Sports
25 Best Midfielders in the World Ranked (2025)
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, an attacking one who can chip in with goals and assists, or a box-to-box player who can do both sides well effectively, they are usually the key to how a match pans out.
With that in mind, below are the 25 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 Bruno Fernandes featuring.
Ranking Factors
- Recent Form
- Recent Individual Honours
- Recent Team Trophies
- Importance to Team (Club)
- Importance to National Team
- The Role Played in Respective Teams
25
Nicolo Barella
Inter Milan and Italy
Nicolo Barella has been at the heart of Inter’s recent successes on domestic soil and, for a brief moment last season, looked as though he might help drag the Nerazurri to a Champions League trophy. While the Italian side were subsequently thrashed by Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the competition, that shouldn’t understate just how good their number 23 can be.
Barella is a physical presence in the middle of the pitch for Inter, but is also a gifted creator. Typically used as a box-to-box midfielder for both club and country, new manager Christian Chivu has asked him to operate as a playmaker in the new term, with Barella conducting from deep. And he’s played the part to perfection so far.
24
Martin Zubimendi
Arsenal and Spain
Arsenal, summer on summer, have been looking for the final piece of the puzzle. Martin Zubimendi, signed from Real Sociedad in 2025, is just that – his willingness to screen the back four allows those ahead of him to be free in their attacking endeavors. Not only that, but his line-breaking passes are a sight to behold, and his defensively sound nature makes him the perfect midfielder behind Declan Rice.
Still just 26 years of age, the Spaniard has plenty of years left in the tank – and if he stays with Mikel Arteta and Co in north London, he could be the difference maker when it comes to picking up silverware. He has a tendency to keep probing even when games are in danger of drifting into uncomfortable situations and the way he allows Rice to maraud forward is, perhaps, what makes him so influential.
23
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 just over 450 appearances for the Bavarian giants proves how important he has been since arriving at the club from Stuttgart in the summer of 2015, but the seasoned 30-year-old’s versatility for both club and country limits how high he can rank among out-and-out midfielders in this list. That’s because he is often operating on the right-hand side of the back line.
22
Florian Wirtz
Liverpool and Germany
Granted, there seems to be some teething issues with £116 million signing Florian Wirtz, who has gone missing in several games for champions Liverpool. But there can be no doubt about the quality he possesses, and should he get to grips with the physicality of football’s best division soon, he could well become the next De Bruyne, albeit for those on red half of Merseyside: Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
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During his time at former employers Bayer Leverkusen, the 22-year-old won back-to-back Bundesliga Player of the Season awards. In that same timeline, he scored 21 goals and registered 23 assists in 63 appearances, and so it’s only a matter of time before the German international comes good and starts repaying some of his fee back with midfield masterclasses.
21
Luka Modric
AC Milan and Croatia
He very well might be in the twilight years of his career, but Luka Modric is finding form away from the Santiago Bernabeu and proving to everyone that he’s still got it. Since arriving at AC Milan in the summer of 2025, which brought an end to a legendary 13-year career at Real Madrid, the Croatian maestro has been pulling the strings and orchestrating the Rossoneri’s recovery following a poor 2024/25 season.
Although he’s now 40 years of age and reaching the latter stages of his glittering career, Modric has started all 12 Serie A games so far this term, scoring once and assisting twice to propel them seemingly into title contention. He might not be the player he once was, but even an ageing Modric is still a truly elite midfielder.
20
Kevin De Bruyne
Napoli and Belgium
While a seasoned Kevin De Bruyne might have his injury problems, there’s no denying that when he’s fit and firing, he’s long been 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.
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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. The fact he no longer plies his trade in England proves that his time at the top is finally coming to an end, as he signed for Napoli in the summer of 2025. But the 34-year-old has made a fine start to life in Italy.
19
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 the majority of his club’s fans. Odegaard may be the Arsenal captain and, although he is perhaps not an obvious choice for a captaincy role, he has embraced it and continues to be the architect in Mikel Arteta’s midfield.
Odegaard has missed out on the Premier League title in three successive seasons in 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25, finishing second on the podium. However, part of the reason for this is how the Gunners suffered when he was out injured at the start of the last campaign. That’s how difficult it is for Arteta to replace the Norwegian, even if good solid strength in depth now means his importance is waning slightly at the start of this term.
18
Fabian Ruiz
Paris Saint-Germain and Spain
Fabian Ruiz might not be as eye-catching as some of his Paris Saint-Germain teammates, hence his 24th-place finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or race, but the role that the Spaniard plays in his side cannot be understated. The 29-year-old has been a consistent presence in Luis Enrique’s team, providing balance to midfield and playing a crucial part in their domestic treble and Champions League success in 2024/25.
That built on successes with Spain at Euro 2024 and in the Nations League a year prior, with Ruiz equally important to La Roja heading to the 2026 World Cup. Should he add to any of the aforementioned silverware in the coming year, then a place near the top of this ranking isn’t completely out of question.
17
Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea and Argentina
Much was made of the lofty fee Chelsea coughed up for Enzo Fernandez as part of their midfield refurbishment – and it’s perhaps not unfair to say the Argentine has fully repaid the Blues. He’s certainly getting there with some memorable performances in the middle of the park and, when you consider how frequently he makes runs in the box, it’s only a matter of time before the 24-year-old is brought up in some very telling conversations.
The fact that he is still so young plays into his hands. The former Benfica ace, who was born and raised in San Martin, has played just shy of 150 times for the west Londoners since joining for a then-record fee in January 2023 – but that number could rise to ridiculous levels if he remains at Stamford Bridge for the next decade or so. That’s a very real possibility given his talent and age.
16
Alexis Mac Allister
Liverpool and Argentina
The man who helped to orchestrate a World Cup win for Argentina in 2022, thus helping to secure Lionel Messi’s status as the greatest footballer of all time. The ever-loveable Alexis Mac Allister enjoyed a standout 2022/23 campaign for both club and country, and it was no surprise that Liverpool paid Brighton & Hove Albion the handsome fee of £35 million to sign him all those summers ago.
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Mac Allister won the League Cup in his first season as a Liverpool player and hoisted the Premier League title under Arne Slot a campaign later. He’s not had the best of starts to 2025/26 in a Liverpool side that has looked exposed, but the Argentine has the quality to rediscover the form which made him among the most elite footballers in world football.
