10 greatest dribblers in the history of football

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder,” goes the popular saying. But can anyone argue about the synonym for the game of football? “The beautiful game” is a phenomenon whose beauty transcends race, creed, age, sex or the dividing lines that we have drawn on our earth for the sake of property a.k.a nations.Football has a certain beauty that needs to be experienced, felt and shared. There are several moments on the pitch in every game that define the greatness of the game, and none more so than a successful dribble. It is a moment of sheer magic, when the brain is in perfect harmony with the muscles, leaving the defender baffled.The dribble is an art form that requires God-given talent to perform it to perfection and even bigger balls to execute it on the big stage. There are only a few in the world of football who have excelled at taking this art form to the highest levels and earned the grandest of laurels.Here are 10 of the best dribblers that the world has ever seen:Note: The views expressed in this article are subjective and are not meant to denigrate any player.

#11 Honourable mentions

Cristiano Ronaldo

George Best

Eusebio

Alfredo di Stefano

Andres Iniesta

Ryan Giggs

Sir Stanley Mathews

Laszlo Kubala

Michael Laudrup

#10 Johan Cruyff

The inventor of the famous “Cruyff turn”, Johann Cryuff could arguably be said to be the first prototype of the “total footballer”.

So dazzling was Cruyff on the field that many regarded him as the natural successor to Pele. And the Dutchman certainly didn’t do any injustice to the lofty expectations that people had of him.

Though mainly a centre-forward by trade, Holland's new line of football demanded more from every player, and Cruyff delivered on all fronts. He had the ability to drop deep and dazzle from midfield (something which was uncommon in those days), and also to appear on the wings and use his skills to bemuse his opponents.

His amazing poise and balance, combined with his astounding ball control and speed, made him a defender’s nightmare.

#9 Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio in action during the 1994 World Cup Final

Roberto Baggio’s career may have been cruelly defined by the fraction of a second his talent betrayed him. The picture of “the divine ponytail” standing around the penalty spot with his head hung as Brazil celebrated their first World Cup triumph in more than two decades is one of history's most well remembered moments.

But his legacy was more than that; he was a showman whose charisma on the ball should have met with a far better climax.

Baggio won two Scudetti, a UEFA Cup, a Ballon d’Or and a World Player of the Year award. He scored 204 goals in 452 Serie A appearances and 27 in 56 internationals.

Italians are mostly known in the world of football for their defensive schemes and discipline. Baggio, however, had other ideas. He was an entertainer from the get go and he dazzled the crowd with exquisite control and balance.

The following two goals come close to doing justice to his presence on the field.

Baggio introduced himself to the world of football with dazzling displays for Fiorentina and became an icon to La Viola, who later burned their own town and injured 50 when he was sold to Juventus.

#8 Pele

Pele is arguably the greatest player that the world has ever seen, and even then one of his skills has always been criminally underrated.

The name of Pele is always associated with goals; we have seen the finishes and reveled in his legacy. But his ability to slice through the defence like a knife through hot butter is under-appreciated by many.

One of the biggest tragedies in world football is the lack of video footage to showcase Pele’s time on the field. But even in the limited films there are, there is no doubt about the incandescent ability that the Brazilian maestro had.

A few minutes of this video should be enough to illustrate my point.

#7 Zinedine Zidane

If there was anyone who got the closest to reaching the heights of Pele and Maradona, it was Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman led his side to two World Cup finals, winning one in 1998, and also the Euro championship in 2000.

"Zizou" was the embodiment of panache and calm brilliance on the football field. Unlike many others Zidane didn’t have explosive pace, but his subtle touches and ankle breaking spins at the centre of the pitch lent control to proceedings that his teams needed to succeed.

He was the best, the quickest and the wittiest in the small spaces that the centre of the midfield affords, and he always had time to play the perfect ball to the forward moving into space.

In his time with the French national team and even during his time at Real Madrid, Zidane became the coherent factor that lead the “Galacticos” to major silverware for four straight years under Vincente Del Bosque.

#6 Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho burst on to the scene with a series of sparkling performances for the Brazilian national team, helping them to the 2002 World Cup. After that, the Brazilian genius would join Barcelona and the rest as they say is history.

The next four years would be remembered as the “age of Ronaldinho”. He ruled the footballing world like Titans used to run their universe – with absolute power. There was no second opinion about who the best player during those years was.

But as it was with the Brazilian, the might was accompanied by a smile on his face that appealed to anyone that watched him play.

#5 Ariel Ortega

Ariel Ortega, unlike many others on this list, was not a complete package. But when it came to close ball control, there were few who were better than this man.

The enigmatic and often temperamental playmaker nicknamed El Burrito (“the little donkey”) had the world at his feet but he could never really take flight. In fact, his most notable World Cup memory remains that of head butting Edwin van der Sar rather than of an exquisite flick of his left boot.

Ortega never quite justified his talent at either club or international level but his skills, when looked back upon, leave most gasping for air.

#4 Lionel Messi

As modern football contrives to produce more and more tactical paroxysms to nullify the “threats”, there will always be one player in every generation who makes all those plans seem like utter foolishness.

The current generation boasts of a couple of these prodigies, who can be credited with bringing the “beautiful game” back. Amongst them, Lionel Messi stands out as a genius the like of which we have never seen before.

The diminutive left-footer, much like his fellow Argentine genius Diego Maradona, has the ability to take the game by the scruff and alter it altogether with his nonchalant dribbling skills.

Four FIFA Ballon D’or awards stand as a testament to the phenomenon that is Lionel Messi.

#3 Luis Ronaldo

Just like Pele, Nazário de Lima or as we fondly know him, Ronaldo, is well-known for his sumptuous finishes. But the Brazilian hitman was a rare breed; he combined the power of a typical centre-forward, the finesse of a playmaker and the dribbling skills of a winger.

Except for injuries, there was nothing that could stop him, and nothing really ever did. Apart from the Champions League medal, Ronaldo won everything there was to be won by the modern day footballer in Europe.

If there was one goal that epitomized what Ronaldo was truly all about, it was this one:

Ronaldo was by far one of the greatest forwards the game has ever seen and if not for injury issues, he would have carved for himself am even bigger legacy than he already has in the world of football. He was crowned FIFA World Player of the Year three times between 1996 and 2002.

#2 Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona wasn’t a once in a generation talent; he was once in a century talent. The joint winner of FIFA’s Player of the Century award, the Argentine was a dribbler of the highest quality and a near complete player. His low centre of gravity allowed him to take the most audacious of turns, while his sublime ball control allowed him to do things that others could only dream of.

Maradona sealed his place in footballing folklore with his performances at the 1986 World Cup, where he nearly single-handedly took Argentina to the title. He was a controversial figure, but adored and loved by everyone around the globe for his mercurial talent.

The left-footed genius is in fact credited with scoring The Goal of the Century, which was filled with several brilliant dribbles.

#1 Garrincha

Brazilian football legend Garrincha was nicknamed “The King of Dribble”, and aptly so. He had a connection with the ball that many won’t be able to comprehend unless they see footage of his sublime skills at play. His close ball control and ability to do impossible things with the ball deserve even more praise when you factor in the difficult playing conditions and state of the grounds during his playing days.

Considered by many as the greatest dribbler ever to grace the football field, Garrincha had an air of confidence with the ball and an audacious nature that have never been replicated. He would not only beat his man but humiliate him time and again, shattering all his confidence.

While most greats are remembered for their goals, Garrincha’s legend will always be attributed to his sublime touches and stupendous dribbles.