Legends
Who are the best dribblers in Ligue 1's history?
With the Best Dribbler trophy, Ligue 1 McDonald's now celebrates its finest artists on the ball. Throughout its history, the French top flight has revealed many dribbling masters, bold and creative specialists who took great pleasure in driving their opponents crazy and getting the crowds on their feet. But who are the dribblers who have stood out from the crowd in Ligue 1 McDonald's over the past two decades? The answer is in the statistics.
Hatem Ben Arfa, a no-brainer
His name comes naturally. Thrown into the deep end by Paul Le Guen at just 17 years old, Hatem Ben Arfa immediately showed he had something special. On a good day, the Clamart native could have the beating of any opponent. Blessed with an innate dribbling sense and superb ball control, the brilliant attacking midfielder first delighted OL fans, before moving on to spoil OM fans. But it was wearing the OGC Nice jersey that the senior international (15 caps, 2 goals) made his name.
In 2015/16, the former Gone made a stunning return to Ligue 1 McDonald's. Nominated for the UNFP trophy for best player of the season, he ultimately had to bow to a stratospheric Zlatan Ibrahimovic (38 goals and 13 assists in the league). The Aiglon was able to console himself with the honorary title of most efficient dribbler of the season. Several actions carried out during this period remain among the most memorable in the modern history of our league.
Hatem Ben Arfa, a magician with the ball at his feet 🪄 pic.twitter.com/PGgbX8ESAI
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) March 7, 2025
With 153 successful dribbles in 2015/16 (52.6% success rate), Ben Arfa remains the player with the most successful dribbles in a season since 2006/07. In this ranking, the Aiglons are in the spotlight, with Allan Saint-Maximin taking second place. Three years after Ben Arfa, the player, now playing for Fenerbahce, finished his season with 143 successful dribbles (50.4% success rate).
Often plagued by injuries during his time at Paris Saint-Germain (2017-2023), Neymar never managed to play a full season. His record number of games played in a single Ligue 1 McDonald's season stands at just 22 (2021/22). He still managed to reach the top three in this category, tied with Allan Saint-Maximin. During his first season in France, the Brazilian genius completed 142 dribbles (61.2% success rate) in just 20 matches! Saint-Maximin also reached this total with SC Bastia during the 2016/17 season (62.8% success rate), but in 33 matches played.
Since 2006/07, 19 players have completed at least 100 dribbles in a season. Among them, only Allan Saint-Maximin (3 times) and Hatem Ben Arfa (2 times) have achieved this feat multiple times. Among them, Naïm Sliti has the highest success rate (73.2%), during the 2017/18 season with Dijon FCO.
Neymar Jr, a generational talent 🇧🇷😮💨 pic.twitter.com/SV2KuWxAGs
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) February 5, 2025
Neymar and Ousmane Dembélé share a record
The record for most successful dribbles in a single match is held by two players. Since 2006/07, Ousmane Dembélé and Neymar have held the top spot with a whopping 14 successful dribbles in a single match. Special mention goes to the Brazilian, who has achieved this feat twice with PSG and also has the highest completion percentage (77.8% against Toulouse in August 2017). But Dembélé's performance is also incredible, as he achieved it not with PSG, but with Stade Rennais, at just 18 years old. In February 2016, "Dembouz" drove SM Caen crazy and showed that he was a player of rare qualities.
Ludovic Blas on the verge of the Top 5
If we look at the cumulative ranking since 2006/07, Hatem Ben Arfa (51.5% success rate) is unrivaled in terms of successful dribbles. With 635 units, the left-footer is well ahead of his runner-up, Kylian Mbappé (579, 45.9% success rate), with a nearly equivalent number of matches played. With significantly more appearances, Dimitri Payet takes the last spot on the podium (564 successful dribbles, 49.9% success rate).
Still active in Ligue 1 McDonald's, Ludovic Blas has emerged as one of the specialists in this category in recent years. With 496 successful dribbles (47.5% success rate), the Stade Rennais attacking midfielder, who also played for EA Guingamp and FC Nantes, is on the verge of a Top 5 ranking, which he could quickly enter if he maintains his consistency. Seventh in the rankings, Neymar stands out for his prolific nature. Despite playing much fewer matches than his rivals, the Brazilian is among the top players, with an incredible average of 4.4 successful dribbles per game (compared to 2.6 for Ben Arfa or 2.4 for Mbappé). In this respect, Saint-Maximin isn't bad either, with 3.7 successful dribbles per game.
A former PSG player shines in another category. With superb ball protection and a low center of gravity, Marco Verratti was a real threat when he handled the ball in midfield. With a 78.4% success rate in his dribbling, the little Italian largely dominates the competition in this specialty.
Who will succeed Edon Zhegrova?
Since 2006/07, 15 different players have earned the honorary title of Most Effective Dribbler of the Season. Among them, only Eden Hazard (2011, 2012), Allan Saint-Maximin (2017, 2019), and Neymar (2018, 2020) have achieved this feat more than once. Paris Saint-Germain is the most represented club with seven players (Neymar x2, Messi, Mbappé, Lucas Moura, Sessègnon, and Diané), ahead of LOSC (Hazard x2 and Zhegrova).
Last season, Edon Zhegrova led the field with 90 successful dribbles (50.9% success rate). LOSC's Kosovar international, who suffered a long-term injury in the 2024/25 season, was unable to defend his chances. After 30 Ligue 1 McDonald's matches, Nantes' Moses Simon leads the way, with 58 successful dribbles. He's ahead of Strasbourg's dynamic Diego Moreira (55) and Angers' Himad Abdelli (53).
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