As we await the potential return of Champions League football, we’re looking back on the 20 greatest goals scored over the past 20 years in Europe’s premier club competition. Given our 21st-century cutoff line, some spectacular strikes, unfortunately, miss out; Lars Ricken’s classy chip, Jean-Pierre Papin’s sweet volley, and arguably the best goal in tournament history, Mauro Bressan’s audacious overhead kick, are out of contention. But the turn of the century has delivered a series of memorable goals to carry the torch.

Part I: Goals 20-11, featuring Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, and more.

10. Kaka vs. Manchester United (2007)

There were few better sights in the sport than Kaka in full flight. When the Brazilian was at his peak, he was a majestic footballer. He bamboozled multiple defenders while scoring this classic goal against Manchester United.

9. Charles-Edouard Coridon vs. FC Porto (2004)

Charles-Edouard Coridon didn’t spend all that much time at Paris Saint-Germain, but he certainly made the most of it, delivering one of the most ingenious tallies in Champions League history with this 2004 scorpion kick.

8. Philippe Mexes vs. Anderlecht (2012)

For someone who was a pretty ordinary defender throughout his career, Philippe Mexes had a penchant for scoring spectacular, unlikely goals. Despite strong competition, none was better than this looping bicycle kick.

7. Ronaldinho vs. Chelsea (2005)

We’re still not exactly sure how Ronaldinho managed to conjure this magic against Chelsea. The captivating Brazilian froze the defense with a little shimmy of his hips before poking home a mesmerizing tally.

6. Dejan Stankovic vs. Schalke (2011)

Before Manuel Neuer became a sweeper-keeper extraordinaire, his wandering ways got him posterized by Dejan Stankovic in 2011. The Inter midfielder’s technique on this volley – from the halfway line – belongs in the Louvre.

5. Mario Mandzukic vs. Real Madrid (2017)

Mario Mandzukic’s acrobatic effort in the 2017 final was superlative all on its own, but the buildup deserves special praise; the ball never hit the ground after it left Leonardo Bonucci’s boot. Freestyle football at its best.

4. Lionel Messi vs. Real Madrid (2011)

Champions League semifinal at the Bernabeu against your most bitter rival. The stage doesn’t get much bigger. It was just another day at the office for Lionel Messi, though, whose trademark slaloming run put Real Madrid to shame.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Juventus (2018)

This instantly iconic bicycle kick is all about the reactions. Gigi Buffon frozen; Andrea Barzagli waving the white flag; Zinedine Zidane in disbelief; and, most notably, the entire Juventus crowd on its feet to applaud Cristiano Ronaldo’s superhuman feat.

2. Zinedine Zidane vs. Bayer Leverkusen (2002)

Speaking of Zidane, he knows a thing or two about delivering legendary goals in Europe’s grandest club competition. His left-footed volley in the 2002 final felt like it happened in slow motion and remains one of the sport’s most famous moments.

1. Gareth Bale vs. Liverpool (2018)

It’s almost incomprehensible that this happened in the same season as Ronaldo’s loose-limbed effort highlighted above. Anything you can do, I can do better – and in the Champions League final. That Gareth Bale has never truly endeared himself to Real Madrid fans is wild, especially after this moment of brilliance.

As we await the potential return of Champions League football, we’re looking back on the 20 greatest goals scored over the past 20 years in Europe’s premier club competition. Given our 21st century cut-off line, some spectacular strikes, unfortunately, miss out; Lars Ricken’s classy chip, Jean-Pierre Papin’s sweet volley, and arguably the best goal in tournament history, Mauro Bressan’s audacious overhead kick, are out of contention. But the turn of the century has delivered a series of memorable goals to carry the torch.

Honorable mentions: Alessandro Florenzi vs. Barcelona (2015); Marc Overmars vs. Liverpool (2001)

20. Mesut Ozil vs. Ludogorets (2016)

With the caveat that, yes, it was Ludogorets, Mesut Ozil showcased his trademark tranquility on the ball when he left a goalkeeper and two defenders reeling in Bulgaria. The calm demeanor makes it all the more disrespectful.

19. Ramires vs. Barcelona (2012)

Ramires? Ramires! There’s something special about spectacular goals coming from unlikely sources, especially in crucial moments. The Brazilian’s triumphant chip against Barcelona in 2012 is an all-timer for Chelsea fans.

18. Thierry Henry vs. Real Madrid (2006)

Grace. Pace. Poise. Power. This memorable Thierry Henry tally against Real Madrid had it all. The Arsenal icon bounced off of two defenders, dribbled past another, and outran all of them before sliding the ball into the bottom corner.

17. Amantino Mancini vs. Lyon (2007)

This dizzying array of stepovers will leave you seeing stars. Poor Anthony Reveillere is still spinning after Roma’s Amantino Mancini put him in a blender before lashing home one of the tournament’s most satisfying goals.

16. Hugo Almeida vs. Inter Milan (2005)

Hugo Almeida couldn’t have hit this any sweeter. It’s a perfect free-kick, and one of the most audacious in tournament history, too. The sound when the ball smacks the mesh is so damn pleasing.

15. Hernan Crespo vs. Liverpool (2005)

Liverpool’s surreal comeback in the 2005 final has largely made this goal a forgotten artifact, but it’s worth celebrating, both for Hernan Crespo’s clever little dink and, more impressively, Kaka’s obscene pass.

14. Michael Essien vs. Barcelona (2009)

It was rendered moot by Andres Iniesta’s last-gasp strike, but Michael Essien etched his name on lists like this forever by uncorking a seething volley with his weaker foot. Going bar down is just the cherry on top.

13. Juninho vs. Bayern Munich (2003)

A true free-kick master. Any number of efforts from dead-ball wizard Juninho Pernambucano could be singled out for praise, but doing this to Oliver Kahn – while making him crash into the post – is quite the feat.

12. Cristiano Ronaldo vs. FC Porto (2009)

If this ball didn’t hit the back of the net, it would still be traveling. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Champions League’s all-time top scorer, had no business beating the ‘keeper from another area code like that. What a rocket.

11. Lionel Messi vs. Bayern Munich (2015)

This will forever be remembered as the day Jerome Boateng ceased to exist as a professional footballer. Lionel Messi, who will appear again on this list, snatched another man’s soul at the Camp Nou. The finish wasn’t bad, either.

TAMPA, Fla. — The “alarm clock” uniform numbers are no more for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are going back to their roots in 2020 with a new uniform that pays homage to their best years and adds a futuristic twist, the team announced Tuesday.

Allow us to show you the future ?#GoBucs pic.twitter.com/naURTtwkZ3

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) April 7, 2020

They won’t be wearing the “creamsicle” colors from their earliest days — as some fans have called for — but have gone to a look that most closely resembles the threads from their winningest era of football from 1997-2013 and their Super Bowl XXXVII title.

“This new but familiar look is a direct result of the valuable feedback we received from our fans,” Buccaneers owner/co-chairman Ed Glazer said in a statement. “We are excited to return to our classic Super Bowl era uniforms while also introducing a sleek Color Rush uniform that showcases our signature pewter in a new and dramatic way. The refreshed classic design of our home and away combinations bridges our past with our exciting new future, and we are confident it will resonate with our fans.”

The Bucs spent two years creating their previous uniforms, which they unveiled in 2014, but they were never a hit with the fanbase, who complained that they were “too busy” and that the numbers were too difficult to read.

NFL rules mandate that uniforms can only be changed every five years though. Wearing the previous uniforms until 2019, the Bucs went 34-62 (.354), third-worst in the NFL, and did not reach the postseason.

From 1976 to 1996, the Bucs wore orange and white “creamsicle” uniforms with red trim and a winking pirate known as “Bucco Bruce.” Then in 1997, under their current ownership — the Glazer family — the Bucs unveiled a totally new color scheme that featured red, black, white and pewter and replaced Bucco Bruce with a menacing skull and swords logo. They kept that look for 17 years, going 133-139 and 5-6 in the postseason.

There are differences between the new uniforms and those from the Super Bowl era, though. The fit of the jersey and pants are sleeker with less sheen and more of a matte finish. And they have three different color combos instead of two — red, white and an all-pewter uniform for Color Rush games. They had previously worn all red for Color Rush games.

Their pewter helmet with the oversized logo that made its debut in 2014 will remain, but instead of chrome will have a black face mask.

The Buccaneers made the decision to change uniforms before