The New Skinny for World Football Players

Skinny football players: Think you’re too skinny to play professional football (soccer)? Do you think Iniesta spends all day in the gym doing curls and the bench press. No, he’d rather be out on the soccer pitch playing actual soccer. To become a world class soccer player you have to spend time with the soccer ball making it do what you want – jugging, dribbling, smashing it against a wall.

Angel Di Maria could take a month off, not run or exercise, and eat as much as he wanted, and he’d still probably not gain weight. As far as skinny football players go you’d have to say he’s at the top. Di Maria is the skinniest pro soccer player in the world and one of the greatest, too. Di Maria has infinite skills with the ball at his feet. Di Maria grew up extremely poor in Argentina and football was his way out, he said, “I played so much football that every two months, my boots would literally break apart”.

In term of other skinny soccer stars, just look at a few of the soccer stars in the game right now. Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta for one, who just happened to beat out his Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the European player of the year award.

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And then there’s Iniesta’s midfield partner at Barcelona, Sergio Busquets, who’s like a bean pole he’s so skinny. Busquets almost looks like the might be blown over in a strong gust of Spanish wind. But you’d have to say he’s wiry. Stronger than you think even in all his skinniness.

Iniesta is as let as a feather but stronger and wiry. He’s not easy to push off the ball and has great balance.

Oh yeah, what about Chelsea’s new signing, a kid from Brazil, who looks like he’s eleven years old and weighs eleven pounds, Oscar. Yes, skinny isn’t just about being a runway model in New York these days, it’s also the newest fashion trend in world football.

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Oscar, in his first start in the Champions League for Chelsea against Juventus. Yes, he just touched the ball around Pirlo and whipped the ball into the upper corner. He might be skinny but he can score. It was his second goal of the day. You can be skinny and still be strong and an incredible soccer player.

No, don’t go out there and start starving yourself so you can fit into the smallest soccer jersey. Skip meals so you drop pounds. It’s just that if you’re small or skinny there’s hope. That’s what’s unique and great about soccer, how big or tall you are doesn’t really matter. There’s no need to bulk up and try to look like the Hulk. Instead, spend time with the soccer ball, master it. Become an expert passer of the ball, master all the Coerver moves. Know the game inside and out.

Yes, strength is important, you don’t see Iniesta get knocked off the ball too often. He’s deceptively strong. Wiry you might say. And Iniesta’s just smart, he knows how to spin away from pressure and bounce away into space.

The point is that skinny is in. Skinny is where it’s at. Thin is in. Just look at Iniesta, Busquets and Oscar for proof. In soccer you can be as thin as a rail and still master the game.

The newest member of skinny football players is Pedri. Barcelona’s next great hope perhaps, Pedri is skinny enough to challenge Busquets as the skinniest Barcelona midfielder. But Pedri is bring joy to the game again for Messi and that’s all that really matters. Some say he’s as good as Iniesta. Time will tell though if he can live up to those high expectations.

And then there’s Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech. Someone who is skinny and skillful on the ball.