During his heyday with Barcelona, Lionel Messi consistently ranked as one of the top dribblers across the major leagues in Europe. Now, how is the Argentine icon, who no longer has the explosive speed of his youth, different from MLS's best dribblers?
He may no longer be the fastest player, but Messi's precise control is still astounding, and we've seen him dribble past hapless MLS defenders on numerous occasions this season.
Here are the 10 players with the most successful dribbles of the 2024 MLS season.
10. Lionel Messi – 20
Messi has only just snuck into the top 10, considering he has only started 7 of Inter Miami's 12 games so far this season and has played fewer minutes than anyone else featured here. The results are impressive.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner averages a successful dribble every 33 minutes, a rate comparable to the top names on this list.
Read: 10 players with the most goals and assists in MLS in 2024: Can anyone catch Lionel Messi?
9. Ibrahim Aliyu – 21
The 22-year-old Nigerian winger for the Houston Dynamo is a talent worth noting.
He signed from Croatian side Lokomotiva Zagreb last year for a fee of 2 million euros and is likely to play a starring role under manager Ben Olsen this season. It would not be a surprise to see him called up to the Super Eagles senior team for the first time sooner or later.
8. Emil Forsberg – 22
The experienced Swedish international previously had a long spell with RB Leipzig and is currently at sister club New York Red Bulls.
Forsberg got off to a good start in his debut MLS season, scoring three goals and providing two assists in his first nine games with the club. He's not bad either, with just 46 dribble attempts and 22 successful dribbles.
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7. Andres Gomez – 22
Back in March, the Colombian winger put in an impressive performance, scoring two goals and setting up another in Real Salt Lake's 3-0 win over LAFC.
Although he was not playable that night, he recorded five successful dribbles along with a direct goal contribution. Gomez completed a total of 22 dribbles.
6. Dennis Buanga – 23
LAFC's Gabonese international loves attacking opponents, and that approach has helped him score six goals and provide two assists so far this season.
However, there are limits to his dribbling success. He also has 49 failed dribbles this season, the most of any MLS player, but his 31% success rate is certainly the lowest of any player in the top 10.
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5. Santiago Moreno – 23
The Colombian attacking midfielder, who is popular with Portland Timbers fans, was linked with the likes of Leeds United and Rangers before signing with MLS in 2021.
“He is a player we believe can make an impact at multiple positions on offense,” Timbers President Gavin Wilkinson promised when announcing the deal.
“We are excited to continue to support his development and watch him become a key contributor to the club.”
We are certainly seeing evidence of that now.
4. Santiago Rodriguez – 29
Yet another South American, of whom six of the top 10 players are from the continent, if Uruguay national team coach Marcelo Bielsa were to play every inch of Rodríguez's 11 MLS appearances for New York City FC this season. I would be surprised if I hadn't studied it carefully.
The 24-year-old is yet to make his senior international debut, but Bielsa could do worse than focus on him. You can imagine that he wants nothing more than to represent his country when the Copa America is held in the United States this summer.
3. Thiago Almada – 31
Almada, a member of Argentina's World Cup-winning team, is undoubtedly the poster child for an up-and-coming MLS star who has the qualities to shine in the traditionally powerhouse Atlantic league.
However, the 23-year-old is enjoying his time at Atlanta United, currently in his third season, and appears to be in no rush to sign with a European club.
There's also a simple efficiency to Armada's game. His 31 successful dribbles came from just his 49 attempts. His 63% success rate is definitely the best of any player in this top 10.
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2. Luciano Acosta – 33
No player in MLS in 2024 has attempted more dribbles (77) than FC Cincinnati's Argentine wizard.
Like Bouanga, his success rate is only 42%, which is not the best, but he is definitely one of the most dynamic and notable MLS players of his time. There is also a final product.
The 29-year-old has been a standout player for Cincinnati, with five goals and five assists in his past 10 appearances.
1. Federico Bernardeschi – 34
Some of you may remember the midfielder during his prime, when he won back-to-back Scudetti with Juventus, or his performance in Italy's match against England at Euro 2020.
Bernardeschi is not your average European star in MLS, having joined FC Toronto in 2022 as a 28-year-old.
He is still near the peak of his physical strength and is making the most of it. As of 2024, Bernardeschi is MLS's dribbling king, averaging a successful dribble every 29 minutes.