Have you the skills to shine in Brazil?

Everybody loves a flair player. From Maradona to Messi, the excitement and entertainment that a couple of eye-catching skills can conjure up are as magical as the tricks themselves.

While Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane and Ossie Ardiles were all fantastically talented footballers, it was their signature skills that linger in the memory: the Cruyff turn, the Zidane pirouette, the Ardiles flick…

These players' uninhibited style raised the bar in terms of showboating. Nowadays you have the Cristiano Ronaldos and the Ronaldinhos who revel in their abilities to unleash wizardry on unsuspecting opponents.

However, surprising to some, the best tricksters don't play professionally.

Billy Wingrove, the self-proclaimed "King of the Urban Soccer Scene", is employed by Tottenham Hotspur, yet he does not have a squad number and has never adorned the famous Lilywhite shirt.

He is simply a football freestyler, a half-time entertainer, a trickmaster who has taught his skills to the likes of Robbie Keane.

But, despite starring alongside Ronaldinho in the new Nike Joga Benito commercial, Wingrove will never play professional football.

Perhaps his temperament is not right, maybe his decision-making is slightly off or could it be that he just can't tackle? Whatever it is, it is his skills that will pay his bills not his team-work and tactics.

Wingrove is just one of several football freestylers in the United Kingdom, but next month the hunt begins for the UAE's most-talented trickster.

The Red Bull Street Style tournament juggles its way into the capital on August 8 in a quest to identify the region's best talent and take them to compete in the world final in Sao Paulo.

UAE qualifiers will take place in Abu Dhabi (August 8), Sharjah (August 15) and Dubai (August 22), so contestants have three separate chances to progress to the regional finals.

All registered participants will be given three minutes in a 27ft diametre ring with a fellow freestyler. Each will have alternating 20 second bursts in which they can attempt to "out-skill" their opponent by doing a combination of tricks and manoeuvers.

The winners of each of the UAE qualifiers will be decided by a panel of three judges in terms of creativity, style and ball control. They will then progress to the regional finals where they will face the three best Street Stylers from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for a place on the Brazil-bound plane.

The grand finale takes place in November in Sao Paulo and will see the region's best freestyler go head-to-head with winners from 27 other qualifers that are set to take place worldwide over the next few months.

Red Bull have said that so far more than 40 participants have signed up to take part in the Emirates events after hosting successful rounds in Kuwait and Saudi.

But with registration closing next Friday, time is running out for other potential Street Stylers to get involved.

Those interested should log on to www.RedBullStreetStyle.com to register and take part in next month's UAE qualifiers.



DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

UAE qualifiers

August 8: Abu Dhabi, (Location yet to be confirmed, check www.RedBullStreetStyle.com for updates)

August 15: Qanat Al Qasba, Sharjah

August 22: Dubai (Location yet to be confirmed, check www.RedBullStreetStyle.com for updates)

Regional finals

August 29: Dubai, Mall of the Emirates

World Final

November 16-18: Sao Paulo, Brazil