Top 5 footballers of all time with most flair
When it comes to the beautiful game, putting respectable numbers on the board is only a part of the story. The remaining bit is one that cannot be statistically quantified - Flair. It is the aspect that makes the game whole, and makes it memorable and exciting for on-lookers.
Flair in football is not something one acquires; it is something one inherently possesses. Flair is the ability to stand out; it is taking something ordinary and turning it into a piece of art. Some footballers — the ones we will be focusing on today — have not only defined the word but have also used their innate ability to entertain to win invaluable accolades.
Today, we will be taking a look at the 5 greatest players in the world who turned the sport into art, mesmerizing fans and rivals alike. Now, without further ado, let us take a look at
5 players who have rewritten the laws of football with their flair
Special mention
A mere list of 5 or 10 is not enough to define football’s greatest artists; it is not fair to those who are left out. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Garrincha are three of many such close exclusions from this list that we have to live with.
Despite being the leading goalscorer of this era, Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a great dribbler and trickster. His peak in terms of flair came at Manchester United, but Real Madrid, too, got a taste of his effortlessness.
Neymar’s skills and bag of tricks do not need an introduction. He has managed to keep the kid from Santos alive in his football, and we are hoping to see more from him in the coming years.
Garrincha was one of the best dribblers of his era and could take on any defense in the world. He had explosive pace, an arsenal of tricks, and the ability to outsmart even the toughest opponents.
#5 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, who recently joined Paris Saint-Germain, is arguably the best dribbler in the world right now. His little body feints, nutmegs, and gliding movement are up there with the very best, and he regularly uses his skills to make a positive impact.
Messi has a knack for scoring outrageous goals. He beat five defenders to score past Real Madrid in the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League. He also forced Kevin Prince Boateng to famously lose his footing when he went up against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League in 2015. On both occasions, Barcelona were crowned the victors of the tournament.
#4 Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff is one of the greatest philosophers the world of football has ever seen. The instigator of Total Football, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner urged his teams to focus on esthetics and not play only for the results.
Cruyff was a magician on the ball and effortlessly slid into little pockets of space to torment opponents. He also invented the ‘Cruyff Turn,’ which has proven to be an excellent escape technique in modern-day football. In the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Cruyff found himself cornered by Sweden international Jan Olsson. Instead of panicking, he dummied a pass, pulled the ball back behind his planted foot with the other foot, turned 180 degrees towards the ball and fled the scene.
His iconic maneuver remains one of the most talked about events to this day.