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Football is called the 'beautiful game' for a multitude of reasons. It's a team sport that requires a group of individuals to combine their strengths to get the better of the opposition. There are few things in life that are more rewarding than outsmarting your adversaries.
On the football pitch, this can happen in a variety of ways. One of the most satisfying ways to outwit your opponent is to dribble past him. At the highest level, taking players on and beating them is no easy feat. Some of the best players in the history of the game have been excellent dribblers.
Legends of the game like Diego Maradona, George Best, Garrincha, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho etc. were all fantastic dribblers. It's hard to predict what they're going to do with the ball or where they're going. They are nothing short of a joy to watch every single time they get on the ball.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the most successful dribblers in Europe's top 5 leagues in 2021.
#5 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) - 113 dribbles
Lionel Messi is one of the best dribblers in the history of football. In fact, prime Messi was pretty much unstoppable. He just seemed to share a unique connection with the ball and could manipulate it in any way he wanted. A compilation of Messi's nutmegs will show you how comfortable he is with the ball at his feet.
Messi has completed 113 dribbles in 2021. He turned 34 this year and players are usually well past their prime by the time they edge closer to 35. Despite losing a yard of pace, Messi still possesses a good burst of pace and takes some definitive deft touches on the ball when he is challenged.
He doesn't do flashy stepovers or 'elasticos' and why would he? A few shoulder drops and body feints are enough for Messi to send defenders for sandwiches. He averages a successful dribble every 23 minutes in 2021.
#4 Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) - 116 dribbles
Alphonso Davies was an absolute revelation in 2019-20, which was Bayern Munich's continental treble winning season. The Canadian international is just 21-years-old but is already one of the best full-backs in the world.
One of the most impressive things about Davies is his blistering pace. He is one of the fastest footballers on the planet but it doesn't come at the cost of control. Davies is an exceptional dribbler and has completed 116 dribbles in 2021. He averages a successful dribble every 23 minutes.
#3 Javi Galan (Celta Vigo) - 122 dribbles
Javi Galan is one of the names that could surprise a few people on here. The Celta Vigo left-back can also play as a winger. The 27-year-old is simply phenomenal with the ball at his feet.
He has completed a whopping 122 dribbles this year. It is the most for any defender across all of Europe's top five leagues. Galan is one of Celta Vigo's best players but his final product perhaps doesn't share the same quality as his dribbling.
Galan averages a successful dribble every 28 minutes in 2021.
#2 Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle United) - 141 dribbles
Newcastle United attacker Allan Saint-Maximin is a nightmare to defend against. The Frenchman possesses an incredible level of control when he is taking on defenders. He has such quick, dancing feet that he is fancied to get the better of opposition players every time he charges at them.
The 24-year-old has scored three goals and provided three assists in 19 appearances across all competitions for the Magpies this season. It's clear as day that the quality of his finishes and the final ball could improve.
But Saint-Maximin's ability to flit past defenders is one of Newcastle United's chief weapons whenever they break on the counter. He averages a successful dribble every 18 minutes in 2021.
#1 Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers) - 180 dribbles
Leading this list by a country mile and a half is Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore. If you've only watched Youtube compilations of Traore, you'd be excused for thinking he is one of the best footballers in the world.
The 25-year-old is indeed the best when it comes to easing past defenders. He is built like a machine and is an absolute beast in an athletic sense. It is impossible to shake the Spaniard off the ball.
But for all of Traore's dribbling abilities, he has remarkably not been able to score a goal or provide an assist in the ongoing season after making 19 appearances.
Traore completed 180 dribbles in 2021. He averages a successful dribble every 15 minutes. The Wolves attacker has come close to scoring quite a few absolutely stunning solo goals this season. There is perhaps no player who is as dangerous on the break as Traore is.
But time and again, he fails to find the right pass or the right finish. If he can improve his decision-making and be a lot more precise in the final third, Traore can be one of the best wingers in the world.
