Top 10 best midfielders in the world: Ranked

We all know the old saying: centre-forwards win you games and defences win you leagues. Yet it is the midfielders who keep the team ticking and act as the link between defenders and attackers. 

There are various different positions and roles a midfielder can play or feature in. The most common midfielder roles are the attacking midfielder, central midfielder and the defensive midfielder. 

Here we take a look at the top 10 best midfielders in the world based on the player’s influence on their clubs and national teams in recent years

10 best midfielders in the world

Nicolò Barella

The Inter Milan star has consistently been a top performer since joining Inter Milan from Cagliari in 2019 when he joined the club on an initial loan deal. He has been a key ingredient of Inter Milan’s recent success, helping the side lift the Serie A for the first time in 11 years. 

He again was a key part of the run to the Champions League final during the 2022-23 season. He also helped the Nerazzurri clinch the 2023-24 Serie A title. 

Barella registered two goals and six assists in the league during the 2023-24 season (stats via Transfermakrt). Barella has also earned over 50 caps for his national side and helped Italy clinch the Euro 2020 trophy. The Italian midfielder has recently signed a new contract with Inter Milan valid till 2029, this new contract also saw Barella become the highest-paid Italian player in the Serie A currently

Declan Rice

The most expensive English man in history is another success story of the West Ham academy. Rice made a total of 245 appearances for the Hammers. He was named the club captain at the start of the 2022-23 seasons and led his side to lift the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy before a £105m switch to Arsenal in the summer of 2023. 

Rice then lifted the Community Shield trophy in his first competitive game for the Gunners. He also helped go toe to toe with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City but ended the season in 2nd as Man City went on to lift their record 4th successive Premier League title. 

Rice will definitely keep on improving in the upcoming years and will be a key part of the England and Arsenal system for years to come.

Luka Modric

Luka Modric was named as La Liga’s worst signing in 2013 when he initially joined from Tottenham Hotspur. Just a decade later, Modric has won the Ballon d’Or, six UEFA Champions League titles and countless other trophies and will go down in history as one of the best midfielders of all time. 

Modric has also helped his national side Croatia establish themselves on the intentional stage. Under Modric’s leadership, Croatia finished as runners-up during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, while they finished in third place during the most recent 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Bruno Fernandes

The Manchester United skipper has been a consistent performer for club and county in the past few years. He has undoubtedly been the best Man United signing of the last decade. Fernandes played a key role in ending the club’s five-year trophy drought as he led his side to the EFL Cup trophy during the 2022-23 season. He also capped off a skipper’s performance against Man City as the Red Devils lifted the FA Cup trophy at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Fernandes has also been consistent on the international stage, earning over 65 caps and scoring over 20 goals. He looks set to take the torch from Cristiano Ronaldo and lead the Portuguese national team forward.

İlkay Gündoğan

İlkay Gündoğan joined FC Barcelona in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer from Manchester City. This was after captaining the Cityzens to a historic treble and their first-ever UEFA Champions League title during the 2022-23 season. 

Gundogan is known for his goal-scoring instincts and his ability to score key goals and turn up at key moments. Now at 33-years-old, Gundogan looks like a key piece of a young Barcelona midfield alongside the likes of Pedri and Gavi

Joshua Kimmich

Joshua Kimmich started his career as a right-back but was moved to the centre of the pitch just like his idol Philipp Lahm, Kimmich is known for his ability to dictate tempo and his ability to win back possession.
The German midfielder still has plenty of mileage left in his tank and is seemingly linked with a move away from Bayern Munich every summer. There is no doubt that by the time Kimmich retires, he will be one of the most successful German footballers to ever play the game. But he is still yet to win any trophies with his national team and will be looking to change that in the upcoming years.

Federico Valverde

The Uruguayan star has been another great success story at Real Madrid, having initially joined the club’s reserve side in 2016. He made his debut for the club in 2017. Since then he has made over 250 appearances for the Los Blancos and has played a key role in two UEFA Champions League triumphs, multiple league titles and cup trophies as well. 

Valverde falls in the ‘tireless’ midfielder category who never seems to miss any games throughout the season, is up for every challenge throughout the 90 minutes and loves to score a brilliant long shot. 

At the end of the 2024-25 season, Federico Valverde is set to inherit the iconic ‘no 8’ jersey from the legendary Toni Kroos and that says a lot about the Uruguayan midfielder. Heis nailed by many as a future captain for both Real Madrid and Uruguay national teams.

Rodri

Rodri is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the world currently and has been for the past couple of years. The Spanish midfielder was signed by Pep Guardiola to replace the ageing Fernandinho and the transition has been seamless. 

Rodri has elevated the Cityzens to new a level, he helped the club clinch their first-ever
Champions League trophy in history as he scored in the final against Inter Milan. This was also the season Man City won their first treble, matching the feast set by their neighbours Manchester United in 1999.

The defensive midfielder also played a key role in Spain’s UEFA Nations League triumph in 2023. At just 27-years-old currently, the Spanish midfielder still has a great chunk of his career to look forward to and will keep pushing his team and teammates forward and upwards.

Jude Bellingham

Despite being still in the early stages of his career, Jude Bellingham is widely recognised as one of the best midfielders in the world. Plenty of football fans laughed when Birmingham City retired the ‘no 22 kit’ for Bellingham even tho the youngster had just made 44 appearances for the club before moving to the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund. 

But the fan's opinions are completely different now as a few years on, the youngster has now won the Champions League in his first season with Real Madrid and is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or award. Bellingham is also well-established in the England national team and will be looking to end the country’s long wait for an international trophy.

Kevin De Bruyne