The ultimate test of a football player’s inventiveness, self-assurance, and technical skill is facing a defender one-on-one. Having a wide range of actions is crucial, whether you’re an attacking midfielder who enjoys dribbling, a striker attempting to create space for a shot, or a winger trying to beat your full-back. Starting with the easiest (number one) and working our way up to the most difficult (number 40), we have collated and ranked forty skills according to their degree of complexity. If you can master these, no defender will want to take on you on your own.
The Fundamentals (Levels 1-5)
Change of Speed: In football, one of the simplest and most useful skills is hardly a skill at all. Actually, all you do is run after pushing the ball past the defender. You catch the defender off guard by abruptly speeding from a leisurely dribble to a sprint. It doesn’t require any sophisticated footwork; it only depends on your explosive pace.
The Cut: The most prevalent ability in all of football. Dribble directly in the direction of a defender. Next, cut the ball at a sharp angle past them with the inside or outside of your foot before you get too close. The key to this technique is timing and making a last-minute direction change.
The Shoulder Drop: Lean your body and drop your shoulder as you take a large step in one direction when confronting a defender. The defender is tricked out by this. Next, push the ball in the other direction with your other foot. With your upper body, the shoulder drop sells the phony completely.
The Cow (Fake Shot): When a defender is attempting to block your shot or cross, wind up as if you were going to shoot, but drag the ball behind your leg with the inside of your foot. The defender is totally out of position because they commit to blocking a shot that never materializes.
The Fake Kick: In a crossing position, touch the ball to the side and run up as if to cross it. However, pull the ball past the defender by using the inside of your foot rather than making contact. This is ideal for defeating combative defenders who enjoy blocking crosses.
Stop-and-Go Variations (Levels 6-7)
Master the 1v1 Football Skills. The Stop and Go (Underside of Foot): Use the underside of your foot to stop the ball dead when a defender is catching up to you while you’re dribbling down the field. Then, as soon as possible, push the ball past the defender using the inside of your other foot. The defender’s momentum is disrupted by the abrupt stop.
The Stop and Go (Inside of Foot): The stop-and-go method using the inside of your foot is nearly identical to the one using the underside. The only difference is that you stop the ball with the inside of your foot before pushing it past the defender. In confined spaces, some players find this variant to be faster.
Drags and Rolls (Levels 8-12):
Inside Out:Master the 1v1 Football Skills Start moving the ball across your body with the inside of your foot. Then, cut the ball back the other direction with the outside of that same foot before it travels too far. Defenders are confused by the snake-like movements this produces.
La Croqueta: This move, made famous by Andrés Iniesta, involves sliding the ball across your body to your other foot using the inside of your foot. Next, push the ball past the defender using the inside of your other foot. It’s the best kind of fast, precise dribbling.
The Roll Croqueta: Use the underside of your foot to drag the ball away from the tackle and across your body if you arrive ahead of a defender who is sprinting in for a tackle. Next, push the ball past the defender using the inside of your other foot. This blends the traditional croqueta with a protective roll.
The Push and Go: Reach out and poke the ball past the defender if the ball is in front of you and you believe they will reach it before you can control it. Then, to avoid running into them, sprint around the opposite side. For 50/50 sprints to the ball, this is perfect.
The Stepover: Bring one foot around the front of the ball without touching it as you’re dribbling at a defender. Next, push the ball past the defender in the opposite direction with the top of your other foot. Legends like Ronaldo and Neymar have used the stepover, a traditional body fade.
Advanced Cuts and Fakes (Levels 13-17)
The Ronaldo Chop: When you’re running down the wing and you feel a defender is catching up to you, jump with both feet and use the inside of your foot to chop the ball behind your leg and the defender. This sharp, 90-degree turn is named after Cristiano Ronaldo and is perfect for cutting inside.
The Fake Cutback: Use the outside of your foot to momentarily halt the ball while you’re sprinting down the wing and a defender is catching up. Then promptly push the ball back down the line with the inside of that same foot. You pretend to stop or slow down, then suddenly accelerate.
The Fake and La Croqueta: Make a tiny feint to the side with the foot closest to the ball when you’re up against a defender and don’t have much forward momentum. Next, move the ball across your body using the inside of that same foot. Lastly, push the ball past the defender using the inside of your other foot.
The L Cut: Use the outside of your foot to make a tiny cut straight to the side when you’re cutting past a defender but don’t want the ball to go too far to the side. Then, as soon as possible, move to the inside of your foot and push the ball beyond the opponent. The ball’s trajectory follows the letter “L” in shape.
The Fake Kick Chop: Wind up as though you’re about to shoot while you’re dribbling at a defender and in a shooting position. But instead of following through, chop the ball in the opposite direction with the inside of your foot. You slip past the defender as they leap to block the shot.
Elite Stepover Variations (Levels 18-19):
The Dragon Stepover: Master the 1v1 Football Skills. When a defender is on your wing, start dragging the ball across your body with the inside of your foot. Next, make it appear as though you are about to cut back by bringing your foot around the ball. Lastly, push the ball past the defender with your other foot. This combines an explosive exit, a stepover, and a drag.
The One-and-a-Half Stepover (Mbappé Special): Kylian Mbappé frequently performs effective one-and-a-half stepovers when attempting to cut inside and shoot. He quickly steps over in one way before doing a rapid body feint in the opposite direction. He returns to his original course before the defender has a chance to think. It’s a master class in deceit.
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