Lucas Moura becomes just the 10th player EVER to get perfect 10/10 score from L’Equipe

Lionel Messi, Neymar and now Lucas Moura… apart from being three South American forwards they all have something else in common following the latter’s display on Wednesday night.

Moura wrote himself into Tottenham and Champions League folklore with a second-half hat-trick as Spurs somehow overcame the odds to dump Ajax out of the semi-finals.

The Brazilian scored with practically the last kick of the game to see Mauricio Pochettino’s side win the second leg 3-2 in Amsterdam – prevailing 3-3 on aggregate courtesy of the away goals rule.

Moura scored a second-half hat-trick as Tottenham came from behind to win in Amsterdam

His injury-time third saw Spurs progress to the Champions League final on away goals

French paper L’Equipe scored him 10/10 after Wednesday’s display at the Johan Cruyff Arena

His heroics at the Johan Cruyff Arena haven’t gone unnoticed with esteemed French newspaper L’Equipe giving him the highest praise possible.

In Thursday’s edition, he became just the 10th player in history to receive a perfect score of 10 by the publication.

L’Equipe‘s famous ratings, which began in 1946, are notoriously strict but Tottenham’s No 27 clearly impressed them – becoming the second player this season to achieve top marks.

Franck Sauzee and Bruno Martini were the first recipients of the perfect score back in 1988 after France’s Euro Under-21 final win over Greece. Sauzee received perfect marks for his two stunning strikes while goalkeeper Martini was recognised for the part he played between the sticks in the same match.

Lionel Messi is the only man to have had a perfect score on two occasions: one for his performance in the 2010 win over Arsenal when he scored all of Barcelona’s goals in the 4-1 win, the other in the same competition two years later, blitzing five past Bayern Leverkusen.

Oleg Salenko’s five goals against Cameroon in the 1994 World Cup and Robert Lewandowski’s fabulous four against Real Madrid in the 2013 Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid also earned both players 10.

Another goalkeeper makes the list – Lars Windfeld. The Aarhus stopper was impenetrable in the second leg of their UEFA Cup tie against Nantes back in 1997 and the clean sheet meant the Danes progressed to the next round with a 1-0 win.

Lionel Messi is the only man to get a perfect score twice – one was against Arsenal in 2010

PSG forward Neymar achieved top marks for his four goals against Dijon last January

Ajax’s Dusan Tadic got a perfect score of 10 for his part in Real Madrid’s demolition in March

Brazilian midfielder Carlos Eduardo became the first Ligue 1 player to be awarded top marks for his part in Nice’s 7-2 win over Guingamp back in 2014. The midfielder, who was on loan from Porto at the time, scored five in the seven-goal rout.

Fellow Brazilian Neymar was the last to receive a score of 10. Following his four-goal haul against Dijon last January during an 8-0 drubbing, he was recognised with the top score.

Earlier this season, Dusan Tadic became the ninth player to join the elite list following his virtuoso display as Ajax dumped defending European Cup holders Real Madrid out at the last-16 stage in March. However, the Serb will be watching the final on the TV after Moura dashed his and Ajax’s hopes in the most dramatic fashion.

The 26-year-old Moura can look forward to a Champions League final showdown with Premier League rivals Liverpool on June 1 in Madrid.

And as he spoke to journalists in the mixed zone on his way out of Ajax’s stadium on Wednesday night, he was offered the chance to watch the footage back for the first time.

The magnitude of what he had achieved overawed him and, like his manager, he had to wipe away the tears.

Moura had to wipe away tears as he watched back footage of his winning goal

Moura got his hat-trick with a late goal that got Tottenham in the Champions League final

He hailed the moment as the finest in his career so far.

‘Of course it is the greatest night of my career,’ Moura said. ‘Three goals in the semi-final of the Champions League is unbelievable.

‘It is an emotional day. Football is amazing, it gives you this special moment.’

‘We needed to give everything and when I scored the first goal it gave us a new motivation and I always believed in the fight, I am very proud of my team-mates.

‘That is our game, the intensity, the aggressiveness – that is our game, we need to do it every game.

‘I am so happy, so proud, everyone deserves it – my team-mates, the staff, everyone is amazing.’