Seeing a good player finish a dribble is one of the most exciting sights in sports, but which players have had supporters on the edge of their seats the most this season?
Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are notably absent from the top ten dribblers in Europe's main leagues (Premier League, Ligue 1, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A), but there is one world-famous name among some of the lesser-known luminaries in 2022-23.
Leroy Sane has slipped slightly under the radar since leaving Manchester City for Bayern Munich in 2020, but he's been in excellent form for the German champions this season.
The winger has completed 71 successful dribbles in the Bundesliga and will most likely receive another medal at the end of the season.
Samuel Chukwueze of Villarreal is also named as one of the greatest dribblers this season. It's impossible not to get excited when Chukwueze is given the ball in a hazardous place with the potential to terrorize his opponent.
Only three players in Europe's top five leagues averaged more dribbles than the Nigerian winger last season, and he's on track to do so again in 2022-23.
Young stars such as Jude Bellingham, Alphonso Davies, Jeremie Frimpong, and Rodrygo also make their way into the top 10. There are plenty of up-and-coming dribblers to get excited about.
Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi makes the cut but just misses out on the top spot. His future with PSG is now up in the air, but he still ranks as one of the best players in the world.
As well as notching up lots of goals and assists, the Argentinian is a menace with the ball at his feet once again. He was always near the top of Europe’s best dribblers during his prime years, but didn’t feature anywhere near the top 10 last season.
Form is temporary; class is permanent. Messi is averaging considerably more successful dribbles than in 2021–22, and he has already surpassed his total dribbles from last season.
Messi is just pipped to the top spot by Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who statistically has been the best dribbler in Europe during this campaign.
Along with his flair, the Brazilian star has also had a highly productive year in terms of his output. With 23 goals and 17 assists across all competitions, there’s no stopping him right now.
Carlo Ancelotti has even hailed the 22-year-old as the best in the business right now. "For me, he is the best player in the world. He has created danger every time he’s tried to go forward," the manager told reporters last month.
Using data from Whoscored, we have compiled a list of the top 10 players with the most successful dribbles in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
1. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid): 103 dribbles
2. Lionel Messi (PSG): 91 dribbles
3. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund): 83 dribbles
4. Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen): 82 dribbles
5. Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal): 76
6. Rodrygo (Real Madrid): 74 dribbles
7. Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich): 71 dribbles
8. Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich): 70 dribbles
=9. Lee Kang-in (Mallorca): 69 dribbles
Rafael Leao (AC Milan): 9 dribbles