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 checked to bring you the players with the highest ratings.
Interesting Football compiles the top 20 best midfielders in the world right now.
1. 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.
Read: The Most Expensive Football Boots
2. 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 deliver on the pitch. Most notably in the Championship table, the Croatian has been very effective in the biggest moments.
3. 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.
Read: Top 20 Best Strikers in the World
4. Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos has consistently made it to the list of best midfielders in the world. The German footballer is arguably one of the greatest in his position.
He is a player who brings a lot of experience to the game. When it comes to achievement, he has more since joining Real Madrid.
This season, he has played less as Carlo Ancelotti had preferred to shift focus on the future of the club with Fede Valverde. But this isn’t Kroos’ last moments at Santiago Bernabéu.
Read: Top 20 best wingers in the world
5. 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.
6. 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.
Read: Top 10 Best right backs in the World
7. Gavi
Oh GavI Boy, #ElClásico is calling 🎶 pic.twitter.com/AGpuRopIgq
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 5, 2023
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.
Read: Top 10 Best players in La Liga right now
8. Frenkie de Jong
There's Absolutely no player currently that can mantain the ball under pressure like Frenkie De jong.
No one does it like him.⚡💨 pic.twitter.com/7uukpzdAwS
— ELI LEE🥇💥 (@Gaviball__) April 1, 2023
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.
9. Casemiro
Casemiro switched to the Premier League to team up with Manchester United after a successful career at Real Madrid. The Brazilian instantly impacted Old Trafford following his £70m move to England.
He is now at the base of Manchester United’s defence, standing as a protective cover to the defence.
Casemiro also played a key role in Man United’s triumph at the Carabao Cup final to end the club’s six-year wait for a trophy. But one of the setbacks he has faced is suspensions.
Read: Top 10 Best defensive midfielders in the Premier League
10. ilkay Gündoğan
Premier Lig'de en fazla gol atan Alman oyuncu: 🇩🇪⚽
🔵 İlkay Gündoğan – 40 gol pic.twitter.com/ktT7ODjCG0
— EPL Günlükleri (@EPL_Gunlukleri) April 1, 2023
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.
That said, Gündogan has continued to play at the top level since this season, where he nearly made ten goal contributions in all competitions.
Gündogan is an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Nicolò Barella
Nicolò Barella is one of the best midfielders in the world. The Italian he 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.
14. 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.
Pep Guardiola loves the 28-year-old due to 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.
Read: TOP 10 Best young midfielders in the world
15. 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.
16. Dani Parejo
Football fans may find it hard to recognize Dani Parejo as a quality midfielder, but he is one of the best. If you watch Spanish football, you should have seen him play for Villarreal CF.
Dani Parejo has been a vital link between Villarreal’s defence and offence with his versatility. He has been a good passer of the ball. Overall, he plays a significant role in the team.
This season, he has played almost every La Liga game for Villarreal, scoring two goals and providing three assists for the Yellow Submarines. His performance has been praised by many.
17. Martin Ødegaard
Martin Odegaard cost Arsenal just £30m from Real Madrid.
He wanted to be part of the Mikel Arteta project. Some said he was a waste of money, should of bought
James Maddison of Leicester City.Odegaard is now the captain of the Gunners who are sitting at the top of the Premier… pic.twitter.com/IXUnNQESwK
— Steve Kay (@stevek9KS1TV) April 2, 2023
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.
18. Leon Goretzka
Leon #Goretzka: "You're always under pressure at Bayern but I think it's great. I really enjoy these games and I'm really looking forward to Saturday. It's because of these kind of situations that I moved to Bayern." [Bundesliga] #FCBBVB pic.twitter.com/XwMJAUMdYX
— FC Bayern English & Germany National team (@FCBayernGER) March 31, 2023
Leon Goretzka is a perfect example of a box-to-box midfielder and stalwart. The German has made immense contributions to Bayern Munich since he arrived from Schalke 04.
His role as a central midfielder has helped the Bavarians maintain a strong defence, especially in the biggest moments.
Read: Best players in Bundesliga right now
19. Sergej Milinković-Savić
Sergej Milinković-Savić is one of the best players in the Italian Serie A as Lazio enjoys a good season in the Italian top flight. The Serbian midfielder is versatile, a strong ball passer, and provides excellent crosses.
He is a typical midfielder who combines the power of an offensive midfielder to play the number 10 role.
According to statistics this season, Sergej Milinković-Savić has played in almost every Serie A game for Lazio, scoring six goals and providing eight assists. His performance has raised eyebrows across Europe.
20. Marco Verratti
🔥 Marco Verratti et Leo Messi. pic.twitter.com/VXCYtLPIGD
— Media Parisien (@MediaParisien) March 31, 2023
Marco Verratti is one of the long-standing players at Paris Saint-Germain. The Italian has been one of the best midfielders in the Italian Serie A in the last couple of years.
Verratti has played over eleven seasons in the French Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, winning several league titles and Cup titles and helping the club finish runners-up in the UEFA Champions League.
He is considered one of the best midfielders due to his technicality and impressive playmaking.
