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Who is the best central midfielder of all time?
Who is Brazil's greatest central midfielder?
Who is the greatest midfielder in football history?
Who is the most decorated midfielder in the world?
- Graeme Bell
- 'World-class' Paul Pogba, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Fernandinho, Wesley Sneijder, Michael Essien. We'll start off strong with five leading central midfielders of their respective eras.
- 'Legendary' Xabi Alonso, Claude Makelele, Cesc Fabregas, Mesut Ozil, Frank Rijkaard, Toni Kroos, Sergio Busquets, Yaya Toure, Kaka, Juan Roman Riquelme.
- 'Icons of the sport' Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Clarence Seedorf, Luka Modric, Kevin De Bruyne, N'Golo Kante, Patrick Vieira, Lothar Matthaus, Michael Laudrup.
- 'Nearly GOATs' Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez. The iconic Barcelona duo were trailblazers throughout the 21st century, combing beautifully with Messi to guide the great club to glory time and time again.
- The 10 Greatest Central Midfielders of All Time
- Frank Lampard
- Johan Neeskens
- Luka Modric
- Steven Gerrard
- Paul Scholes
- Andrea Pirlo
- Didi
- Xavi
- Lothar Matthaus
Note:Only central midfielders have been considered. Players who primarily played as attacking midfielders or wingers (like Zidane, Ronaldinho, Maradona etc) have not been included in this list.
Part of England's golden generation, Frank Lampard was an integral part of Chelsea'semergence as a European superclub. One of the greatest box-to-box midfielders the world has ever seen, Lampard's tendency to arrive late in the box helped him grab many crucial and match-winning goals. The only midfielder to have scored more than 150 goals in the Pr...
An extraordinary player in his own right, Dutch midfielder Johan Neeskens was often overshadowed by his more famous countryman, Johan Cruyff. The steel to Cruyff's grace, Neeskens was an integral part of Ajax and the Netherlands national team which played some beautiful and stunning football in the 1970s. The Dutch midfield maestro was known for hi...
The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, Luka Modric, comes in at number 8 on this list. One of the most complete midfielders to ever play the game, Modrichas consistently been among the best players in the world for over a decade. Capable of picking defense splitting passes and equally adept at doing his defensive duties, Modric has continuously evolved and i...
Arguably the greatest player to never win the Premier League, Steven Gerrard is undoubtedly the greatest Liverpoolmidfielder of all time. The Liverpool legend's leadership skills and inspirational performances are well renowned and his penchant for big match performances enhanced his reputation as one of the best English footballers of this generat...
Manchester United legend Paul Scholestakes the #6 spot on this list. One of Sir Alex Ferguson's most trusted players, the 'Ginger Genius' played a huge role in making Manchester United the European Super Club it is today. One of the most gifted midfielders to ever play in the Premier League, Paul Scholes' range of passing was simply stunning. The E...
Current Juventus manager Andrea Pirloredefined the role of a deep lying playmaker with his extraordinary vision and passing skills. Winner of the World Cup, UEFA Champions League, multiple Serie A titles and domestic cups, Andrea Pirlo is one of the most decorated midfielders in European football history. The calmness with which he played his game ...
Brazil has produced a number of brilliant footballers, but Brazil's greatest ever central midfielder is arguably Waldyr Pereira, fondly known as Didi. The player of the tournament at the 1958 World Cup, Didi was the brains behind Pele and Garrincha's stunning feats with the Brazilian national team. Didi often had his best performances on the bigges...
In any top 10 midfielders list, one name which always makes it is Barcelona legend, Xavi. The Spaniard is one of the most decorated players to ever play the game and has won almost every trophy and accolade the game has to offer. A man who almost defined the entire tiki-taka style the Spain and Barcelona teams implemented, Xavi was the main catalys...
1990 Ballon d'Or winner Lothar Matthaus had a storied career with Bayern Munichand the German national team. Winner of the World Cup in 1990, and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991, Matthaus was an extraordinary box-to-box midfield player who always seemed to be in the right position at the right time. Capable of tackling robustly and shooti...
- Federico Valverde. Often shuffled around from one position to the next, Federico Valverde had to do some hard yards to get recognised at Real Madrid. That's exactly what the Uruguay international did, however, even with competition like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
- Eduardo Camavinga. 20 years old and already a key man for Real Madrid, it's fair to say that Eduardo Camavinga is pretty damn good. Be it as a full-back or a midfielder, Camavinga excels.
- Frenkie de Jong. Forever desired by Manchester United, Frenkie de Jong boasts truly outrageous talent. The Dutchman has endured the typical peaks and troughs of being a Barcelona player.
- Toni Kroos. You can't give Toni Kroos an inch of space with the ball at his feet. He'll pick you apart. The elegant midfielder has been playing at the very highest level for a decade now and made up a third of arguably the greatest midfield trio the world has ever seen alongside Casemiro and Luka Modric.
- Jim Beglin
- Bobby Charlton. Bobby Charlton was my first hero as a kid. Growing up in a football-mad environment in Ireland, I was basically fed a regular diet of Bobby Charlton.
- Michel Platini. I didn’t expect to ever play a game against Michel Platini. I’d gone back to my hometown in 1984 – I was already a Liverpool player by then – and I remember watching Platini tear his opponents apart at Euro 1984.
- Zinedine Zidane. I had a commentary position when France faced Spain at Euro 2000. If there ever was an opportunity for me to truly appreciate Zinedine Zidane’s greatness and skill, that was the day.
- Xavi Hernandez. Xavi Hernandez is the best midfield passer I’ve ever seen. I know this statement will bring up a lot of debate, but you could scarcely argue with the maestro’s ability on the football pitch.
- Bernardo Silva. There are specialists in football who excel at one particular role – and Guardiola has leant on them. Oleksandr Zinchenko, from inverted left-back.
- Antoine Griezmann. Some wondered if Antoine Griezmann could ever surprise them again. An underdog who never played in France yet became Les Bleus' posterboy at a home Euros, he won a World Cup from Oliver Giroud's shadow, became the very definition of the SS position for Diego Simeone – El Cholo built an Atletico Madrid side around Griezmann's talents – and then left for Barcelona as a monarch.
- Ilkay Gundogan. Whatever job Pep Guardiola gave him, he looked like one of the best footballers in the world while doing it. No.8 in a possession-heavy side, dictating the traffic of the game and allowing Kevin De Bruyne to attack?
- Pedri. The crowning jewel of Xavi's side, the very apex of modern juego de posicion and the heir to Andres Iniesta's No.8 shirt… is adopted. He never came from La Masia – plucked from Las Palmas, instead – but his influence is as infinite as that digit on his back.
May 14, 2024 · Explore the top 10 midfield legends in football history. From Pele to Zidane, discover the greatest players of all time.
Sep 22, 2022 · Who are the greatest central midfielders to ever play the beautiful game? We can think of a few suggestions: Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo, Xavi Hernandez and Lothar Matthaus all seem like viable shouts.
