Dribbling: Messi

He is the greatest player in the world. And he's only 22.

That the ball, to use the old cliché, really does seem to be tied to his feet. He doesn't even seem to kick it most of the time: like a faithful dog, it just runs alongside him. That he's like the kid in the under-10s team that picks the ball up, runs rings round everyone and scores; that he is exactly the kid he was when he was a kid. That he goes from 0-60 in no time and from 60-0 again in even less – what was so stunning about his goal against Valencia last weekend was how suddenly he stopped, sending the defender screeching by like a cartoon character off a cliff. --Sid Lowe

HowTo: Succeed in Dribbling

1. Change of speed [x]
2. Change of direction [x]
3. Control [x]
4. Vision [x]
5. Creativity/ Improvisation [x]



Who says you need to be able to use both feet? If you're that good with one, the other is just for standing.