Who are the best defensive midfielders in the world 2022?
by
Claudia Kogi
If we could be frank, defensive midfielders are the most unrecognized heroes in the football scene. For starters, they sit at the back, whether three or four, waiting to clear up any mess before moving the ball to the more experienced players. In this article, we pick the top best defensive midfielders in the world. Keep in mind that we have considered several stats from the last season just to quantify the rankings.
Source: UGC
There may never have been a crop of holding midfielders as good as the current ones. So, who is the best defensive midfielder ever? Have a look at this article and find more information about the best defensive midfielders in the world as of 2022.
Who are the best defensive midfielders in the world of all time?
Today, football has become a sought-after activity surpassing various odds, creating employment for youths, and most of all, nurturing young talents. Below you will find a list containing the best defensive midfielders in the world ever.
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10. Sergio Busquets
Source: Getty Images
Although Sergio has barely made it to the best defensive midfielders in the world, at least he has a position. The midfielder has made 32 appearances, 5 assists, a 1.8 tackle rate, and a 91.3% pass success. There were rumours about the midfielder slowing down and wanting to step down, but the talks were laid to bed during the Euro 2021 when he was seen on the pitch.
Sergio Busquets' profile summary
- Full name: Sergio Busquets Burgos
- Date of birth: 16 July 1988
- Age: 33 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: Spanish
- Zodiac sign: Cancer
- Place of birth: Sabadell, Spain
- Height in feet: 6'2"
- Height in centimetres: 189
- Weight in pounds: 161
- Weight in kilograms: 73
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Barcelona
- Number: 5
- Transfer market value: $9.9 million
- Instagram: @5sergiob
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9. Declan Rice
Source: Getty Images
If there is one pronounced skill that Declan Rice has, he can swiftly run. The West Ham defensive midfielder covered 324.6 kilometres in the 2019 Premier League last season. So it is notably no wonder that he has made it to the list of ranking the best defensive midfielders ever.
Today, Declan Rice is among the best defensive midfielders in the world under 25. Have a look at this profile summary and find more information about the West Ham star.
Declan Rice's profile summary
- Full name: Declan Rice
- Date of birth: 14 January 1999
- Age: 23 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: English
- Zodiac sign: Capricorn
- Place of birth: Kingston upon Thames, England
- Height in feet: 6'1"
- Height in centimeters: 185
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: West Ham United
- Number: 41
- Transfer market value: $82.6 million
- Instagram: @declanrice
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8. Frenkie de Jong
Source: Getty Images
When you have drawn comparisons to the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Xavi, you sure are on the right track. That is the case of Frenkie de Jong, who followed Dutch's greatest players, Frank de Boer and Johan Cruyff, through the Ajax to Barcelona pipeline.
The midfielder has made 35 appearances, scored 3 goals, and has a 91.9% pass success. Have a look at this further description for one of the best defensive midfielders of all time.
Frenkie de Jong's profile summary
- Full name: Frenkie de Jong
- Date of birth: 12 May 1997
- Age: 24 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: Dutch
- Zodiac sign: Taurus
- Place of birth: Gorinchem, Netherlands
- Height in feet: 5'11"
- Height in centimeters: 180
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Barcelona
- Number: 21
- Transfer market value: $77 million
- Instagram: @frenkiedejong
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7. Marcelo Brozovic
Source: Getty Images
At the 7th position sits Marcelo Brozovic. The defensive midfielder has made a total of 29 appearances, scored 2 goals, has a 1.6 tackle per game, and, even more interesting, an 89.6 pass success.
Marcelo Brozovic's profile summary
- Full name: Marcelo Brozovic
- Date of birth: 16 November 1992
- Age: 29 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: Croatian
- Zodiac sign: Scorpio
- Place of birth: Zagreb, Croatia
- Height in feet: 5'11"
- Height in centimeters: 181
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Inter Milan
- Number: 77
- Transfer market value: $44 million
- Instagram: @marcelo_brozovic
6. Wilfred Ndidi
Source: Getty Images
While Wilfred is the most underrated midfielder, he plays for Leicester City, where he was tasked to replace the famous N'Golo Kante, who was sold to Chelsea in 2016. Ndidi made his debut at the age of 18 in the Nigeria National Football team.
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Today, he got the privilege of being ranked among the best defensive midfielders in the world under 25. Below is a further description of the soccer player.
Wilfred Ndidi's profile summary
- Full name: Wilfred Ndidi
- Date of birth: 16 December 1996
- Age: 25 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
- Place of birth: Lagos, Nigeria
- Height in feet: 6'
- Height in centimeters: 183
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Leicester City
- Number: 25
- Transfer market value: $66 million
- Instagram: @ndidi25
5. Fabinho
Source: Getty Images
Fabinho was employed to replace Virgil van Dijk, who suffered an injury. Fabinho has since been an instrumental player, especially in the revival of Liverpool's 2020/21 season.
Fabinho's profile summary
- Full name: Fabio Henrique Tavares
- Date of birth: 23 October 1993
- Age: 28 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Zodiac sign: Scorpio
- Place of birth: Campinas, Brazil
- Height in feet: 6'2"
- Height in centimeters: 188
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Liverpool
- Number: 3
- Transfer market value: $66 million
- Instagram: @fabinho
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4. Casemiro
Source: Getty Images
Casemiro is one midfielder who has made more than 32 appearances in the Premier League since he debuted in the football scene. Additionally, he has had 4 assists, scored 6 goals, a 2.5 tackle in every game, and an 83.9% pass success.
Casemiro's profile summary
- Full name: Carlos Henrique Casemiro
- Date of birth: 23 February 1992
- Age: 30 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Zodiac sign: Pisces
- Place of birth: Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
- Height in feet: 6'1"
- Height in centimeters: 185
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Real Madrid
- Number: 14
- Transfer market value: $66 million
- Instagram: @casemiro
3. Rodri
Source: Getty Images
Apart from being ranked among the best defensive midfielders in the world of all time, he is also renowned for being the world's most expensive midfielder. In 2019, Rodri joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid with $50 million.
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His tackling prowess often deters opponents from passing through the lines. So it is no wonder that he appears third in the list of the best defensive midfielders in the world ever.
Rodri's profile summary
- Full name: Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante
- Date of birth: 22 June 1996
- Age: 25 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: Spanish
- Zodiac sign: Cancer
- Place of birth: Madrid, Spain
- Height in feet: 6'3"
- Height in centimeters: 191
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Manchester City
- Number: 16
- Transfer market value: $77 million
- Twitter: @rodrihernandezc
2. Joshua Kimmich
Source: Getty Images
Just before N'Golo Kante, Joshua Kimmich sits with a total of 25 appearances, 4 goals, 10 assists, a 1.5 tackle, and a successful pass percentage of 86.3%. Kimmich is otherwise renowned as the driving force of his team, Bayern. Bayern's manager, Hansi Flick, often refers to him as the Mentality Monster.
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Joshua Kimmich's profile summary
- Full name: Joshua Walter Kimmich
- Date of birth: 8 February 1995
- Age: 27 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: German
- Zodiac sign: Aquarius
- Place of birth: Rottweil, Germany
- Height in feet: 5'10"
- Height in centimeters: 177
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Bayern Munich
- Number: 6
- Transfer market value: $93.6 million
- Instagram: @jok_32
1. N'Golo Kante
Source: Getty Images
Kante is the best defensive midfielder in the world this season. Even though he has not scored any goals yet, his pass success capabilities are at 86.5%, a 2.6 tackle in every game he plays, and he has made 24 appearances so far.
N'Golo Kante's profile summary
- Full name: N'Golo Kante
- Date of birth: 29 March 1991
- Age: 30 years old (as of February 2022)
- Nationality: French
- Zodiac sign: Aries
- Place of birth: Paris, France
- Height in feet: 5'6
- Height in centimeters: 168
- Position: Defensive midfielder
- Current team: Chelsea
- Number: 7
- Transfer market value: $55 million
- Instagram: @nglkante
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Who is the best defensive midfielder in the world?
As of 2022, N'Golo Kante is the best defensive midfielder. He currently plays for Chelsea.
Who is the best central midfielder in 2022?
Kevin De Bruyne is the world's best central midfielder as of 2022. He plays for Manchester City.
Although the midfielders are the most underrated soccer players in any given team, it is evident that they play an essential part in the club. The skills and talents presented by these top 10 best defensive midfielders in the world continue to wow audiences worldwide.
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