Top 5 footballing wizards - based on how they manipulate the ball at their feet

#4 Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta is an artist with the ball

One of the pioneers of Barca's golden age, Andres Iniesta is truly an artist with the ball. The La Masia graduate initially started his career as a defensive midfielder, but his balance, vision, versatility, ball control, agility, and creativity coupled with his skill on the ball made him progress and evolve into an attacking midfielder.

The Spaniard, alongside Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets, formed a formidable Barca midfield under Pep Guardiola that conquered the world with one of the greatest football displays in history.

He can dribble perfectly, pass efficiently, create chances, split defenses and score goals. Most memorable of his goals came in the UEFA Champions League semi-final match against Chelsea in 2008 where his distant shot decided the game in the injury time.

What makes the midfielder so special is his complete understanding of the game. He knows what to do, how to do it and when to do it.

"The one who plays this game the best is Iniesta: he knows exactly when to go forward and when to drop back. He picks the right moment to do everything: when to dribble, when to speed things up and when to slow things down. And I think that’s the only thing that can’t be taught or bought. You can learn how to shoot and how to control the ball, but being aware of everything that’s happening out on the pitch – that’s something you’re either born with or you’re not." - Juan Roman Riquelme