Top 10 Best Dribblers in Football History: Messi, Maradona on Top

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Beyond goal-scoring, the mastery of the ball, known as dribbling, is an artform worthy of praise in football. Citing olympics.com, this on-pitch skill involves moving the ball around with one or two feet, but the best of them would use multiple techniques and body feints to weave past opposing defenders.

Over the many decades of modern football, some of the best dribblers in the world are those who demonstrate excellent ball control, agile footwork, and an astute sense of the game.

Best Dribblers in Football History

According to GiveMeSport, here are 10 of the best dribbles in the history of football, which measures the players' stats, reputation, technique, and longevity.

10. Zinedine Zidane (1989-2006)

The French player is known as one of the greatest attacking midfielders there ever was. He retired with Real Madrid in 2006, but during his robust career, Zidane garnered a reputation as a magnificent dribbler, with exceptional ability to manipulate space with the ball.

9. Neymar (2009-Present)

Neymar is Brazil's leading scorer of all time, but beyond that, he brought a burst of spectacle in each game he played. He currently plays for Santos, which he re-joined in 2025, after his first stint with the club which lasted from 2009 to 2013.

8. Omar Sivori (1954-1969)

Sivori was dubbed 'the Great Left-Footer,' as he could do anything with the ball, as long as it was with his left foot, GiveMeSport noted. He was essential to Juventus' domination in 1950s-60s. Throughout his career, he netted 216 goals across 389 games, before his retirement in 1969 with Napoli.

7. Sir Stanley Matthews (1932-1965)

Matthews established himself as the first icon of English football through his dribbling ability, which earned him the nickname "Wizard of the Dribble." He won his only major club honor in 1953 with Blackpool, where his wing play and Stan Mortensen's hat-trick led to a 4-3 victory over Bolton.

6. Ronaldinho (1998-2015)

Another Brazilian player on the list, Ronaldinho is best known for his flashy dribbling and impeccable trickery with the ball. According to olympics.com, his most popular trick is the 'Elastico,' where he feints by pushing a ball to one side and instantly pulls it back the other way.

5. Johan Cruyff (1964-1984)

The Barcelona icon is known for the "Cruyff turn," where he left players embarrassed as they swat at thin air as the Dutch player skipped past them. He first performed this maneuver during the 1974 World Cup, where he became one of the two in the cup's history to dribble more than any players in a single game.

4. George Best (1963-1984)

The Northern Irishman is famous for his nutmeg, where he pushes the ball through his opponent's legs. He even nutmegged Johan Cruyff in 1976, GiveMeSport noted. Best played for Manchester United from 1963 to 1974.

3. Lionel Messi (2003-Present)

Messi may be one of the greatest to ever grace the pitch, proven by the long list of championsips his clubs brought home, including 4 Champions League and 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona, and a World Cup with Argentina, his home country. This is in part thanks to his impeccable dribbling skill, with unmatched low center of gravity and sudden bursts of pace.

At 20, Messi completed an average 8.4 dribbles per game, which is more than any other player on StatsBomb's record.

2. Diego Maradona (1976-1997)

Maradona invented the 'roulette' maneuver, where he turned 360 degrees over the ball to lose a defender. His ability on the pitch translated to his accolades, where he led Argentina to a 3-2 World Cup victory against West Germany in 1986, at just 25 years old. It was during this championship that he completed 53 dribbles, where the record was only managed to be broken in 2022 by France.

1. Garrincha (1951-1972)

GiveMeSport dubbed Garrincha the best dribbler in football history, for his exceptional skills that earned him 2 World Cup titles with Brazil. Garrincha was born with bent legs that gently curved the same way two right-hand brackets do. This condition is believed to be the key factor behind his ability to confuse opponents.