The 5 players who are better at dribbling than Lionel Messi according to EA FC 25
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the best dribbler of all time, but according to FC 26, he’s only the joint-sixth best dribbler in the world today.
The Argentine wizard has been given a dribbling stat of 90 on the new game, which is a downgrade of two from last year’s game.
For context, his 90 dribbling stat is the same as Lamine Yamal, Desire Doue, Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Vitinha and Jude Bellingham.
According to the leaked database on Fut Mind, here are the five players who are better dribblers than Messi in 2025, according to FC 26.
5. Jamal Musiala – 91 dribbling
After breaking his ankle at the Club World Cup, Musiala has been sidelined for the start of the season, but is eyeing a competitive comeback later this year.
He’s received a +1 to his dribbling stat on the new game and we’d have to say that it’s well deserved.
In the Bundesliga last season, the German attacking midfielder averaged 2.9 successful dribbles per game, which was more than any other player in the league.
His ability to wriggle out of tight spaces is second to none and almost reminiscent of Messi, who was his childhood hero back in the day.
“On the back of my shirts as a kid, the name was almost always Messi,” Musiala told Sport BILD.
“I also had one with Neymar, but Messi was my hero, my favourite player.”
4. Vinicius Junior – 91 dribbling
Vinicius didn’t have his best season in 2024-25, but his dribbling stat of 91 has remained the same since last year.
While the Brazilian did drift in and out of form, his dribbling remained consistent and he’s still rightly considered as one of the best players in the world.
During 2024-25, he averaged 2.7 successful dribbles per game, the second best of any player in La Liga.
3. Pedri – 91 dribbling
While Pedri isn’t an explosive dribbler like some of the other players on this list, his technical skills in the middle of the pitch are second to none.
The 22-year-old continues to get better each season, although his dribbling stat of 91 has raised some eyebrows, considering some of the players that he’s ahead of.
During 2024-25, Pedri completed 40 successful dribbles in La Liga, which was 121 fewer than Yamal. Despite that, Yamal has a lower dribbling stat than Pedri. Make it make sense.
2. Kylian Mbappe – 92 dribbling
Mbappe has maintained his 92 dribbling stat from last year.
Playing as a number nine at Real Madrid instead of a winger, the Frenchman doesn’t always get to showcase his dribbling skills, but his underlying numbers remained consistent throughout 2024-25.
In total, he completed 83 successful dribbles in La Liga last year, the third most of any player in the league, behind Dodi Lukebakio and Yamal.
1. Ousmane Dembele – 93 dribbling
Arguably the best player in the world right now, we can’t begrudge EA from giving Dembele the title as the world’s best dribbler.
A former teammate of Messi, Dembele managed to reach new heights during 2024-25 and is widely considered as the frontrunner for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
As a result, he’s been given a beefy upgrade on the new game and has received a +5 dribbling boost.
READ NEXT: The highest-rated FIFA XI of all time: No Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every cover star from the FIFA and EA FC series since 2000?