Top 25 best midfielders in the world 2023 - Global ranking
Midfielders are generally considered the backbone of any squad. Generally, the best midfielders in the world are good at building the play, keeping control of the ball and breaking defences. So, who is the no.1 midfielder? Find out some of the best midfielders in football and much more.
Source: UGC
There are different positions that midfielders can play. They act as links between the defence and attack. They can also play in central, defensive, attacking or the flanks. So, who is the best midfielder in the world in 2023?
Top 25 best midfielders in the world in 2023
Our list of best midfielders in the world's soccer is based on the players' input and achievements for their clubs and national teams and their overall contribution to football.
25. Merino
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- Full name: Mikel Merino Zazón
- Date of birth: 22 June 1996
- Age: 26 years old (as of 2022)
- Place of birth: Pamplona, Spain
- Nationality: Nationality: Spanish
- Height: 1.89 m
- Club: Real Sociedad
- Overall rating: 83
Merino signed a contract with his current team in 2018, valid until 2025. He was a member of the Spain under-19 team that triumphed in Greece in the 2015 UEFA European Championship.
24. Rúben Neves
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- Full name: Rúben Diogo da Silva Neves
- Date of birth: 13 March 1997
- Age: 25 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Mozelos, Portugal
- Nationality: Portuguese
- Height: 1.8 m
- Club: Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Overall rating: 83
Ruben Neves made his first-team debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017 at 17. In England, he has played more than 200 times and won the EFL Championship in his first season.
23. Bruno Moura
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- Full name: Bruno Guimarães Moura
- Date of birth: 16 November 1997
- Age: 25 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Height: 1.82 m
- Club: Newcastle United
- Overall rating: 83
Bruno Guimares Moura is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Newcastle United in the English Premier League. He joined the club in 2022, and his contract runs through 2026. He also plays for the Brazilian National Team.
22. Carlos Soler
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- Full name: Carlos Soler Barragán
- Date of birth: 2 January 1997
- Age: 26 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Valencia, Spain
- Nationality: Spanish
- Height: 1.81 m
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- Overall rating: 83
Soler began his professional career at Valencia, where he appeared in 226 games and scored 36 goals. He signed with Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, and his contract runs until 2027.
21. Rodrigo De Paul
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- Full name: Rodrigo Javier De Paul
- Date of birth: 24 May 1994
- Age: 28 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Sarandí, Argentina
- Nationality: Argentine-Italian
- Height: 1.8 m
- Club: Atlético de Madrid
- Overall rating: 84
De Paul played his first professional match in February 2013. A month later, he scored his first goal. He signed with his current club in 2021, and his contract runs until 2026. He also plays for Argentina's National Football Team in international competitions, wearing the number 7.
20. Jude Bellingham
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- Full name: Jude Victor William Bellingham
- Date of birth: 29 June 2003
- Age: 19 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Stourbridge, United Kingdom
- Nationality: British-English
- Height: 1.86 m
- Club: Borussia Dortmund
- Overall rating: 84
Bellingham, who joined Birmingham City as an under-8 player, became the club's youngest first-team player when he made his senior debut in August 2019 at the age of 16. He joined Borussia Dortmund in July 2020 and became the club's youngest-ever goalscorer in his first competitive match.
19. Jorginho
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- Full name: Jorge Luiz Frello Filho
- Date of birth: 20 December 1991
- Age: 31 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Imbituba, Brazil
- Nationality: Italian, Brazilian
- Height: 1.80m
- Club: Chelsea
- Overall rating: 84
Jorginho is a technically gifted defensive midfielder who prefers playing as a focal point and controlling the tempo of play. He won the 2021 Champions League and Club World Cup with Chelsea and the 2020 Euros with Italy.
The talented footballer was voted UEFA Men's Player of the Year. In addition, he is considered the best defensive midfielder in football.
18. Mateo Kovačić
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- Full name: Mateo Kovačić
- Date of birth: 6 May 1994
- Age: 28 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Linz, Austria
- Nationality: Austrian-Croatian
- Height: 1.77 m
- Club: Chelsea
- Overall rating: 84
Mateo is undoubtedly one of the Premier League's most talented and best central midfielders. He is well-known for his quick combinations. Earlier in his career, he also adapted to playing wide on the left or as an attacking midfielder.
17. Hakan Çalhanoğlu
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- Full name: Hakan Çalhanoğlu
- Date of birth: 8 February 1994
- Age: 28 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Mannheim, Germany
- Nationality: German-Turkish
- Height: 1.78 m
- Club: Inter Milan
- Overall rating: 84
Hakan is well-known as a free-kick specialist, capable of scoring from a variety of angles and distances. He made his senior debut in 2013 and was a member of the squads that competed in UEFA Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.
16. Youri Tielemans
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- Full name: Youri Marion A. Tielemans
- Date of birth: 7 May 1997
- Age: 25 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium
- Nationality: Belgian
- Height: 1.76 m
- Club: Leicester City
- Overall rating: 84
Youri is the youngest Belgian to play in the UEFA Champions League, having made his debut at the age of 16. He is proficient with long passes. He also plays for Belgium National Football Team.
15. İlkay Gündoğan
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- Full name: İlkay Gündoğan
- Date of birth: 24 October 1990
- Age: 32 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
- Nationality: German-Turkish
- Height: 1.80 m
- Club: Manchester City
- Overall rating: 85
lkay Gündoan has emerged as one of the best, winning numerous awards throughout his career. In 157 Premier League appearances, the midfielder has 36 goals and 12 assists.
14. Paul Pogba
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- Full name: Paul Labile Pogba
- Date of birth: 15 March 1993
- Age: 29 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Lagny-Sur-Marne, Seine-Et-Marne
- Nationality: French
- Height: 1.90 m
- Club: Juventus
- Overall rating: 85
Paul Pogba is among the best players in the world's all-time ranking. He can play in a central midfield position or as a deep-lying playmaker.
13. Federico Valverde
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- Full name: Federico Santiago Valverde Dipetta
- Date of birth: 22 July 1998
- Age: 24 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Montevideo, Uruguay
- Nationality: Spanish-Uruguayan
- Height: 1.82 m
- Club: Real Madrid
- Overall rating: 85
Federico Valverde is an all-around player known for his speed, stamina, and work rate. He can also occasionally play defensive midfielder, right winger, and right-back. He was a member of Uruguay's national youth teams and drew the attention of European clubs such as Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.
12. Pedri
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- Full name: Pedro González López
- Nickname: Pedri
- Date of birth: 25 November 2002
- Age: 20 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Tegueste, Spain
- Nationality: Spaniard
- Height: 1.74m
- Club: Barcelona
- Overall rating: 85
The 19-year-old Spaniard has surprised many with his dazzling talent and skills. He is a regular starter for Barcelona and the Spanish national football team in the central midfield position. In addition, Pedri won the 2021 Golden Boy Award for the best under-21 player in Europe.
11. Parejo
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- Full name: Daniel Parejo Muñoz
- Date of birth: 16 April 1989
- Age: 33 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Coslada, Spain
- Nationality: Spanish
- Height: 1.82 m
- Club: Villarreal
- Overall rating: 86
Parejo came through Real Madrid's youth system, joining at the age of 14. He represented Spain at all youth levels, earning 43 caps and scoring nine goals. He made his full debut in 2018 at the age of 28.
10. Thiago Alcântara
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- Full name: Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento
- Date of birth: 11 April 1991
- Age: 31 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: San Pietro Vernotico, Italy
- Nationality: Spain
- Height: 1.74 m
- Club: Liverpool
- Overall rating: 86
Thiago Alcantara is a technical and creative midfielder in the game of football. He is well-known for his precise passes and technical abilities. In 2020, Thiago joined Liverpool for an initial fee of £20 million and won the FA Cup and EFL Cup with Liverpool in 2022.
9. Sergej Milinković-Savić
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- Full name: Sergej Milinković-Savić
- Date of birth: 27 February 1995
- Age: 27 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Lleida, Spain
- Nationality: Serbia
- Height: 1.92 m
- Club: Lazio
- Overall rating: 86
Milinkovi-Savi began his professional career with the Serbian club Vojvodina. He is versatile and one of the best CAM in the world who can play in various positions. Sergej is the older brother of Vanja Milinkovi-Savi, a goalkeeper who also plays football.
8. Nicolò Barella
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- Full name: Nicolò Barella
- Date of birth: 7 February 1997
- Age: 25 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Cagliari, Italy
- Nationality: Italy
- Height: 1.72 m
- Club: Inter Milan
- Overall rating: 86
Barella is an Italian professional footballer known for his strong personality, leadership abilities, and winning attitude. Between 2012 and 2013, he was named the best young Italian player born in 1997 for two years.
7. Trent Alexander-Arnold
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- Full name: Trent John Alexander-Arnold
- Date of birth: 7 October 1998
- Age: 24 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: West Derby, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Nationality: English
- Height: 1.75 m
- Club: Liverpool
- Overall rating: 86
Trent began playing football at a young age, and his talent has helped him gain international recognition. Trent is regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world due to his wide range of passing, crossing, and assists.
6. Marco Verratti
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- Full name: Marco Verratti
- Date of birth: 5 November 1992
- Age: 30 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Pescara, Italy
- Nationality: Italian
- Height: 1.65 m
- Club: Paris Saint-Germain
- Overall rating: 87
Marco Veratti is a creative and technically gifted player with quick dribbling skills. Veratti guided Italy to their second European Championship title in July 2021.
5. Leon Goretzka
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- Full name: Leon Christoph Goretzka
- Date of birth: 6 February 1995
- Age: 27 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Bochum, Germany
- Nationality: German
- Height: 1.89 m
- Club: Bayern München
- Overall rating: 87
Goretzka is one of the best central defenders in the Bundesliga. His career began at the age of four with Werner SV 06 Bochum, where he played and trained from 1999 to 2000, and then at VfL Bochum. Leon is regarded as one of Germany's most promising players.
4. Frenkie de Jong
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- Full name: Frenkie de Jong
- Date of birth: 12 May 1997
- Age: 25 years (as of February 2022)
- Place of birth: Arkel, Netherlands
- Nationality: Dutch
- Height: 1.80m
- Club: Barcelona
- Overall rating: 87
Frenkie de Jong, who plays for Barcelona, is a box-box midfielder known for his vision, passing, and dribbling techniques. De Jong has collected several individual awards, including the 2018/19 UEFA Midfielder of the Season. He is regarded as one of Barcelona's best midfielders in the world.
3. Luka Modrić
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- Full name: Luka Modric
- Nickname: Cruyff of the Balkans
- Date of birth: 9 September 1985
- Age: 37 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Zadar
- Nationality: Croatian
- Height: 1.72 m
- Club: Real Madrid
- Overall rating: 88
The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner is undoubtedly one of the most talented players of his generation. Modric can play in the central, attacking, and defensive midfield positions. The Real Madrid playmaker is also regarded as the most outstanding Croatian footballer in history.
2. Toni Kroos
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- Full name: Toni Kroos
- Date of birth: 4 January 1990
- Age: 33 years old (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Greifswald, Germany
- Nationality: Germany
- Height: 1.83 m
- Club: Real Madrid
- Overall rating: 88
Toni is widely regarded as one of the all-time great midfielders. He has mostly played as a central midfielder in his career, but he has also been used as a deep-lying playmaker. He is well-known for his vision, passing, creativity, crossing, and set-piece ability.
1. Kevin De Bruyne
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- Full name: Kevin De Bruyne
- Date of birth: 28 June 1991
- Age: 31 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Drongen, Ghent, Belgium
- Nationality: Belgian
- Height: 1.81m
- Club: Manchester City
- Overall rating: 91
Who is the world's best midfielder? Kevin De Bruyne tops the list of best midfielders of all time. The Belgium and Manchester City star is considered the best-attacking midfielder in world football. He is the only player besides Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry to have won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award back to back.
Who are the best midfielders in the world?
Here is a summary table of some of the top 25 best midfielders.
| Name | Overall rating |
| Kevin De Bruyne | 91 |
| Toni Kroos | 88 |
| Luka Modrić | 88 |
| Frenkie de Jong | 87 |
| Leon Goretzka | 87 |
| Marco Verratti | 87 |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | 86 |
| Nicolò Barella | 86 |
| Sergej Milinković-Savić | 86 |
| Thiago Alcântara | 86 |
| Daniel Parejo Muñoz | 86 |
| Pedro González López | 85 |
| Federico Santiago Valverde Dipetta | 85 |
| Paul Labile Pogba | 85 |
| İlkay Gündoğan | 85 |
| Youri Marion A. Tielemans | 84 |
| Hakan Çalhanoğlu | 84 |
| Mateo Kovačić | 84 |
| Luiz Frello Filho Jorge | 84 |
| Rodrigo Javier De Paul | 84 |
| Jude Bellingham | 84 |
| Carlos Soler Barragán | 83 |
| Bruno Guimarães Moura | 83 |
| Rúben Diogo da Silva Neves | 83 |
| Mikel Merino Zazón | 83 |
Ranking among the best midfielders in the world is a massive privilege. The majority players on this list have the superior passing ability that make them the best in the game.
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