Style and skills

Messi Skills — Dribbling, Vision and Finishing

Why Messi looks like he is playing a different sport: low centre of gravity, micro-changes of direction, telepathic passing and a chip-shot finish that has aged into his signature move.

Short answer

Messi

Messi's combination of dribbling and creation is the most unique skillset modern football has produced.

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By the numbers

Metric

Messi

Ronaldo

Career dribbles completed

2,500+

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What makes Messi different

A 1.70m frame with the lowest centre of gravity of any elite footballer, allowing him to change direction at full speed.

Vision and passing range that have generated 385+ career assists alongside his goals.

Frequently asked

+What is Messi's best skill?

His dribbling at close quarters combined with his decision-making — he very rarely loses the ball in tight spaces.

+How does this compare with the Messi vs Ronaldo debate overall?

Messi's combination of dribbling and creation is the most unique skillset modern football has produced. For the full side-by-side across goals, trophies, Ballons d'Or and the World Cup, see our main Messi vs Ronaldo comparison.

Keep reading

The eternal question

Who Is Better — Messi or Ronaldo?

Career stats compared

Messi vs Ronaldo — Full Career Stats (2026)

The GOAT question

Who Is the GOAT — Messi or Ronaldo?

All topics

Every Messi vs Ronaldo comparison on the site — fully indexable.