Google has released a new World Cup-themed Doodle celebrating the elastico, a deceptive football dribbling move. The trick, popularised globally by Ronaldinho, involves rapid directional feints to beat defenders. The Doodle is part of a series marking the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has featured nutmeg and rabona tributes in previous editions.

Google has unveiled a new Doodle honouring one of football's most electrifying dribbling tricks, the elastico, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues to captivate fans worldwide.

What Is the Elastico?

Also known as the flip flap, the elástico is a deceptive footwork move that has bamboozled defenders at the highest levels of the game for decades. The player pushes the ball outward, selling a dummy in one direction, then instantaneously whips it back the other way, all in one fluid, barely-there motion. The trick works entirely on misdirection - by the time the defender reacts to the first movement, the attacker is already gone. Brazilian legend Ronaldinho is widely credited with popularising the move on the world stage, though its origins trace back even further. The Doodle went live on June 14 across the globe, including in India.

Part of Google's World Cup Doodle series