Ranking Barcelona's 6 best dribblers in the 21st century

#3 Neymar

FC Barcelona v RCD Espanyol - La Liga

Neymar was earmarked to be Lionel Messi’s successor at Barcelona when the Brazilian joined from Santos in the summer of 2013. He was full of exuberance, desperate to make a name for himself at the Camp Nou. In his first season in Spain, Neymar proved his mettle and brought countless defenders to their knees with his insane touches and mazey dribbling.

Unlike Lionel Messi, who focused on functioning over form, Neymar banked on pizzazz and the typical Brazilian flair to beat defenders. His lanky physique allowed him to evade challenges without breaking a sweat and his quick feet were always prepared to get out of tight corners.

During his stay at Barcelona, Neymar was almost always the most fouled player on the pitch, and most of it was down to his dribbling. Neymar left Barcelona in search of greener pastures in 2017, but he is yet to find his old flair at Paris Saint-Germain.

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#2 Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho Celebrating After Scoring for Barcelona

Ronaldinho was one of the very few footballers who could make his rivals fall in love with his football. He just didn't play the game to win. Ronaldinho played football to express his love for the game and to share it with millions across the world.

During his spell with Barcelona, Ronaldinho emerged as the best player in the business. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2005 and was a mentor to the great Lionel Messi at Barcelona. From performing the "Elastico" in the tightest of spaces to beating defenders with a quick change of direction, Ronaldinho did it all.

His bag of tricks was unmatched at the time and we are yet to see a player executing the moves with as much authority.

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#1 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi Playing for Barcelona

Barcelona and Argentina sensation Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest dribbler the world has ever seen. During his 21-year stay at FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi went from a shy little young sensation to a six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

He won every possible trophy with the Catalan giants before signing for Paris Saint-Germain this summer. His ruthless shooting ability and playmaking skills deserve all the praise in the world, but we must also pay special attention to his inhuman dribbling.

At Barcelona, Messi could beat any player in the world anywhere on the pitch. He sped up, slowed down, turned defenders inside out; seeing Messi in full flow was an experience like no other.

As per Squawka, Messi completed 1,880 take-ons between 2006 and 2019, 660 more than second-placed Eden Hazard.