Lamine Yamal is the most exciting young dribbler in world soccer. The Barcelona and Spain winger made his first-team debut at 15, starred as Spain won Euro 2024, and has been compared to Lionel Messi ever since. If you want to learn how to dribble like Lamine Yamal, this guide breaks down his skills, explains how he got so good, and gives you drills to train the same qualities.
I’ve watched a lot of great young players. What makes Yamal special is that he’s fearless. He takes defenders on every time, and he does it with the ball glued to his feet.
How Did Lamine Yamal Get So Good at Dribbling?
Yamal’s dribbling didn’t appear by accident. It’s the product of three things:
- La Masia: He came through FC Barcelona’s famous academy, where young players spend thousands of hours on close control, rondos and small-sided games.
- Constant ball contact: Academy training at La Masia is built around small spaces and lots of touches, which builds the touch, balance and creativity you see in his dribbling.
- Trust and minutes: Coaches gave him a chance at a very young age. Playing against older, stronger opponents forced him to solve problems quickly.
The lesson for young players is clear: skill is built through repetition. Every great dribbler has spent more time with the ball than the players around them.
Lamine Yamal’s Best Skills Explained
1. Stopping on a dime
Yamal can be running at full speed, stop the ball dead, and go the other way. Defenders can’t stop as quickly, so he wins the space. It’s a perfect example of how change of pace beats raw speed.
2. The cutback onto his left foot
Playing on the right wing, Yamal loves to cut inside onto his left foot to shoot or pass. Defenders know it’s coming and still can’t stop it, because he disguises it so well.
3. Close control at speed
Watch how many touches he takes when dribbling. They’re small and frequent, which means he can change direction at any moment.
4. Feints and body swerves
A drop of the shoulder, a lean, a step over: Yamal uses small feints to put defenders off balance before he accelerates.
5. Vision and passing
He isn’t just a dribbler. His chipped and curled passes into the box, often to Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona, show a playmaker’s vision.
6. Long-range shooting
Yamal can bend the ball into the top corner from distance. His curling goal against France in the Euro 2024 semi-final made him the youngest goalscorer in European Championship history. That threat makes defenders back off, which gives him even more room to dribble.
7. Placing, not blasting, finishes
Instead of smashing the ball, he often places his shots calmly into the corner. It’s a mature habit for such a young player.
How to Dribble Like Lamine Yamal: A 25-Minute Session
- Ball mastery (5 minutes): inside-outside touches, sole rolls, toe taps and drag-backs with both feet.
- Stop-and-go (5 minutes): dribble at speed, stop the ball with your sole on the coach’s call, then explode in a new direction.
- Cut inside and shoot (5 minutes): start on the right side, dribble at a cone, cut inside onto your left foot and curl a shot at goal. Then swap sides.
- Feint and accelerate (5 minutes): approach a defender (or cone), use a body feint or step over, then accelerate past.
- 1v1 to goal (5 minutes): attacker vs defender, attacker scores by dribbling through a gate or finishing on goal.
Common Mistakes When Copying Yamal
- Dribbling too fast all the time: without a change of pace, defenders can stay with you.
- Big touches: keep the ball within a stride so you can change direction.
- Only using one foot: Yamal is dangerous because he can go both ways.
- Forgetting the end product: the dribble should lead to a shot, cross or pass.
What Coaches Can Learn From Lamine Yamal
Yamal is proof of what we have believed at Coerver Coaching for decades: when young players master the ball, they gain the confidence to be creative in games. Give players lots of touches, small-sided games and the freedom to take players on. Mistakes are part of the process.
Want to study more great dribblers? Read about Savinho’s skills, George Best’s dribbling skills and how to play like Messi.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Lamine Yamal get so good at dribbling?
Through years of ball work at Barcelona’s La Masia academy, constant play with the ball from a young age, and early first-team experience against older opponents.
What is Lamine Yamal’s best skill?
His ability to stop suddenly and change direction, combined with close control and a dangerous left foot.
What position does Lamine Yamal play?
He usually plays as a right winger, cutting inside onto his left foot.
Want to pull off moves like these?
Coerver Moves breaks down the 1v1 moves the world’s best players use, step by step on video, so you can practise them at home and use them in games.
