FC Official
Burnley’s captain and keeper Tom Heaton suffered a shoulder dislocation in September 2017. In came the little-known Nick Pope. He didn’t just fill in—he excelled, keeping clean sheets and helping Burnley finish 7th, securing a Europa League spot. He even earned a place in England’s World Cup squad. Now? He’s Newcastle’s No. 1. A backup no more.
5. Marcus Rashford – Manchester United
Season: 2015–16
Injury to: Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney
Club website: Manchester United Official
Minutes before a Europa League match in 2016, Anthony Martial was injured during warm-up. Manchester United had to turn to 18-year-old Marcus Rashford. He scored twice on his debut and repeated the feat against Arsenal a few days later. Almost overnight, Rashford became the face of United—and English football.
4. Cody Gakpo – Netherlands (PSV Eindhoven)
Tournament: FIFA World Cup 2022
Injury to: Memphis Depay
Club website at the time: PSV Eindhoven Official
With Memphis Depay nursing a hamstring injury, Cody Gakpo was handed a start in the Netherlands’ opening World Cup match against Senegal. He scored, then scored again in the next two group matches. Gakpo became the Netherlands’ main attacking threat—and secured a move to Liverpool soon after.
3. Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool
Season: 2017–18
Injury to: Nathaniel Clyne
Club website: Liverpool FC Official
When Liverpool’s first-choice right-back Nathaniel Clyne got a long-term back injury, Jurgen Klopp handed a start to academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold. The teenager quickly proved he belonged, even scoring a Champions League free-kick. Trent went on to become one of the world’s best right-backs, winning every major trophy with Liverpool. Now, he’s off to Real Madrid.
2. Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur
Season: 2014–15
Injury to: Emmanuel Adebayor, Roberto Soldado
Club website: Tottenham Hotspur Official
Before he was a household name, Harry Kane was just another benchwarmer. But injuries to Spurs’ senior strikers in 2014 forced Mauricio Pochettino to start Kane. He exploded for 21 Premier League goals and never looked back. Today, he’s Spurs’ all-time top scorer—and finally a trophy winner with Bayern Munich.
1. Kylian Mbappé – AS Monaco
Season: 2016–17
Injury to: Radamel Falcao
Club website: AS Monaco Official
Mbappé’s rise began when Monaco’s star striker, Radamel Falcao, went down injured. Given more minutes, the 17-year-old Mbappé turned Ligue 1 and the Champions League into his personal playground, helping Monaco reach the semi-finals. His electrifying displays led to a record-breaking move to PSG—and eventually made him the face of world football.
Sometimes, all it takes is one unexpected moment to flip a player’s story—from the bench to the big time. These examples prove that football is as much about seizing the moment as it is about talent.
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