Barcelona forward the best dribbler in the world ahead of Vinicius Jr, reveals CIES data

Xavi Hernandez has been very vocal about his admiration of Ousmane Dembele since his arrival as Barcelona’s manager. In fact, he went so far as to call him the best in the world in his position.

Working under a manager that believed in him was a blessing to Dembele’s career at the club. The Frenchman soon overcame his vicious chain of injuries and is now one of the team’s most vital players.

The former Borussia Dortmund player may not be the lethal goalscoring force some expected but he is responsible for almost every attacking threat the Catalans pose on the field.

CIES bring to light statistically what Xavi saw in the youngster and proves his point right.

Dembélé was the best dribbler in 2022, according to CIES. pic.twitter.com/KgSHMmmkv7

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) February 3, 2023

The football observatory named the French International as the world’s best dribbler for 2022, above the likes of Vinicius Jr, Kevin de Bruyne and Kylian Mbappe. This speaks volumes about his contributions on the field and match-winning potential.

Part of Dembele’s successful dribbling must be attributed to the searing pace that allows him to get away from defenders. That, coupled with his quick feet and ambidexterity, set him apart from the competition.

The 25-year-old has made 18 league appearances for Barcelona this season, scoring five goals and providing five assists. He averages 1.2 dribbles every 90 minutes in the league and two dribbles per game in the UCL this season.

In the 2021/22 season of La Liga, Dembele was the player with the most successful dribbles completed per game with 2.8 dribbles and a completion rate of 66%. He was closely followed by Vinicius Jr who averaged 2.7 dribbles per game and a significantly lower completion rate of 45%