There are certain soccer / football players who make the game look easy. Most pros do, really. But there are certain soccer players who just seem to be playing at a different speed. Or rather, the game is going fast for everyone else but slowed down for them. They read the game better. Have a certain clairvoyance even.
Of course Messi is smooth and Zidane and Ronaldinho but there are players like Littman and Berbatov who are exceptionally smooth but not as well known. Is Cristiano Ronaldo smooth? Ronaldo is one of the best to ever play the game, yet is he smooth….
What about Maradona, of course he’s smooth…almost in another category. So we’ll say this list is a work in progress. Maybe we’ll remove the more well known greats of the game, as in players like Messi and Maradona, and keep the understated lesser known football players.
Dimitar Berbatov When Football Becomes Art
The smoothest players play like they need to be woken up. Like it’s a Sunday league pickup game. Like you think they don’t care until they’ve scored three goals on you.
I think the Berbatov picture above, him blowing a bubble says it all. He’s almost so bored with everything. He needs to be chewing gum and blowing bubbles while he plays soccer to alleviate the tediousness of the game or more so the players he’s playing against. In truth though, all these smooth players appear to be indifferent at times when they’re playing when underneath is a passion and competitiveness and desire to win that’s above most other players and is what makes them so great.
This smoothest soccer players of all-time list was hard to put together. I mean where do I put the Barcelona midfielders, Iniesta and Xavi and Busquets, do they all make it? What about Robinho or other Brazilian greats like Neymar….?
1. Messi
2. Zidane
3. Ronaldinho
4. Dimitar Berbatov
5. Jari Littman
6. Eric Cantona
7. Cruyff
8. Michel Platini
9. Guti
10. Kevin de Bruyne
11. Thierry Henry
12. Andres Iniesta
13. Sergio Busquets
14. Xavi
15. Paul Pogba
Watch Jari Littman’s top ten goals for Ajax.