When Iya Traore moved to France with his father from Guinea in November 2000, he had the same dream that many 14-year-old boys around the world have: he wanted to become a professional soccer player. Unfortunately, Traore’s soccer dreams did not work out the way he wanted, and he was never able to play with a professional club.

However, this is not to say that the now-26-year-old didn’t figure out a way to make a living playing with a soccer ball. Traore, you see, has become one of the world’s preeminent freestyle soccer players, and if you visit Paris’ historic Montmartre and climb the stairs up to the La Basilique de Sacré Coeur, chances are you will see Iya demonstrating his skills.

And, yeah, they are pretty amazing. Take a look:

Raise your hand if you’ve ever seen somebody climb a lamp pole while balancing a soccer ball on their forehead? What, nobody?

Yeah, I guess that’s not surprising.

Anyway, if you want to see more from this amazing freestyler, he’s got his own website that features a lot more videos like this:

He’s pretty okay, don’t you think? If you find yourself in Paris sometime soon, why not stop by and throw a few bucks in his hat?

Hat Tip – [101 Great Goals]