10 best dribblers in world football at the moment
In the game of football, there aren't too many better sights than a player waltzing his way past opposition player with sheer elegance. Over the years, several iconic dribblers have graced the game and left lasting impressions on the beautiful game, as football continues to evolve in the stats era.
The modern era, however, is worlds apart from the years that have gone by. Teams across Europe are taking the data analytics route and prefer effective dribblers, as opposed to the showboaters who are potentially more entertaining.
The likes of Ronaldinho, Garrincha, Johan Cryuff, George Best and Roberto Baggio, amongst others, are widely regarded as the greatest dribblers of all time. Lionel Messi is also a master of the craft and has shown that he is more than capable of leaving defenders for dead with his magic on the ball over the years.
Currently, a handful of prominent names stand out when the topic of effective dribblers is discussed, while the glitz and glamour from yesteryear is also retained by the likes of Neymar and Roberto Firmino.
On that note, here is a subjective view on the ten best dribblers in world football currently ranked based on their effectiveness from the 2019-20 season.
Note: All stats are gathered from Whoscored.com and are correct as of 13th Aug 2020
#10 Nabil Fekir | Real Betis
Having come close to a move to Liverpool in the summer of 2018, Nabil Fekir stayed at Lyon for a year and secured an unexpected move to Real Betis 12 months ago.
The former Lyon captain and World Cup winner with France is a gifted dribbler and has proved his worth in the Spanish top-flight in what was an underwhelming campaign for his side.
Betis finished 15th on the La Liga standings, but Fekir enhanced his reputation with a series of eye-catching performances and notched up seven goals and assists apiece in 32 appearances.
The 27-year-old also attempted 151 dribbles and completed a respectable total of 98, a stat that confirms his status as an effective dribbler.
#9 Papu Gomez | Atalanta
Alejandro Gomez is one of the most unique players in world football, as the diminutive Argentine continues to turn heads with his performances for an Atalanta side that has taken Europe by storm in the past 12 months.
The fulcrum of Gian Piero Gasperini's 3-4-1-2, Gomez links the midfield to the attack and has the unique ability to score goals as well as create them.
The 32-year-old ended the season with eight goals and 18 assists in all competitions for Atalanta, as they finished second in the Serie A after a fantastic domestic campaign.
Papu Gomez was also amongst the best dribblers of the 2019-20 season and completed 63 out of 107 attempted dribbles in all competitions.
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