Best dribbler in football: Messi, Maradona and more
Dribbling is considered one of the most important skills in football to not only score goals but also create opportunities.
Football
Dribbling a football is the art of making the ball sway to your tune to find the smallest of gaps, make inroads in the game and breach the most robust defences.
In layman’s terms, dribbling is a skill that involves moving the ball around with one or both feet by prodding the ball along the way. The greatest of dribblers use multiple techniques and body feints to get the better of defenders waiting to snatch the ball away.
Good dribblers not only entertain fans with their fancy skills but are often the difference-makers in matches by building the play and opening up space for team-mates.
However, snappy footwork isn’t the only skill that dribblers must possess to master the game of football.
The best dribblers in the world boast a mix of excellent ball control, lightning-fast agility and astute game sense and of course, peripheral vision.
The world has witnessed many talented players who were experts in these skills. Here are some of the best of all time.
Best dribbler in the world
Lionel Messi
One of the greatest ever to grace the sport, Lionel Messi has made a massive impact on any team he has donned the jersey for and his dribbling skill is the major reason for it.
Whether playing for the Argentina national football team or Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Messi produces brilliance in every match.
With a touch that is unmatched, a low centre of gravity and sudden bursts of pace, Messi swiftly changes direction and weaves through defence lines to either find the net or make gaps for his team-mates.
One of his most memorable moments came in 2007 when playing for Barcelona against Getafe. The then 19-year-old striker dribbled from his own half and beat six opposition players to score one of the best goals of all time.
Ronaldinho
A thorough entertainer, Brazil’s Ronaldinho was best known for his impeccable trickery with the ball. He showed flashy skills during matches and dribbled deep into the opposition using these moves.
The most famous of his tricks is the ‘Elastico’, where he fakes a move by pushing the ball to one side and instantly pulls it back the other way to keep defenders puzzled.
It’s not just his dribbling, Ronaldinho was also seen exhibiting freestyle moves, which made him extremely popular among fans.
Diego Maradona
Another Argentinian that ruled the world of football through his dribbling was the late Diego Maradona.
Maradona’s flair on the field saw him glide past the best of defenders that too at a time when rough tackles often went unpunished.
His style of play saw him do both - keep the ball close to his body and manoeuvre through the defence or kick the ball ahead and use his impressive pace to keep complete control.
He also invented the ‘Maradona turn’, also called the ‘roulette’, which is an effective dribbling skill to lose a defender by performing a 360-degree turn over the ball. His short stature only provided more control over his movement with the ball.
Maradona was not just a great footballer but an able leader too. He almost single-handedly led Argentina to the World Cup in 1986 and captained Napoli to their only two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.
George Best
A Manchester United legend, George Best is one of the best dribblers in football history.
Although not a proponent of fancy tricks and step-overs, Best was sharp with the ball and used his right foot with great effect to dodge defenders. The Northern Ireland player would drop his shoulders to send opponents the wrong way, then briskly dart in the other direction.
Best used his prowess to drill six goals in a 1970 FA Cup match between Manchester United and Northampton Town. His brilliance with the ball inspired generations of football players, including Diego Maradona.
“He was flamboyant and exciting and able to inspire his team-mates. I actually think we were very similar players - dribblers who were able to create moments of magic.” Maradona said about George Best.
Alexia Putellas
Arguably the best female footballer of this generation, Spain’s Alexia Putellas is the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or Feminin twice (2021, 2022) since it was launched in 2018.
Equally adept with both feet, Alexia Putellas has a knack for finding the chink in the defence through her sharp turns and jinking runs, along with a mind that thinks ahead of the defender.
Alexia’s dribbles and superior game sense have helped her score 107 goals for Barcelona and 22 for Spain while winning the Liga F six times (three times in-a-row) and the UEFA Women’s Champions League once.
"Alexia is a role model for Barça. She displays what a club wants to display,” former Barcelona great Andres Iniesta said.
Apart from these players, Neymar Jr., Zinedine Zidane, Pele, Johan Cryuff and Garrincha are also considered among football’s classic dribblers.