It’s official, Paulo Dybala has become one of the world’s best footballing stars. Not only has he been Juventus’ most important player this season but he’s also been better than nearly any other footballer in 2016-17 and continues to lead The Old Lady to better times. In our latest edition of The Mastermind Top 200 Club, Dybala ranked 18th and with the way he’s going at the moment is already expected to rise.

Capable of playing a number of different positions, Dybala has all the tools and skills needed to become one of the world’s greatest stars and at the age of just 23, it’ll only be a few years before he is talked about in the same breath as the likes of Griezmann, Suarez, Neymar Ronaldo and Messi. The Argentinean striker has adapted to Gonzalo Higuain’s arrival at the club brilliantly well this season but has somehow still managed to be Juventus’ main man despite being deployed in a deeper position. In Serie A this season, the 23-year old has notched 8 goals with 6 assists in 24 matches while his form in the Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League have been even better. 4 goals and 3 assists in 4 matches have been more than enough to lead The Old Lady into the final of the cup, while his form in the UEFA Champions League on the world’s biggest stage has caught the eye of absolutely everyone, scoring 4 goals in 7 matches thus far, including a brace against Barcelona in the quarter finals.

The Argentinean striker first burst onto the scene in a fantastic breakthrough season with Palermo when he was just 21 years old, scoring 14 goals and adding 10 assists in the 2014-15 Serie A season, more than any other player in the league. His astonishing play that season and the promise he showed prompted Juve to swiftly make a move for the Argentinean where he would go on to score 19 league goals with 9 assists in his debut season. Although 8 goals and 6 assists might appear to pale in comparison to what he’s achieved in his previous two seasons, his role to Juventus has been more integral in 2016-17 than ever before; particularly in the UEFA Champions League where he is setting the competition on fire.

Dybala was even compared to Messi this week and although he claimed the comparisons to be a burden; he put in the type of performance on Tuesday night that emphasized why he warrants such high praise. Paulo Dybala was brilliant against Barcelona, helping the Italian giants get the game off and running with two quick goals from two fantastic finishes of his own. The Argentinean forward is just so silky and skillful in possession and whenever he found the ball at his feet on Tuesday, Barcelona could never get it off of him. With 4 fouls drawn, 2 tackles and 2 goals from 3 shots, it was a complete performance from the Juventus star and one that will surely lead Massimo Allegri’s side into the next round.

In any sport, consistency is one of the key aspects that separates the good from the great and Paulo Dybala is one of the most consistent footballers out there. Whether he’s scoring goals or setting them up, he always has a major role to play for Juventus and in leading them to victory after victory, game after game, is establishing himself as one of the twenty best footballers in the planet at the moment.

He’s not just an incredible footballer, he’s also a lovable character. When he began to be criticized at the beginning of the season for supposedly “only being able to use his left foot”, he invented a new cheeky goal celebration that he did for the first time after scoring against AC Milan with his right foot. That has since been dubbed the “Dybalamask” and he loves to pull it out whenever he scores with his right or even his left now, as it has recently become his trademark celebration. You get the sense that Dybala just loves to play football and he absolutely should because he is one of the very best at what he does.

Whether he’s Messi’s rightful heir or not, Paulo Dybala is an excellent footballer and with his incredible performances game in and game out for Juventus this season is truly now beginning to establish himself as one of the world’s greatest players as he leads The Old Lady’s charge towards the UEFA Champions League Final.

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