When it comes to the art of dribbling, there’s not too much doubt to the claim that Lionel Messi is the best exponent of it. There are others in world football, Arjen Robben springs to mind, that like the occasional slalom, but none do it as regularly or as decisively as Barcelona’s No. 10.
His best efforts, five of which you will find here, should be on every single football club’s highlight reel for their can’t be any faulting the way in which the Argentinian consistently outmanoeuvres even the best defenders.
Also read: 5 best ever dribbles by Cristiano Ronaldo
Watch. Learn. Enjoy.
#1 Barcelona vs Real Zaragoza, La Liga 2010
In 2010, Messi scored a goal of such breathtaking quality that even the home fans were on their feet.
Real Zaragoza were still in this 2010 La Liga game at the 65-minute mark and when keeper, Roberto, had safely gathered another aimless cross, there appeared no danger whatsoever.
A punt upfield was pinballed around until it came to Messi just inside the opposition half. Here the referee has to be given some credit because La Pulga was almost wrestled to the ground. Only the lack of a whistle and Messi’s tenacity allowed him to come away with the ball.
Immediately faced by the right-back, he shimmied to his left and left his opponent on the ground.
Accelerating into the box, he then managed to beat the covering defender both inside and outside before unleashing a low drive into the corner past the helpless Roberto.
#2 Barcelona vs Athletic Club, La Liga 2012
At the old San Mames in 2012, the Athletic Club crowd were treated to a mesmerising goal from a player who didn’t enter the fray until the 66th minute of the match, with Barca behind at that point. Cometh the hour, cometh Messi. And how!
Receiving the ball some 30 yards from goal, and centrally, Mikel San Jose was the first to be outfoxed by the snake hips of the diminutive attacker.
Messi was shepherded to San Jose’s left side and straight into the path of an oncoming defender. Stopping dead, Messi then evaded his tackle and went right, but straight back into the path of San Jose, who had regained his position.
A third covering Athletic Club player stepped in front of San Jose but quick as a flash Messi turned both of them the wrong way and was into the danger area.
As more home players closed in – there were five within close proximity – Messi placed his shot past Gorka Iraizoz to level the scores. Genius.
#3 Barcelona vs Athletic Club, Copa del Rey 2015
Not content with that other-wordly attempt, Messi repeated the feat, and then some, against Athletic Club three years later, this time to open the scoring in the 2015 Copa del Rey final.
The Argentinian first received a ball played out from defence from Gerard Pique, and played a short pass back to Dani Alves. The Brazilian returned the favour and when Messi received the ball again, he was just six yards into Athletic’s half and with a marker just a yard behind him.
Stopping the ball and facing the defender, he moved inside then immediately back outside into the space he had created for himself. Twelve yards further along after a burst of pace, Messi was now a foot inside the touchline and with three defenders for company.
Somehow, in the same movement, he managed to swerve one and thread the ball between the others before haring off diagonally towards the area. There was still much to do, however.
Toquero tried to take him down but Messi stood firm and then when faced by Aymeric Laporte, he turned him inside out and laser-guided a missile into the bottom corner – just about the only space available to him to score.
His team-mates holding their heads in their hands in disbelief tells you everything you need to know about the goal.
#4 Barcelona vs Getafe, La Liga 2007
One of Messi’s best-ever dribbles came early on in his career, when he was just 19 in fact.
He’d finally announced himself to the world some six weeks before with an El Clasico hat-trick, but the goal that he managed to score against Getafe in April 2007 had the whole football world talking. It was Maradona-esque.
Typically, as was the case with many of these dribbles, he was quickly closed down by the opposition, for fear of what might come next were he allowed time and space.
No matter. With just three touches by the halfway line, he had managed to evade his two closest markers, Nacho and Perretti, and with a huge expanse of green then in front of him, he didn’t need asking twice to motor into it.
Putting on the afterburners, Messi had managed to get to just outside of the penalty area before anyone else had got near to him.
As Belengeur slid in and another was just taken out of the equation altogether, La Pulga was into the penalty area. Drawing the keeper Alexis off of his line, it just needed a sublime finish to make it one of the greatest goals of all time.
Messi duly obliged, unusually, with a right-footed shot.
#5 Barcelona vs Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League 2011
Barcelona were already leading 1-0 at Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the 2011 Champions League, thanks to Messi. With only a few minutes of the first-leg left, he really did save the best for last.
A quick free-kick in the centre-circle was taken by Sergio Busquets to Messi, who was faced by Lassana Diarra. The Argentinian played the ball back to Busquets who stopped the ball dead and used himself as a shield for Messi to take the ball from him.
With the Real midfielder in hot pursuit, Messi had got far enough in front of him for Diarra to give up the chase or risk another free-kick, this time in dangerous territory.
Cutting across both Sergio Ramos and Raul Albiol, he was into the area. Marcelo came at him from his right side and Iker Casillas came out to spread himself, but Messi calmly slotted another right-foot shot into the space that Casillas had left vacant to his right.
Given the enormity of the fixture and that this goal sealed Barca’s passage to the final, there can’t be any issue with it being the best he’s scored.
