There are few sights in football as thrilling as a world-class player driving at the opposition on the world stage.
But who are the outstanding dribblers of the 2022 World Cup so far? You won’t be surprised to see Lionel Messi, the best dribbler in Europe’s big leagues this season, features in the top 10.
Messi has completed eight dribbles from Argentina’s three group-stage games, with a 50% success rate. Half of those dribbles came in a particularly dominant 2-0 victory over Poland, a game in which the opposition failed to register a single dribble.
Messi’s Argentina team-mate Angel Di Maria is also in the top five, fourth, having led the way with seven dribbles after two games. That number is also up to nine.
You also won’t be shocked to hear that Messi’s PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe is one of the 10 players to have registered six or more dribbles.
The early Golden Boot frontrunner has been electric so far this tournament and forever seems to be driving at the defence – only four players in the competition have attempted more dribbles, although his success rate (eight of 18 attempted) could do with some improvement.
Tajon Buchanan isn’t a name that many would have been familiar with prior to the World Cup kicking off. But the 23-year-old Club Brugge winger caught the eye in Canada’s spirited outings – only one player has attempted more dribbles (25), of which he’s completed seven.
It’s a bit of a shame to watch Buchanan go home early, but not nearly as much as Bayern Munich wonderkid Jamal Musiala. The 19-year-old was absolutely ridiculous in Germany’s ill-fated World Cup campaign.
Musiala has been Qatar 2022’s undisputed Dribble King. He’s attempted 36 dribbles – 11 more than any other player – and successfully pulled off 19 of them, more than twice as many as all but two players in the tournament so far.
The winger’s 13 successful dribbles against Costa Rica is more than every other player in the World Cup so far, and the second-most in any World Cup game in history.
Musiala alone has completed more dribbles than half of the teams in the tournament, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him end up on top in terms of dribbles when the tournament finishes, despite having exited after just three games.
Here’s how the top 10 dribblers of the 2022 World Cup so far stack up. We’ve ordered them by their total dribbles, and if tied, then by their success rate.
1. Jamal Musiala – 19
2. Alphonso Davies – 11
3. Mohammed Kudus – 10
4. Angel Di Maria – 9
5. Lionel Messi – 8
6. Ismaila Sarr – 8
7. Kylian Mbappe – 8
8. Hakim Ziyech – 7
9. Tajon Buchanan – 7
10. Illiman Ndiaye – 6