Want to see who has completed the most take-ons at the 2026 World Cup so far? Check the latest stats below.
Take-ons are one of the most exciting stats in football. A player who can beat their man consistently changes games. It creates numerical advantages, opens up space and puts defences under direct pressure. Here is who is leading the charts at World Cup 2026.
Team Take-Ons Completed Stats
What counts as a Take-On?
A take-on, also called a dribble, is recorded by Opta when a player attempts to beat an opposing player while retaining the ball. It must be a deliberate attempt to move past an opponent in a one-versus-one situation.
The take-on is only counted as completed if the player successfully gets past their opponent. If the defender wins the ball or the dribble breaks down, it is logged as an unsuccessful attempt. This makes completed take-ons a clean and reliable measure of direct attacking intent.
Take on Success-Rate
Total completed take-ons tell you who is beating players most often. But they only tell part of the story. Success rate, take-ons over-run and times tackled give a fuller picture.
A player with a high success rate is efficient when taking on defenders. They pick their moments well. A high number of take-ons being over-run shows a willingness to take risks and drive forward, even if some efforts are unsuccessful. Times tackled, meanwhile, reveals how often a player is being stopped by a defender when in possession.
These stats are closely linked. A player who attempts many take-ons will naturally be tackled more often. Equally, a low success rate combined with a high tackle count can suggest a player is being targeted and shut down by the opposition. Looking at all three together gives a much clearer picture of how a winger or forward is performing in one-versus-one situations.
Other team take-on stats
Who completed the most take-ons at the 2022 World Cup?
Kylian Mbappe led the way at the 2022 World Cup with 21 completed dribbles. The France forward was the standout performer in this category throughout the tournament. Jamal Musiala was close behind with 19, despite Germany exiting in the group stage.
Lionel Messi was third with 15 completed dribbles, boasting a success rate of just below 50%.
Who has the most take-ons in World Cup history?
This one has a clear answer. Since Opta records began, no player has completed more dribbles at the World Cup than Lionel Messi, with 112 across his career. It is a record that reflects his ability to operate at the highest level across multiple tournaments.
It is worth noting that comprehensive take-on data does not exist for the earliest editions of the World Cup. The all-time record is therefore limited to the period covered by Opta’s data. Players from earlier eras who were renowned dribblers, such as Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff, cannot be fully compared on this metric.
As reliable all-time data becomes more widely available, this section will be updated accordingly.
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