Decoding Lionel Messi’s dribbling magic

It’s possible that Lionel Messi was born with the ability to be the best football dribbler. I know that this is a strong claim, and I assume that many Brazilian supporters have already shown their disapproval by criticising Garrincha and Pele on their computers. However, the Argentine’s smaller and lighter frame makes it clear that he was virtually built from the ground up for speed, agility, and balance. Read on to know all about Lionel Messi’s dribbling.

It would be difficult to construct anything in the lab that was more perfect biomechanical. Second, it’s the manner that, in an era that was frequently dominated by footballing giants, he developed and improved his own unique style of play to suit his particular skill set and stature.

Lionel Messi’s dribbling ability:

Pele is undoubtedly one of the most well-known athletes in the history of the game, yet he didn’t compete at a time when sports science was at its peak. when players, such as David De Gea and Gareth Bale, transform into bigger, stronger, and more menacing versions of themselves, the Express reported. Basically, Messi had to develop his dribbling skills.

He learnt to glide through a team’s defence because he couldn’t “muscle” his way through one. Watch the video montage below, and the terms “knife” and “butter” immediately come to mind.

So how did he accomplish it? Is his talent to dribble inborn and genetic? Or is it a skill you can acquire? If the latter, can sports science analyse Messi’s abilities and create a breeding scheme to produce a group of dribbling superstars? The solution is a little difficult, as you might think, but the insight is remarkable.

Talent or Skill:

No discussion of Lionel Messi’s dribbling athletic ability is complete without first addressing the nature vs. nurture debate. This is due to the fact that, as reported in the Mirror, Messi was told he was “too small to play” football at an early age. Leading medical experts predicted that “he would grow no taller than 4’7” because of “hormonal problems” that were thought to be the cause.

Consider the following quote from the study reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: “Within the field of sports science, elite performance is understood to be the result of both training and genetic factors.” 

This indicates that Messi was significantly hampered as a young player due to “genetic factors.” It might be claimed that despite being far smaller and physically immature than his teammates, his “training” element of growth compensated for his genetic disadvantage and allowed him to thrive.

According to Barcelona’s website, this means that theoretically, the peculiar circumstances in which he was raised may have had a significant impact on the development of a dribbling maestro, with his skill, stamina, balance, speed, and agility all significantly improving before being chemically enhanced by hormone treatment to help him grow to 5’6″.

Carles Rexach, the sporting director for Barcelona, famously signed Messi to a contract written on the back of a serviette, but in reality, what he was signing was a young prodigy who had the genetic “handbrake” on. When that handbrake was released, a multiple Ballon d’Or winner was the outcome.

Speed, Strength and Endurance:

The combination of speed and endurance that all great ball dribblers possess is sometimes disregarded. According to research from Liverpool John Moores University’s School of Human Sciences in the UK, “unorthodox modes of motion—running backwards and sideways, accelerating, decelerating, and changing direction—accentuate the metabolic loading.”

Simply put, Messi’s unpredictable manoeuvring of the defence is likely to be much more exhausting than a straightforward sprint down the wing. The latter, while looking wonderful on a statistic sheet, doesn’t “accentuate the metabolic loading” as Messi’s playing style, according to scientists.

The study “The Net Physiological Cost of Dribbling a Football,” which was released in the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, reached the following conclusion: “Dribbling a ball does significantly increase the energy cost and perceived exertion of motion, as well as inducing rises in blood lactate when performed at high speeds.”

The term “blood lactate” describes the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles that causes the burning feeling you experience after periods of vigorous activity and is followed by weariness and a decline in performance. This further validates the idea that in the context of football, a great ball dribbler must be endowed with speed and endurance.

Insider:

So, going back to the nature vs. nurture argument around Messi, could it be that his smaller stature allowed him to develop this aspect of his game far more than anyone else’s?

Researchers from the Department of Sports Sciences at the University of Beira Interior in Covilha, Portugal, discovered that genetic variables influenced peak oxygen uptake (endurance) by “40 to 70 per cent” and anaerobic power (basically speed and power) by “30 to 90 per cent.”

Thus, it is evident that Messi was naturally equipped with speed and endurance but not with height or a strong skeletal structure. But once Barcelona’s medical staff addressed the hormone imbalance, it’s possible that he already benefited from the way “genetic factors” and “training” combine to produce elite performance, as stated by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Of course, this is all just speculation, but do you think he would have worked as hard on his dribbling, speed, and endurance in Barcelona’s junior system if he were a 6’5″ beast? My hunch is that it’s probably not, and the video below seems to confirm this.

Efficiency:

This claim may be hotly debated, however, the data mentioned above demonstrating that dribbling places high energy demands on the body makes it abundantly evident that a great dribbler of the ball is also an efficient dribbler. Due to this, it could be a touch harsh to state the following in articles like the one that appeared in ESPN and was captioned “Stats Show Messi’s Lack of Influence”:

“Atletico advanced 2-1 overall thanks to the 1-0 victory over the home team, and according to UEFA’s official game statistics, Messi only covered 6.8 km during the roughly 95 minutes of play. This was just 1.4 km more than Barca custodian Jose Manuel Pinto ran, and it was little over half of Koke’s winning 12.2 km for Atletico.”

Again using the words of sports scientists from Liverpool John Moores University’s School of Human Sciences, “The distance covered by players tends to under-reflect the energy expended.” Could it be that Messi simply has a superior understanding of the dribbling technique than sports professors and statisticians?

Biomechanics of Footballing:

However, the laboratory test in which Cristiano Ronaldo faced off against Spanish 100-meter sprint champion Angel David Rodriguez Garcia provided conclusive evidence of Messi’s dribbling prowess.

According to the former British sprinter Darren Campbell, who may be seen in the video above, his weak linear biomechanics caused him to lose the 25-meter straight-line sprint. In a 25-meter zigzag test of speed and agility, he was able to defeat the Spanish sprinter thanks to the same technique.

Lionel “Leo” Messi is regarded as one of the finest players of his time because of his ability to change direction quickly and keep the ball close to his body. To advance your game to the next level, you can start developing the core dribbling skills and juke manoeuvres Messi uses.

Steps to achieve Lionel Messi’s dribbling:

1. Keep the ball close at all times

It’s crucial to practise in short bursts. While walking, it’s simple to keep the ball near, but doing it at a full run is far more difficult. Build up your pace and dribbling endurance gradually, aiming for a touch every two to three steps.

2. Keep your head up

To have exceptional ball control and to dribble in the Messi fashion, one must have excellent vision. Focus on defenders’ hips to see which direction they are heading so you can anticipate the best approach to knock them off balance or even catch them with their legs apart for a morale-damaging nutmeg. Practise keeping your eyes on the activity around you.

3. Establish a low centre of gravity

It almost seems unfair that Messi’s diminutive stature contributes to his skill as a dribbler. Although being tall doesn’t necessarily make you a great dribbler, he glides with the ball close to him and makes more strides per dribble than some other dribblers. Taller players can accomplish the same goal, but it will require more practice. It helps to centre yourself low, stoop, and maintain ball contact.

4. Keep your arms out

In Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow walked with his arms outstretched to help him balance himself. Great dribblers like Messi dribble in that way; watch some film. You may keep yourself in the optimal position by maintaining your balance during quick transitions and changes in direction by keeping your arms bent and somewhat away from your body.

5. Get faster

One of the most important factors in Lionel Messi’s style of play and ball management is speed. Messi stands out from other players due to his ability to maintain close possession of the ball while moving quickly.

6. Continuos practice:

When asked in an interview what it required to become a great player like him, Messi replied that the secret was to genuinely enjoy the game and practise it frequently. Messi played every day, morning, noon, and night, starting at the age of three. He broke objects while playing inside and was reprimanded. He began dribbling a football as soon as he learned how to walk. Follow suit.

7. Shield the ball with your body

Put your body in between any nearby defenders and any passes you receive. Try to keep the ball away from the defence as much as you can by turning your hip or your back to them. As soon as he traps the ball, Messi frequently immediately has his eyes up and is staring at an opponent over his shoulder.

8. Accept passes with the foot farthest from your opponent

Try to control the pass with the foot that is furthest away from your opponent when you trap a pass. Messi frequently approaches the defence near enough to touch it, but he always has the ball closer to him and his centre of gravity than his rivals. Accept the pass and trap it to create space so you can get off to a good start (ha!).

9. Locate the space

Choose the direction that will give you the best chance of having enough room to manoeuvre around the defender while keeping your eyes up. His hips won’t lie: Pay close attention to the defender’s hips to see which way they’re facing and what he appears to be expecting from you.

10. Bring the defense

By moving in the opposite direction from where you want to go, you can draw the defence in. With the foot that will eventually lead you in the direction you want to go, control the ball while stepping with the other foot. The reason Messi’s signature move is so effective against defenders is that it occurs so quickly that it is simple to miss. Messi basically makes one stutter-step in the fake direction, feints, and then dribbles in the opposite direction with the outside of his foot to juke out a defender.

Conclusion:

In essence, footballers with a shorter running stride and lower centre of gravity are able to accelerate quickly, decelerate quickly, and anticipate changes in motion. Ronaldo is over 6″ tall in addition to being an incredibly good sprinter and ball handler. He had to adjust by running with a shorter stride and a lower centre of gravity. But Messi simply inherited this low centre of gravity and tremendous quickness.

In conclusion, many would contend that because football is so complicated, sports science makes it difficult to logically explain a player’s abilities. But in the instance of Lionel Messi, it is evident that extraordinary contextual and genetic circumstances all contributed to the development of one of the best ball dribblers the game has ever seen.

So, this was all about Lionel Messi’s dribbling trick. Drop your views on Lionel Messi’s dribbling through the comment section. Also read, Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza to divorce? – Fans speculate.