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

#1 Lionel Messi

FC Barcelona v AS Roma - UEFA Champions League — Lionel Messi is arguably the best playmaker in the world

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer the world has seen. The Barca legend is perhaps the most talented player in history. People find it very difficult to qualify the Argentine. Maybe that is the reason why Italian goalkeeper, Buffon was quoted ahead of the Champions League final in 2015 saying:

"Messi is an alien that dedicates himself to playing with humans."

Sincerely, there are no words to qualify the Argentine anymore. What he does with the ball at his feet is pure magic. Leo knows how to manipulate the ball more than anyone in the world today.

Just give the ball to Messi and watch him take on many defenders, dribbling as if the ball is glued to his legs as he maneuvers his way past the opposition, tearing them apart, creating chances and scoring unbelievable goals.

His passes are so precise that one might be forced to think that he has a measuring gadget in his eyes. His style of play is unique and at times difficult to understand. After the Argentine scored 4 goals against Arsenal in 2010, Arsene Wenger was forced to say:

"Messi is the best player in the world by some distance. He's like a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make."

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.