Stunning backheel assists that leave everyone on their feet have been delivered by players from Arsenal, Manchester United, and Real Madrid.
Thanks to their creativity, rapid thinking, and boldness, this group etched themselves into our shared recollections through their exceptional highlights.
We've pinpointed nine standout instances that eclipsed the goals they generated and sucked us right back in to put together this list.
Guti
A back heel so impressive that we've already penned 1100 words discussing it.
READ: Guti, his incredible backheels and why untapped potential is irrelevant
Kylian Mbappe
The much-anticipated Messi-Neymar-Mbappe combination failed to live up to expectations at PSG, yet they managed to create several breathtaking displays of talent in Ligue 1.
In 2023, Messi scored this goal againstLens, yetMbappe’s audacious backheelassist managed to steal some spotlight. Sweeterthan an almond croissant, indeed.
Mesut Ozil
A backheel so impressive that we've devoted 700 effusive words to an online article about it.
READ: Remembering Ozil from 2010 and the most tantalizing heel flick assist you've probably missed.
Mikel Merino
During his time as Arsenal’s emergency forward, Merino has truly made significant contributions, scoring crucial goals and providing this nearly censored assist for Gabriel Martinelli against Ipswich.
Karim Benzema
Benzema has made a career out of making the ridiculous seem entirely natural and this assist against Espanyol in 2020 was a case in point.
The ex-Real Madrid forward performed a skillful move, completely outplaying his defender, before setting up Casemiro effortlessly. Simply beautiful.
Henri Lansbury
Lansbury was a regular figure in the Championship during the 2010s and was included in the Aston Villa team that achieved promotion in 2019.
The midfielder failed to leave a significant impact in the Premier League, yet managed to create this stunning backheel flick for Jack Grealish during a League Cup match against Crewe.
Juan Mata
A footballer so innovative he might have shared genes with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Mata caused hearts to race with his backheel flick for Manchester United in 2015.
It would have been impolite if Chris Smalling had deliberately missed. Fortunately, Ronaldo’s distant relative managed to score the goal with precision.
Raul Jimenez
Even though Jimenez executed this spectacular move against his former team, Manchester City, in 2024, Pep Guardiola was left impressed yet somewhat unsettled by this audacious display.
During the initial, second, and 65th watching, we don't hold him responsible.
Alvis Jaunzema
During a 2023 Polish matchup between Pogon Szczecin and Stal Mielec, Jaunzema delivered an incredible mid-air backheel assist to his teammate Ilya Shkurin, which is sure to leave you amazed.
Is this not a strong candidate for the most impressive assist you've yet to witness?
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