Midfielders are the engine rooms in football, and we’ve had the opportunity to watch some of the best midfielders in the world over the years.
But year after year, new faces emerge and establish a claim in this position.
Week in and week out, we watch these midfield talents dominate their respective competitions.
But who amongst them has the highest rating and could be called the best in the world? We’ll check to bring you the players with the highest ratings.
Ranking top 10+ best midfielders in the world right now
20. Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world right now.
The Portuguese performed beyond expectations in his first season by carrying the team’s offensive and scoring duties by himself.
This season, new head coach Erik ten Haag has built his team around the Portuguese and handed the leadership duties to him.
Apart from his role as a box-to-box midfielder, he performs excellently in a deep role. He is good in set pieces, significantly impacting the team’s success.
19. Frenkie de Jong
There's absolutely no player currently that can maintain the ball under pressure like Frenkie De jong.
Frenkie de Jong is among the brightest stars in the Spanish top flight. The Dutch international, whose future at Barcelona had been debated, has settled in at Camp Nou.
Since then, a lot has changed, especially since the arrival of Xavi Hernandez as head coach of the Blaugrana. The former club legend has made the Dutchman one of the pivots of the team.
Frenkie has more freedom with the ball and plays better with it. This season, he has played almost every La Liga game, scoring twice and assisting once.
18. ilkay Gündoğan
Part of Manchester City’s success in the Premier League has been due to the outstanding contributions of Ilkay Gundogan. Premier League fans would remember his late comeback goal on the final day clash with Aston Villa, which decided the title for the Cityzens.
Gündogan is an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. He played a key role throughout the team's historic treble winning season.
17. Alexis Mac Allister
Without a doubt is one of the best in this position especially due to his deeper position in the Liverpool midfield.
He has been a brilliant player for the reds this season and has played a key role in the offensive positions. He has been applauded for his physicality and technical approach to the game.
Alexis Mac Allister is also one who has been known to be playing the possession style of play and as well as scoring goals.
16. Eduardo Camavinga
Eduardo Camavinga has been one of the mainstays in Real Madrid since his arrival at the club. The Frenchman has established himself as one of the best in his position.
Eduardo Camavinga is a versatile player who has been deployed in different positions including at centre back. He is a holding midfielder who operates the box to box role while maintaining his position.
15. Moises Caicedo
Without a doubt Moises Caicedo continues to be found amongst the top level players in the biggest stage amid his consistency at Chelsea.
The Ecuadorian found his top form during his time at Brighton & Hove Albion where he was the leading midfielder alongside Alexis Mac Allister.
Fast forward to Chelsea, he maintains his position as one of the best despite his slow start following his arrival at the club.
During the 2023/24 season, he was ranked among the best U23 players in the world.
14. Declan Rice
Declan Rice has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in world football.
His emergence isn't a surprise even though he began his quest for a top level recognition at West Ham United when he led the team to lift the UEFA Europa Conference League.
His big money move to Arsenal has paid off with his dazzling performance for Arsenal.
13. Martin Ødegaard
Martin Odegaard cost Arsenal just £30m from Real Madrid.He wanted to be part of the Mikel Arteta project.
Martin Ødegaard is the captain of Arsenal, entrusted with all the on-field duties. The 24-year-old midfielder is simply a unique player.
Ødegaard is one of the pillars of Arsenal, one of the players behind the club’s title charge. The Norwegian has played almost every Premier League game, scoring ten and providing seven assists.
12. Nicolò Barella
Nicolò Barella is one of the best midfielders in the world. The Italian joined the Nerazzurri permanently after an initial loan from Cagliari.
Inter Milan’s Champions League Camp this season has been successful much to the credit of the midfielder who is considering a perfect fit in the midfield of the park.
His performance in the Italian Serie A has continued to draw interest from top European football clubs.
11. Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva is one of the long-standing players at Manchester City and one of the pillars of Pep Guardiola’s team. The Portuguese midfielder is considered one of the best midfielders in the world.
He is one of the most consistent players at Man City, helping the team to four Premier League titles.
His ability to hold possession longer, which has helped the wingers and forwards thrive. His consistency shows that a player’s rating should not stop at goals or assist but overall contributions.
Bernardo Silva is a perfect example of a unique player who understands and brings his A-game to a team.
10. Bruno Guimarães
Bruno Guimarães has established himself as a top level soccer player with his dominant form in the Premier League. The defensive midfielder has been key to Newcastle United consistency in the English Premier League.
He joined the club in 2021 from French club Lyon and was an immediate impact in the team and three years on he has been recognised as one of the best in his position.
Due to his consistency and reliability in the team, he has been tipped to be one of the leading midfielders.
9. Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich is a versatile midfielder known for his excellent playmaking abilities that makes him stand out from others. The German footballer has become one of the pillars of Bayern Munich’s first team.
He is considered one of the best No.6. A holding midfielder who is comfortable driving the ball forward. This season, some of Bayern Munich’s goals have originated from Kimmich, who usually turns defence to attack effectively.
This season according to statistics, he has played almost every Bundesliga game, scoring and assisting four times.
8. Luka Modric
Luka Modric seems to be getting better with age. The Croatian has not shown signs of slowing down since his arrival at Real Madrid.
Last season, he played a vital role that helped the club lift the Champions League, becoming one of the five players to win the most trophies in history.
This season, head coach Carlo Ancelotti built his team around the veteran who consistently delivered on the pitch
7. Pedri
Pedri is one of the pillars of Xavi Hernandez’s new-look side in Spanish La Liga. The 20-year-old midfielder has played a significant role in the team since the start of the season.
He is a highly-rated youngster that has shown to be reliable, which reflects on the number of appearances he has made.
According to statistics, Pedri has played twenty-one times in La Liga, scoring six goals.
6. Gavi
Passion drives football, but you’ll find very few players having such about their game. The perfect example of a passionate footballer is Gavi.
The 18-year-old midfielder is one of the best young players in the world. In 2022, he won the Golden Boy Award following his remarkable impact on the Spanish Men’s National team, where he became the youngest player ever to represent the team.
This season, Gavi is one of the pillars of Xavi Hernandez’s midfield alongside Pedri. He has played almost every La Liga game, scoring once and providing three assists.
5. Jamal Musiala
The next name on the block is Jamal Musiala who is currently enjoying the form of his life. The midfielder has been a longstanding player at Bayern Munich.
Jamal Musiala is regarded as one of the best young players in the world currently and has been tipped to become one of the engine rooms of Bayern Munich midfield.
The German international is a player who has shown to be reliable offensively.
4. Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best players in the English Premier League and one of the most influential at Manchester City. Undoubtedly, he is one the best midfielders ever to play in the league.
He is a natural assist maker, free kick specialist, team leader, goal scorer, and special cases that have proved vital for his team.
Following Manchester City’s 5-1 thrashing of Southampton at St Mary’s on April 8th, Kevin De Bruyne became the fastest player to reach 100 assists in the Premier League in 237 games.
3. Federico Valverde
Fede Valverde is an outstanding midfielder who has been tipped to be the perfect replacement for the ageing Real Madrid midfield. The Uruguayan can confidently play as a winger and in the midfield.
Fede is known for his ability to initiate counterattacks, long and short-range shots, and scores.
Since 2019, the Uruguayan has consistently put out an impressive shift and successfully cemented his position in the first team due to his versatility.
2. Rodri
Rodrigo is one of the pivots of the Manchester City midfield alongside Kevin De Bruyne, who continues to lead the Premier League best midfielder chart.
The Spaniard is mainly employed as a defensive midfielder by Pep Guardiola and has been effective. The holding midfielder is one of the technically gifted players who has a high level of skill in the game.
Rodri is the only Man City player with the most minutes in the Premier League, which shows he is a reliable player. He has scored twice and assisted five times.
Overall, Rodrigo provides stability to Manchester City’s midfield, and he is the reason behind Pep Guardiola’s success since his arrival at the club in 2019.
1. Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham is ranked among the best young talents in the world. Since he arrived at Borussia Dortmund, he has been exceptional.
His performance for the Yellow Wall raises eyebrows making him one of the most sought-after players in world football.
Tactically speaking, Jude Bellingham could be your ideal complete midfielder. He is energetic and can hold possession and find spaces deep inside the opponent’s half.
He could also win balls and successfully drive to critical positions to make an assist or score goals. Defensively, he was shown to be successful at averting dangerous balls. He is a perfect example of a box-to-box midfielder.