20 Best Midfielders in the World Ranked (2024)

It’s often said that whichever football team wins the battle of the midfield, tends to win the game. Whether it’s a holding midfielder who can shut down the opposition attack, a box-to-box player who can do both sides well effectively, or an attacking one who can chip in with goals and assists, they are usually the key to how a match pans out.

With that in mind, below are the 20 best midfielders in the world ranked in order, and the level of talent is off the scale. The following factors have been taken into consideration when forming these rankings, with players such as Jude Bellingham and Kevin De Bruyne featuring.

Ranking Factors

• Recent Form
• Individual Honours in 2024
• Team Trophies in 2024
• Importance to Team (Club)
• Importance to National Team
• The Role Played in Respective Teams

Best Midfielders in the world image gallery

20 Nicolo Barella

Inter and Italy

Nicolo Barella is one of the best midfielders in the world and has been a key reason behind Inter Milan’s success in recent years. Barella was a regular as Inter reached the Champions League final in 2023, and also won Serie A in 2023-24.

The 27-year-old also starred in Italy’s Euro 2020 success, starting the final alongside Jorginho and Marco Verratti in the engine room. While Barella may not make the move to the Premier League any time soon, the midfielder has proved time and time again in both Serie A and on the European stage that he is at an elite level.

19 Joshua Kimmich

Bayern Munich and Germany

Joshua Kimmich brings leadership and a no-nonsense attitude to Bayern Munich, making him a vital cog in the machine at the Allianz Arena. Utilised either as a right-back or a holding midfielder, the German international is excellent in both roles, although Vincent Kompany has opted to play him in the engine room since taking the managerial post.

Racking up nearly 400 appearances for the Bavarian giants proves how important he has been since arriving at the club from Stuttgart in 2015, but his versatility for both club and country limits how high he can rank among out-and-out midfielders in this list. Nevertheless, it’s commendale that he can play in two different positions at an elite level.

18 Granit Xhaka

Bayer Leverkusen and Switzerland

Had you told Arsenal fans five years ago that Granit Xhaka would be an invincible Bundesliga champion and one of the best midfielders in the world, many of them wouldn’t have believed you. But the Swiss international has been nothing short of superb since making the move to Bayer Leverkusen.

Under Xabi Alonso’s tutelege, the former Premier League hothead has become the key part of Die Werkself’s midfield, guiding them to the league title and the DFB-Pokal with some phenomenal displays along the way. He also nearly led Switzerland into the Euro 2024 semi-finals, only to be foiled by a late Bukayo Saka equaliser and subsequent penalty shootout. Now nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, his journey really has come full circle.

17 Dani Olmo

Barcelona and Spain

Another star of Euro 2024 was Spain’s Dani Olmo. Many supporters were concerned when Pedri was ruled out for the rest of the tournament after picking up an injury in the quarter-final against Germany. There was no reason to panic, however, as Olmo stepped up in a huge way for his country.

It shouldn’t have really come as a surprise as the playmaker had been one of the top midfielders in the Bundesliga for several years now. His silky dribbling coupled with an incredible vision makes Olmo a nightmare for opposing defenders and midfielders to deal with. Impressively, the 26-year-old won the Euro 2024 Golden Boot – along with five other players – which helped him secure a move to Barcelona in the summer.

16 Frenkie de Jong

Barcelona and Netherlands

Desperately wanted by Manchester United back in the summer of 2022, Frenkie de Jong stayed put at Barcelona and once again showed why he is among the classiest midfielders in the world. The Dutchman’s silky smooth dribbling and ability to beat pressure even near his own box makes him invaluable for the Blaugrana. It’s no surprise that Erik ten Hag looked to pull out all the stops to sign him.

If Barcelona are to return to the heady heights of competing for the Champions League year after year, then De Jong will be pivotal to their chances. From his early days at Ajax to waltzing around at Camp Nou, the midfielder is one of the easiest footballers on the eye.

15 Alexis Mac Allister

Liverpool and Argentina

The man who helped to orchestrate a World Cup win for Argentina in 2022. Alexis Mac Allister enjoyed a standout 2022/23 campaign for both club and country, and it was no surprise that Liverpool paid Brighton a handsome fee to sign him last summer.

Mac Allister won the League Cup in his first season as a Liverpool player and will be hoping to hoist more silverware under Jurgen Klopp’s successor Arne Slot. While he might have some way to go to catch some of the other Premier League midfielders who feature on this list, the Argentine is not out of place among the elite midfielders in world football. The technical midfielder added to his trophy collection with Copa America success in the summer of 2024.

14 Pedri

Barcelona and Spain

They might have been searching for years, but Barcelona may finally have found their long-term successor to Andres Iniesta. Bought from Las Palmas back in 2019, Pedri has emerged as the next best thing in Spain, and when you look at the kind of impact he is already making on his side, you can see why the hype is justified.

His silky feet and progressive passing make him feel like a La Masia product, and it’s not a stretch to say that not only is he the future of Barcelona’s midfield, but Spain’s too. Before picking up an unfortunate injury, Pedri was a key player in eventual Euro 2024 winners Spain’s midfield.

13 Ilkay Gundogan

Manchester City and Germany

There’s no doubt that Ilkay Gundogan has been crucial to Manchester City’s success over the past few years. The Germany international seemed to develop even further under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage at the Etihad, and after initially being a silky and creative playmaker, the German morphed into one of Europe’s finest goal-scoring midfielders.

Moving to Barcelona for the 2023/24 campaign, no player made more appearances than Gundogan, which says a lot about his physical conditioning, given he is now 33. Financial trouble saw him leave the Camp Nou and complete a move back to Man City for the 2024/25 term, and you can expect to see him performing just as well as he did when he left a year ago.

12 Luka Modric

Real Madrid and Croatia

What would the greatest midfielders list be without having Luka Modric on it? The Croatian has been the heartbeat of Real Madrid ever since his move from Tottenham, and the fact he even stopped the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi domination to win the Ballon d’Or in 2018 speaks volumes of the kind of talent he has and the esteem he is held in.

As well as lifting six Champions League trophies with Los Blancos, Modric has captained arguably the most over-achieving international side in Croatia too. He has run games almost on his own for his country as they reached the 2018 World Cup final and the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022. His age is finally starting to catch up to him as the ex-Spurs ace approaches his 39th birthday, which is why one of the greatest midfielders of all time sits in the bottom half of this list.

11 Fabian Ruiz

PSG and Spain

Fabian Ruiz was possibly the standout performer at Euro 2024. So much so, that Jamie Carragher claimed the Paris Saint-Germain star deserved to be named Player of the Tournament ahead of Rodri. His passing ability fits Spain’s style like a glove and elevated his club performances to a new level.

PSG have a team full of superstar names and Ruiz has often struggled to nail down a regular place in the starting line-up. However, Luis Enrique would be foolish not to accommodate his compatriot in his team after the wonderful controlling displays he put on in the Spanish engine room throughout the summer.

10 Eduardo Camavinga

Real Madrid and France

Eduardo Camavinga is like Real Madrid’s Swiss Army Knife. The Frenchman has played in a holding midfield role, as a box-to-box runner and even as a playmaking left-back. His supreme technical ability allows the left-footed star to control the tempo of games regardless of where he is on the pitch.

He’s still only 21 years old and there’s so much room for Camavinga to grow. He will be required to step up even further in the coming years for Los Blancos after Toni Kroos’ retirement and with Luka Modric coming towards the end of his career at the top. The youngster will also have big shoes to fill on the international stage when N’Golo Kante hangs up his boots for France. The biggest compliment he can be paid is that no one doubts Camavinga can fill those shoes seamlessly.

9 Aurelien Tchouameni

Real Madrid and France

Aurelien Tchouameni only just nudges ahead of his club and international colleague in these rankings. Didier Deschamps has yet to fully show faith in Camavinga for Les Bleus, but the legendary boss has placed his trust in the former Monaco star time and time again.

He is increasingly asserting himself as an important player in Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid team, having played a big part in an extremely successful 2023/24 season. Tchouameni is more of a destroyer than Camavinga, but he’s also more than capable in possession of the ball. The dirty work he does goes unnoticed, but supporters are well aware of his passing ability and tendency to drive forward powerfully with the ball.

8 Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United and Portugal

Bruno Fernandes’ output is nothing short of remarkable. The Portugal star’s best quality is his consistent end product, having bagged more than 10 goals in each of his five seasons at United. His best season to date saw him score 18 goals and register 11 assists in 37 Premier League games alone in 2020/21.

With an eye for a killer pass and a willingness to always try things in a bid to score, Fernandes has become a leader for this United team and is right up there with the very best in terms of numbers alone. If you’re looking for a modern-day goal-scoring midfielder, then look no further than the Portuguese superstar.

7 Martin Odegaard

Arsenal and Norway

Martin Odegaard was in the news as a very young teenager, so highly rated he was. After a move to Real Madrid that didn’t work out, he has certainly found his home in north London, where he is loved by his club’s fans. Odegaard is the Arsenal captain and, although he is perhaps not an obvious choice for a captaincy role, he has embraced it and the armband suits him.

Odegaard has missed out on the Premier League title in successive seasons in 2022/23 and 2023/24, but if Arsenal do end up winning the league in seasons to come, you can bet that Odegaard will have played a key role in them doing so.

6 Federico Valverde

Real Madrid and Uruguay

Another of Carlo Ancelotti’s trusted lieutenants, Federico Valverde is capable of doing anything and everything. The Uruguay international has operated out wide on the right whenever his manager has wanted some extra support going back but is a really dynamic presence when given the opportunity in midfield.

Valverde has been a regular fixture in the Madrid team for several seasons now and will take on an even more important role alongside Tchouameni and Camavinga, with Kroos now retired. He’s the biggest hope for his nation also, as Valverde played brilliantly during Copa America in 2024. Marcelo Bielsa’s men fell short of lifting the trophy, but the Real Madrid player can hold his head high after putting in even more energetic performances after a long season.

5 Declan Rice

Arsenal and England

Earning a big-money move to Arsenal in 2023, Declan Rice has emerged as one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League. The England star helped his former side West Ham lift the Europa Conference League at the end of his final season at the London Stadium and enjoyed a fine debut campaign at the Emirates as Arsenal narrowly missed out on the title.

Rice has several years at the top of his game still to come and will fancy his chances of picking up a few more trophies along the way. A cornerstone in both the Gunners’ and England’s engine room, the former Hammers man could either become the best holding midfielder or box-to-box midfielder in the world. Everything will depend on him.

4 Jamal Musiala

Bayern Munich and Germany

One of the finest young talents in the world, Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala is only going to get better in the years to come. The Germany international looks set to be the heartbeat of his side at both club and international level, but is already producing the kind of end product that many players in their prime would be proud of.

If he continues at the pace he is currently going, then you would fancy him to enter the Ballon d’Or conversation sooner rather than later. Musiala has done an admirable job from the left flank at times, but it’s painfully obvious that his future lies in an attacking midfield role, and there’s little doubt he will be one of the best in the world for the foreseeable future.

3 Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City and Belgium

While Kevin De Bruyne might have his injury problems, there’s no denying that when he’s fit and firing, he’s among the best players in the world, let alone just for his position. The Belgium star has been an absolute magician in his time at Manchester City in the Premier League, and any season where he isn’t leading or close to leading the assists charts is a massive shock.

The playmaker has consistently been the best player on the best team in England over these past few years, and even for a well-oiled machine like Pep Guardiola’s side, it’s not a stretch to say that City would look like a completely different team without him in it. His underwhelming time at Euro 2024 suggests age and fitness problems are slowly catching up to the Belgian, although he’s still one of the best around.

2 Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid and England

Jude Bellingham took to life at Borussia Dortmund like a duck to water, and his impressive development there saw him become the talk of the town before he made a big-money move to Real Madrid. Bellingham shone in his first season in the Spanish capital, ending it as a La Liga winner as well as a European champion following victory over former side Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley.

Given that he still has way more than a decade of his career to go, and his prime years aren’t even close to being reached yet, there’s every chance the midfielder could even put himself in the conversation for a Ballon d’Or.

1 Rodri

Manchester City and Spain

On form right now, Rodri is the best midfielder in the world. When he arrived from Atletico Madrid, many anticipated him to be the long-term Fernandinho replacement at Manchester City, a holding player who would break up attacks and pass simply to his more creative teammates. Instead, the Spaniard’s impact on this team has been unrivalled.

Recently, he has added a goal-scoring touch to his game, notably netting the winner to secure City’s first-ever Champions League title against Inter in 2023. Rodri is a serial winner, having been named Player of the Tournament during Spain’s Euro 2024-winning campaign just months after playing a key role in Man City’s record fourth consecutive Premier League title win.