You would be forgiven for thinking that Lamine Yamal or Michael Olise are the best ball carriers in European football – after all, they completed more dribbles in last season’s Champions League than any other player.
But there’s a new king in town… and it might just be someone you least expect.
Liverpool’s 18-year-old wonderkid Rio Ngumoha has completed 22 dribbles in the 2026/27 Champions League so far – that’s six more than Lamine, who’s in second place in the standings.
Olise is currently down in fifth place in the charts, with AEK Athens’ Aboubakary Koita and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Alisson Santana tied in third on 15 ball carries.
What makes Ngumoha’s achievement all the more special is that he has only played 285 minutes of Champions League football this term. Contrast that with Lamine, who has played every minute of Barcelona’s four outings so far.
The teenager has largely been used as a substitute in the Premier League by Andoni Iraola, but he has regularly started games in the Champions League and consistently shown the technique, pace and power to beat his marker in one-on-one duels.
Ngumoha completed a whopping seven dribbles in the 3-2 defeat at Fenerbahce on Wednesday evening – and that was in just 65 minutes, after being subbed off in the second half. He was also fouled four times, which helped to secure Liverpool some dangerous set-piece positions.
Against Villarreal in his prior start, the winger recorded two assists and was awarded Man of the Match in the enthralling 4-3 victory, so the Reds clearly have a gem on their hands.
His former Anfield teammate, Andy Robertson, has seen many players come and go during his lengthy professional career. He has described Ngumoha in glowing terms and declared he has an ‘amazing future’.