Cruyff turn

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title: "Cruyff turn" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["association-football-skills", "association-football-terminology", "johan-cruyff"] description: "Dribbling move in football" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruyff_turn" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Dribbling move in football ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Oefeninterland_Nederland_tegen_Argentinië_4-1;_nr._6,_7_Cruyff,_kop.jpg" caption="Johan Cruyff and his only World Cup tournament (1974)"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/AUT_vs.WAL_2016-10-06(192).jpg" caption="Belgium]] at [[UEFA Euro 2016]]."] ::

The Cruyff turn is an evasive dribbling move used in football, and named after Dutch player Johan Cruyff.

In the 22nd minute of the game against Sweden in the group stage of the 1974 World Cup, while Cruyff had control of the ball in an attacking position and being guarded tightly by Swedish defender Jan Olsson, Cruyff feigned a pass before dragging the ball behind his standing leg, turning 180 degrees, and accelerating away. With its simplicity, effectiveness and unpredictability, the Cruyff turn remains one of the most commonly recognized dribbling moves in modern football.

The fact that the feint was named after Cruyff, however, does not mean that Cruyff was the first to perform this move. Just like with most evasive dribbles, feints and tricks, the first footballer to perform it, is almost always impossible to trace down. Pele, for example, performed the trick in 1960 (vs Juventus).

References

References

1. (24 March 2016). "What is a Cruyff Turn?". [[The Guardian]].
2. Brewin, John. (24 March 2016). "Johan Cruyff: All-time Top 20: No. 3". [[ESPN]].
3. [http://www.espnfc.com/blog/_/name/worldcupcentral/id/3495?cc=5739 "All-time Top 20: No. 3 Johan Cruyff"], espnfc.com; retrieved 17 November 2013.
4. Murray, Scott. (11 June 2014). "World Cup: 25 stunning moments … No25: the Cruyff Turn is born in 1974". The Guardian.
5. Majendie, Matt. (6 July 2016). "Euro 2016: Wales striker Hal Robson-Kanu on that Cruyff turn and the years he spent perfecting technique". Standard.co.uk.
6. White, Mark. (19 June 2020). "Simplicity matters: how did the Cruyff Turn become so iconic?". [[FourFourTwo]].com.

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