Leo Messi is inarguably one of the greatest dribbling magicians of all time. His ability to get past players was simply a cheat code. The number 10 had the unparalleled ability to glide past defenders through eye-defying moves. And if the opposition made the mistake of marking him, it made him even more unstoppable. Let’s break down the secret behind Leo’s brilliant close control, those sudden bursts of acceleration, and a fantastic knack of knocking down elite defences.
Messi’s Low Centre of Gravity
Cristiano Ronaldo’s early Manchester United days inspired a lot of young fans to dribble by flashy stepovers and elasticos. It was pleasing to the eye, but technically not highly effective in real matches. But Messi’s dribbling has always been practical, wriggly, and a lot simpler. Leo starts his dribbling with something simpler: his body.
At 5’7″ height, La Pulga has a very low center of gravity, which gives him a freakish balance. It allows him to take sharp turns without losing speed. Defenders, who are typically high and bulky, lunge to get him. But Messi shifts direction in a split second and makes even the best defenders look clumsy. To second all this, Leo has a powerful core and lower body. He is literally made of granite as his body can bounce off even the most brutal challenges. Messi’s dribbling looks effortless to the eye but it’s actually a biological masterclass.
The Art of Deception
A good dribbler should always be able to anticipate their opponent and deceive them. The deception can be conveyed through feints, shoulder drops, or other techniques. However, Messi did not always need these skills or fancy tricks because his deception style was always in the details. If you watch his dribbling in slow-mo, you’ll see that his every touch is calculated.
He doesn’t just push the ball forward but uses small, micro touches to bait defenders. When the defenders fall for the trap, Leo subtly adjusts the ball’s position and explodes past them. His body feints are minimal but massively lethal. Even a slight shoulder drop or glance in the wrong direction is enough to send players scrambling off balance. The ball stays glued to his foot, and by the time defenders react, Leo’s already gone.
How Messi’s Dribbling Rewrote the Rules of Beating Defenders
Modern dribblers mostly handle 1v1s and do not take the risk of taking on multiple defenders at a time. Basically they are drilled this way by managers in order not to lose possession. But it wasn’t true in Leo’s case. Barca’s no. 10 could make entire backlines look helpless. His 2015 run against Bilbao, solo goal against Getafe: I could name a ton of similar moments where he single-handedly dismantled 7,8 players with ease. The defenders knew what he would do, but still couldn’t stop him. Ever wondered why?
This is because Messi manipulates players. He drifts into crowds and forces the players to commit. And when they do, he slithers through gaps which basically shouldn’t exist. Messi’s ability to create inside traffic of players turns chaos into goals and this is how his dribbling broke the conventional ways to defend against him.
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