Some players are born with an innate ability to make football look effortless.
They glide past defenders, control the ball with ease, and execute the most difficult plays without breaking a sweat. These players are the ones who make the beautiful game look deceptively simple, and today, we’re counting down the top 10 footballers who make it all look way too easy.
10. Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze has taken the Premier League by storm with his effortless style. At Crystal Palace, he has blossomed into a player who can take on any defender and glide through tight spaces with absolute ease. He barely seems to break a sweat as he dances past opponents, wiggling out of tough situations. His calmness on the ball, combined with his flair for the dramatic, makes Eze a joy to watch.
9. Michael Olise
Olise brings a level of calmness and composure that makes everything he does look easy. Whether it’s an inch-perfect pass, a cheeky dribble, or a spectacular goal, he delivers with a casual elegance. Even his celebrations—or lack thereof—show how unfazed he is after pulling off incredible feats. Olise plays like he’s still on the playground, but his natural ability is undeniable.
8. Ederson
Most goalkeepers don’t make it onto lists like this, but Ederson is an exception. The Manchester City goalkeeper redefined the role of a modern keeper with his incredible passing ability and coolness under pressure. Whether distributing the ball to his midfield or calmly holding possession in high-stakes situations, Ederson plays like a field player, making the art of goalkeeping look like a breeze.
7. Mesut Özil
When Mesut Özil was at his best, it looked as if the game was happening in slow motion around him. His vision and creativity allowed him to execute the most difficult passes with ease, and his signature bounce pass became his trademark. The way Özil manipulated space and time was simply mesmerizing, and his effortless style was always a joy to watch, particularly in his prime years with Arsenal.
6. Eden Hazard
At his peak, Hazard was untouchable. His dribbling was sublime, his ability to break through defenses unmatched, and he made it all look effortless. Hazard’s relaxed approach to training was notorious, but once he stepped onto the pitch, he always delivered. Football seemed to come naturally to him, as he glided past defenders and produced moments of magic with a smile on his face.
5. Lamine Yamal
One of the brightest young talents, Lamine Yamal plays football like it’s second nature. The La Masia graduate, steeped in Barcelona’s tradition of silky ball control, possesses a first touch that most players can only dream of. Every time Yamal receives the ball, it feels like he’s toying with defenders, nonchalantly beating them with a flick or trick. The future is bright for this young star.
4. Dimitar Berbatov
Berbatov’s elegant style was a joy to behold. The Bulgarian striker played with a calm, almost lazy grace, making everything from ball control to finishing look effortless. His ability to glide across the pitch and pull off dazzling touches set him apart from other strikers. At times, it seemed like he wasn’t even trying—yet he would always be the most impactful player on the field.
3. Zinedine Zidane
Few players in the history of the game have matched Zidane’s grace and composure on the pitch. Zidane could control the tempo of a game, turning the most difficult maneuvers into routine actions. His legendary Marseille turn, along with his ability to execute set pieces with ease, made him one of the smoothest players to ever play the game. Zidane made everything he did on the pitch look completely natural and effortless.
2. Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets redefined the defensive midfield position. His calmness on the ball and ability to avoid pressure made him nearly impossible to dispossess. Busquets would routinely find himself surrounded by opponents, only to calmly wiggle his way out of tight spaces with a simple touch or pass. He made the art of breaking up play and dictating the tempo of matches look easy, all while rarely breaking a sweat.
1. Cole Palmer
At the top of the list is Cole Palmer. Known for his ice-cold composure on the pitch, Palmer has earned the nickname “Cold Palmer” for a reason. His ability to control the game from the wings or the center of the park, seemingly without exerting much effort, is a rare talent. His goals against Luton Town and Everton looked like casual finishes, and even his crucial goal in the Euros final against Spain seemed like a routine pass into the back of the net.
Palmer’s relaxed demeanor, even in the most high-pressure situations, sets him apart. He dribbles, passes, and finishes with an ease that leaves defenders baffled. Cole Palmer has a bright future ahead, and he already looks like a seasoned pro who makes the hardest things in football look like second nature.
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